The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-15
FRANCHISE WILL GO.
RAILROADS TO GET THE TIDE
FLAT RfGHT-oF-wAY.
Committee of the Councfi Agree
Upon an Ordinance which VIII
Give the New Flour Viii Track
90 IL. Door and the Railroad Com
panic. a Very saiuabie frnn-
chfs~.

The CORPORATIONS committee OF the city
council. augmented by the mayor and the
city engineer yesterday finished a three
DAG session which they have been hold
gry over an ordinance granting certain
franchises to the railroads doing business
ia the city.
The primary object OK the ordinance f.
10 secure the proposed Touring NH on
the tide fats. tire erection Of which IL
contingent on the building % q spur of
ore q the railroads 70 the proposed site
The proposed ordinance grants such n
Franchise a.. n Is expected. VIII induce
one or more Of me railroad companies 70
either separately or By joint action under
take the construction % the proposed line
OF road.
Tba bin under consideration was one
prepared By City Engineer Thomson. sub
fnittsd TO the city council. and referred TO
the committee "a above stated. For three
days past the committee has basn IN Ses-
s.cu and during that time every para
graph 10 the proposed ordinance hss been
discussed until the subject has been worn
threadbare. The members OF the commit
tee have been balancing tic question, a.
between the great public benefit which
viii rebound 10 the city b. the erection Of
the proposed Touring mill. and the
acknowledged necessity that the railroad
lines should be extended on 10 the re-
Gently reclaimed land. IL manufacturing
establishments are 20 De located there. on
the one hand, and on the other nand II
Is recognized that there is n certain
smognt OF public sentiment. somewhat
Indefinite in character and difficult TO ac-
curately estimate In strength. against the
granting OF any further franchises OF any
description 20 any transportation COM
panIes.
In addition 20 this. the committee have
been embarrassed by multitude OF adj
visers. At their various sessions repre-
scnfauves OF the various transportation
companies, of proposed manufacturing
enterprises, OF tide land real estate own
ers and OF the water way company, have
been before the board presenting various
suggestions as to notifications OF the
proposed ordinance. either IN the line OF
more liberality toward the transportation
companies. or stiil more rigid restrictions
than those contained in the draft.
Two sessions were held yesterday. one
In the forenoon commencing at ~ O'Clock
and the other commencing az , o'clock In
the afternoon and lasting until $50. at
the forenoon session many suggestions
from the outside were received. but in the
afternoon session none but members Of
the committee were present, and AT last.
after considerable debate. the defails OF
the proposed ordinance were ..aaiiy de-
cided upon and the matter referred 20 a
Subcommittee 10 make a new draf, OF the
measure In accordance with the various
amendments agreed upon. and 10 have IL
ready for submission 20 the city council
this evening.
The afternoon session was remarkable
for a rather sudden change OF front upon
the part OF Councilman Navin. who has
been persistent opponeat OF the whole
proposition heretofore.
The ordinance was taken up section by
section The first lock came over the
proposition 10 make the lifetime OF the
franchise fifty instead OF twenty-five
years. This was vigorously opposed by
Navin and McArdle. although II was
pointed out by others that the ordinance
contained provisions by the terms OF
which the council retained power 10 alter
or amend the ordinance ar any time and
the further right TO condemn and take
possession OF tho whole line at any time,
or compel is surrender 20 terminal COM
pany should any such be organized
A suggestion offered by Mayor Wood
was finally accepted as a compromise This
was 20 emit from the ordinance al REF
ereuce as to time and IN lieu thereof 10
Insert a provision, in substance, that in
case the ordinance should he hereafter
altered. modified or changed. or IN case
the city should hereafter re-assume the
franchise by condemnation or otherwise
the railroad companies should not have
the value ~ the franchise itself estimated
as portion OF the sum which the city
will have 10 pay Tor the property. THIS
proposed amendment was agreed TO BY
all
Councilman Navin. however. said that
before he would vote for The franchise he
would have 20 secure the best avaiia hIs
legai advice ia the city as 10 the con-
stitutionslity 81 the provision suggested by
Mayor Wood. and accepted BY the COM
mi;tee.
How would the lawyers know wheth-
er II was constitutional or rotg' In
terposed Rude who was chairman % Tho
committee. Nobody knows now tho su-
preme court may decide upon such a
proposition"
The remaining question In dispute was
as 20 the length of the proposed line. The
ordinance aa originally drawn terminated
the ffaNch.sc as tAe east waterway. Coun.
Gilman &avi0 however. offered an amend
ment extending the franchise 20 the city
limits. ard COX the floor with a speech
that tho tine ought 20 be extended 10 the
city limits for various reasons chief OF
witch was that IL would make a much
iarEee eStent of the ti3e lands available
for manufacturing purposes
President CFlchton opposed tae amend
mcnt vigorously. lie pointed out that
the Northern Pacific at pFescn, had no
right-of-Way intc this city. coming IN over
the leased track of the Columbia 4 Puget
Sound railroad that the road had been
always hostile - this city. and there vas
no reason So anticipate that there had
been aay change Or policy with SIS change
81 mana eement Thta franchise WAS a
free gift % the Northern Pacific - great
present value. VITA a rtvht-of-aay To
the city limits IRE company would have
no further favors 80 ask - IRE city gov
eminent Tie heii%ycd tu hoiHine an 10 III IS
franchise until the Northern Pacific WIS
more disposed "a act fairly toward tha
city. The committee however decided
e. make the amendment. Crichtcn alsac
vagtHE 70.
There Mas considerable insornal Discus
sion as % yhe route isid down in the or
ctn&ncc. With special reference 10 fha
amount ~ available roadway which
would ~ ieft ca Railroad avenue afg er
the proposed roaA was huilf which lt