The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-19

E8CaGA
new complication has arisen which
may Yet defeat the railroad franchise orSi-
nance intended to give transportation IA
c.nties TO the projectors OF the Centennial
hoar min. Mayor Wood is dissatisfied,
with the ordinance as il now stands. and
may Veto it. He has NOT 20 expressed
himself. but his attitude Is 50 interpreted
by those who are well informed. The
present ordinsne is also unsatisfactory 10
Clly Engineer Thomson. II Viii he re-
memhered that at the council meeting at
which the ordinance was adopted and all
put passed. the city engineer was not pres
ent. his absence causing some emhsrrass-
manf to the eouncilnen when the technical
portion or the franchise was under consid-
Grafton.
Mayor Woods disappointment In the or
oinance was complete when his amend
ment, eight and one-half." failed to
carry. This amendment the mayor de-
sired 70 incorporate I'm the ordinance 10
further pet plan. He wishes to compel
by legislation all roads entering Seattle as
terminus to have a uniform terminal
rate. with no switching charges. He ceu.d
not Set MS amendment through the city
council, but so firm has been the stand
he has taken on this point that the Great
Northern must either yield 10 the inser-
ton OF clause prohibiting switching
changes, os the franchise ordinance VIII
De killed. In the position he has taken
against switching charges. Mayor Wood
has the support of at least five members
OF the city council, and If he vetoes the
ordinance 1t cannot repass the council
president Crichton Is also strongly OPP
posed to the present ordinance, the chief
point against which he protests being the
lack OF any provision against switching
charges
In response to a general demand. Judge
Thomas Burke yesterday formulated a
clause 10 be inserted In the ordinance
which would do away with switching
charges. He said yesterday that he did
not know whether such q provision would
be acceptable TO the Great Northern,
though the road never made a switching
charge anyway. He will submit the ordi-
nance, with the proposed amendment, 10
W. H. Newman, second vice president OF
the Great Northern, upon his arrival here
today.
Terminal Company.
In event OF the failure to satisfactorily
patch up the ordinance. another scheme
Is on foot which viii surely be carried out
without delay. 1t is nothing less than the
formation Of a terminal company by the
Centennial Mill Company. Moran Bros
Company. Stetson * Post and several
other manufacturers on the tide lands.
They will incorporate. accept a right-of-
way TO their various plants and build
tracks. The feeling of these men against
the proposed Great Northern franchise is
strong They have long been CALLED by the
switching charges. and feel that now Is
the time to force the railroads to abandon
such q tax. Judge Burke declares the idea
OF forming terminal company 10 be
ridiculous. but nevertheless the project is
receiving very earnest consideration.
I'm many instances switching charges
are so high as to prohibit profit" declared
Robert Moran yesterday. ut Just about
means that the companies on the tide fats
shall remain in business or quit. Think
of having TO pay three switching charges
aggregating S. 10 get a car load OF coal
here from Columbia street. Yet we have
had to do that very thing. Some time ago
the Great Northern brought In car Of
coal for US from Fairfax. The Great
Northern dropped 1t opposite their Old
freight shed at the foot of Columbia
street. From there 1t was taken across
Yesler way by the Seattle, Lake Shore &c
Eastern, their switching charge being 81
From Yesler way the Northern Pacific get
81 for taking the car to the Northern Pa
cihc freight sheds. and the Seattle Ter
minal came in for another 81 by switching
the car around the curve TO our foundry
Six dollars switching charges on car
load of coal. Now we always send after
our stuff by drays. 1t Is much cheaper TO
do II that way than to pay three switchir z
charges between here and Columbia street
That is fine encouragement to manufae-
turers. isn't ii. to be obliged to cart stuff
In drays because the railroads won't carry
It in without a heavy charge?
1T Is ridiculous on the face of 1t. why
should we he obliged to pay anywhere
from s. TO Sc more freight on stun for this
end Of town than Is paid by such COM
panies as the Vulcan iron works. who are
a few blocks further up the water front1
A. s. Kerry got some lumber a while ago
on which the switching charge alone
amounted to 80 cents a thousand feet.
That is more than he makes himself. and
IL knocked all the profit Off his purchase.
Ii the three companies would come 10 an
agreement as 10 the switching IL would re-
iieve the manufacturers or a burden. and
would be no loss TO them. n the Great
Northern switches car TO US for the
Northern Pacific, the latter can even up
the account by switching Great North
ern car to the Washington iron works,
which Is on the Northern Pacifcs line
"If we incorporate as terminal COM
pany and build our own spurs then we are
SEtG TOT ti.iiS. anu Unless tEs Treat
Northern VIII agree TO come down here
without a switching charge the formation
OF such terminal company Is the best
plan. l cannot believe that the mayor
and city council viii allow such "a
franchise as has been proposed 10 go
through. II would be an injustice to the
Manufacturers. or course IL Is desirable
TO induce the -four mill people to locate
here but it car certainly be done By other
means than at the expense OF interests al
ready es.a blished."
As waS mentioned. the Centennial mill
people themselves favor the formation Of
. terminal company as planned. unless the
Great Northern franchise shall have a
definite provision against switching
charges Moritx Thompson raised no OBJ
lection to the franchise In tts present
shape while Il was being considered in tss
city council Monday night. because be did
uos then understand as clearly as he does
now that she franchise left the imposition
of q switching charge optional with the
railroad company. Mr.. Thompson tele-
era ysetf 70 the head Office OF the Northern
Pacific Thursday. asking IL that road
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