The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-05

will double its population in ten years-the be-
ginning of the percentage paying period-it 10
safe to assume that 10000 people will pay three
times as much car fare 81 900 people will pay.
because the next 60,0O0 people will be com-
PEELED to live further from the business center.
and will therefore have TO pay car fare con-
stantly. street car statistics show this to DO
true. We will therefore assume that the car
lines will receive n, 500 per day-Sl 642 $50 Der
year-at the beginning of the percentage paying
period. One per cent of this sum ID &i6,42h II
there should be no increase In our population
for the next five years after the period named
the city would receive five times }I6,425 or ST..
375, in addition to taxes and licenses To be
Still more conservative and assume that the city
will remain At 10000 population for the next
hve-year period-tbAt il, the period between
fifteen and twenty years from now, and the i've
year period in which IL is proposed to pay ~
per cent, the amount paid the city annually for
this second five year period would be s2l,6s7. 50,
or total for the five years Of $123, 1854 There
would still remain one year of tho old franchise
In which II is proposed to pay per cent. still
assuming that the city has only 10000 people
and the earnings Of the roads the same a. at the
beginning OF the percentage paying period. tho
city would receive for that one year $3.50. IL
We assume that tho tax and license (the latter
on account OF increased number of cars usod)
are increased 100 per cent. NJ the beginning Of
the percentage paying period and maintain &C
that for the next eleven years, the city would
receive from these sources the sum of SOS, iO9
Tho calculations street car earnings are
based on the theory that the city will remain as
10000 population for twenty-one years I am
sure no one who is acquainted with the re-
sources OF seattle will estimate the population
In twenty-one years from now at less than
$500 The most conservative statements one
can make ON this subject will show the advant-
ages to the city to be great that there need 10
~.
is to guard the interests OF the city to grant tho
extensions asked for. The account would there.
fore stand as follows:
Total tax and license lat 100 per cent
increase) for the eleven years follow
ing the percentage paving period. sos, 100 20
Total percentage Tor same period 23s, Az 81
This Is additional income to the city during a
period OF time when, under the present fran
ehises. the roads need only pay tax and license
III tho reader believes, with me. that our city
will have 10000 people In ten years and 10000
In twenty years. he can make his own caicula-
lions on the gross earnings o. the roads, and
they will show the city TO DO the gamer 20 the
amount OF nearly 100000
Now, few words in answer to the question:
What could the city do with these franchises az
the end OF the twenty-oas years? Mayor Ronald
wrote to the mayors OF several cities concerning
the matter Of percentage for street railway frau
chises. and the answers were submitted 70 tho
city council and showed, think. 70 the satisfsc-
ton of the members that from to per cent Of
gross earnings is the usual percentage paid BY
street railway companies in cities OF from 100
to 10000 population. Ia some cities this per-
centsgs 10 in addition 70 . nominal price for tn
franchise and In others IL 10 the only payment
made. II IL . matter OF opinion whether the
city would or could consistently ask more than
per cent. for the renewal OF their franchises
when they expire. The city expe nses are neces-
sarily very large They hardly b less in
ten years. and this revenue win como 1t . time
when you need IL Respectfully,
A. r. NIf7BN