The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-03
TIDE LAND BOARD HERE.
Commissioner Bridges Says He
Will Bring Owners to Time.
DIFFICULTIES TO BE ADJUSTED.

Cent. Rental Causes Hardship
Special Agent Cotteriil Makes an
Interesting and Important Report.
The board of state Land commissioners
proposes 70 make the tide land owners or
This city dance hguratiyeiy speaking, until
the owners consent TO come together and
assist the commissioners n preparing esr-
tain rules and regulations for wa4ch the
law provides. Yesterday the board met az
the city han and held an aI!-day session.
The meeting was attended by lawyers and
tide land owners. State Land Commits
sioner Bridges who presided al the meet
ing, said that the board proposed to bring
the tide land owners 70 time and thus ei-
feet settlement Of the whole tide land
matter. The board insists that il nas tried
and tried again TO get the owners together
so that there could be an adjustment OF
pe ndng difficulties. Several times meet
ings have been held in this city, but the
owners failed to respond. AS a result the
board was unable 10 get ar local senti-
ment concerning the matters which re-
quired attention. The law provides that
tide land owners shall pay rental use of the
harbor line areas and directs the board TO
fix the amount Of such rental
After trying 10 bring about meeting Of
the owners in order to agree upon the
amcun. OF the rental. the board recently
met at Olympia AMI enacted a number OF
rules and regulations, among which were
the following:
Ali lessees of harbor line areas shall pay
TO the state rental equal 10 per cent.
or the assessed valuation of an 2buttinS
land area, said abutting area having the
same width as the part OF ahe harDor area
applied for, ana extending be3 feet inland
from the inner harbor line. exclusive of
all streets and other non-a esSable land
parallel 10 the streets extending 10 the har-
Dor area.
Provided. that when the title to the
AUDITING area. or any part thereof. shall
vest IN the state and said land area Is sub
Jsct to sale, the rental shall be paid on the
basis of the appraised valuation. All rent
ais shall be paid in advance annually. on
the nrst day OF February of each year,
and shall be determined on the basis OF the
last previous assessment or appraisement
by the board
Whenever any portion of any harbor
area Is offered for lease at public auction.
the bid offered shall be for the privilege of
leasing such promises only. and the sum
pid shall De paid on the day such privilege
Is SO let.
After adopting these rules the board
gave notice that there would be d meeting
in this city yesterday. The rules and the
notice had the desired effect and lawyers
and tide land owners were out in great
force. The lawyers present included l.. (.
faiuail, It. DidtllS, t1NtfSt pDliW
Mr.. Grosscup, Col. Edsen, II. r. elise. S.
Ii. Piles and Ira Bronson. These lawyers.
each one of whom represented client or
two, had big roar coming and they were
quick TO let the board know of it, While
they were talking Land Commissioner
Bridges leaned back in his chair, showed
his feet in the air until they were higher
than his head, chewed his moustache,
smiled, and every now and then made some
remark which made the lawyers rack
their brains TO reply.
Before the meeting adjourned II was
shown that the rule adopted by the board
that lessees of harpor line areas shall pay
the state a rental equal TO 3 per cent. of
the assessed valuation of abutting land
| extending go feet inland would work not
only great hardships in some cases. but
| would in others tend to destroy local COM
| merce. The rule. as Il result, will likely
| be modified. the board Is believed TO be
! willing and anxious TO do that which is
| right.
Il did not take the lawyers very long TO
| point out 10 the board some OF the in
| Justices Of the rule. l.. c. Gilman, who
represented the owners of Schwa bachers
| dock at the foot of Union street. was
| among those who addressed the board.
| lie said that he had investigated the hard
| ship that the rule would work on his cli-
| ents. Running back 600 feet from their
| dock he found the assessed valuation of
the land TO be over Sle2, coo. and per cent.
| of that would he 5000. That sum would
| have TO be paid to the state each year.
/ Nearby were competing docks at the rear
| OF which Tor distance of 600 feet the land
| l. not very valuable. The assessed valua-
ton Is very low. The result was that these
competitors, while enjoying just as fine
| decking facilities. would escape under the
| rule IF the board by paying but little
| rental. Mr.. Gilman cited other cases of
| the kind where the hardship would be
! Ereat. L. +. Blaine spoke for several COM
! panies. lie referred 10 the situation Of
| Ainaworth & Dunn. They have a dock ON
| the water front and the land back of il
| for tto feet rs assessed very high. AS a
| result they would be forced 10 pay the
! state an excessive rental. Other lawyers
| referred To docks in the northern part of
| the city. al the rear Of which the land for
6ea feet is included in the business and resi-
! dence portion Of the city and which as a
| result is very valuable and accordingly as
| seSsed very high. These docks while not
| as valuable as down town docks. would
| be- compelled TO pay more rental than some
| OF The centrally located docks.
| Judge Grosscup of Tacoma, who is one
| OF the Western counsel for the Northern
| Pacific. wanted to know II the rule adopted
| by the board would apply 10 Tacoma.
! on. We Will take Up Tacoma next year"
| said Bridges. "Iho entire water front over
| there is owned by two or three peonle
! The state has nor much interest over there
! As matter Of fact. We c. me- to Seattle TO
| hold this meeting. here there is a diver
| sity Of Interests. in order that we could
| get public sentiment II We come 10 Ia
| coma We viii have to listen % the arR,l-
| ments ~ TWO or three who own everything
| there Is 70 own"
Mr. Gr0sscup said that If the rule was
made applicable re Tacoma the Northern
| Pacific would have 10 pay almost five times
the rental that Il would be compelled 10
! pay tor the hath9r lire area in front Of
! Eesior dock in this city.
i'o YOU mean TO say" said Mr.. Bridges.
mat The assessed valuation o. land in
! Tacoma Is five times as great as /, Is in
+ this ety. -
That is true ~ the land extending sa
. feet inland from our Taeoma dock " VAS
| the reply Of Mr.. Ggosscup.
VAS on the board Of equalization" re-
| marked Bridges. and I found. as nj! ala
! that The Tacoma valuations were noto.
! rlously low
Mp. @FosscuD insisted that what he had