The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-22
SHOPS AT BALLARD.
Citizens and Council After the
Great Northern.
SPOKANE ACCEPTS THE RATES.
Will Have to Make the Best Of IT.
Great Northern Cut on 1t
Chuckanut Hill.

The Ballard city council last evening
took the first formal steps towards secur-
ing the location of the Great Northern
railroad shops.
A resolution passed at q mass meeting Of
the citizens asking the council to cooper
ate with the West Coast improvement
Company in the matter was read and
placed on file and . committee of three,
with the city attorney, appointed to act IN
conjunction with the West Coast I'm
provement Company. F. Frazier. W. T.
McVay and A. Looney were appointed
and will take action at once and call
special meeting of the council as soon a.
practicable. Owing to legal restrictions.
the city has to overcome some difficulties
in order to aid in securing the shops.
Some weeks ago John Leary and w. r
Ballard, representing the West Coast I'm
provement Company, at q special session
of the city council offered to donate thirty
acres to the Great Northern railway as
site for the company's car shops. provided
the citizens of Ballard would donate thirty
acres for the same purpose. In explana-
ton of the offer, Mr.. Leary said that the
interest of the city of Ballard in securing
the car shops was paramount to that Of
the West Coast Improvement Com
pany, inasmuch as the company
owned not much more than forty acres
within the city limits. His company pro-
posed to give twenty acres of its own land
and would agree to promise ten acres from
other parties. He had no positive assur-
ance from President Hill that the offer
would be accepted, but believed it very
probable it would. The location would be
adjoining the old steel works site, just
within the eastern limits of the city. The
thirty acres which the citizens were to give
were estimated to cost $50, 600.
1t was shown that the city as corpor-
ate body could not offer donations to the
railroad company on account Of a consti-
tutional provision prohibiting cities offer
ing bonuses to corporations. 1t was also
considered impossible for the citizens to
raise so large an amount by private sub
scriptions. as there are few wealthy cap
italists in Ballard. The West Coast I'M
provement Company then suggested that
the city might buy its water works sys-
tenn for $50, 600, and it would then donate
the whole sixty acres.
Mayor A. E. Pretty subsequently called q
mass meeting of the citizens to consider
ways and means of raising the $780, 900.
The meeting was attended by nearly every
representative citizen. and all except three
were in favor of bonding the city for the
purchase. extension and improvement of
the West Coast Improvement Company's
water works system. provided by that
means the location of the Great Northern
car shops could be secured at Ballard. 1t
was also thought by the lawyers present
that this could be legally accomplished.
Two of the three who opposed the plan
are not taxpayers, and the third pays
taxes on only half q lot. They, too. were
in favor of having the shops, but were
against all corporations, damned the shops
with faint praise, attempted to belittle the
benefits the town would receive, and de-
clared they had taken an oath to support
the constitution and that their consciences
were too tender to allow even an apparent
violation of it. The meeting closed by
passing q resolution urging the city coun-
Gil to cooperate with the West Coast I'M
provement Company in securing the loca-
ton of the shops at Ballard. In pursuance
of this plan the preliminary steps were
taken by the city council last night.
For a number of years the city has been
trying to own its own water works. It
needs an improved system of water works
and sewerage at once. No one pretends
that the present system of the West Coast
Improvement is worth $4,000. although
the actual cost of its construction is not so
very far from that figure. The land, how
ever, that goes with the system, and the
location Of the car shops as an extra in
ducement. will make the investment q
good one for the city.
1t is reported that the offer of the site,
with the approval and recommendation of
Manager Shelby, has been forwarded to
President Hill for his acceptance.
SPOKANlTES COOLING OFF.
Not 90 Badly Treated in New Rates
After All.
The Snokane Rerie,n of Eehrnarx 10 q AM.