The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1899-05-27
PROPOSED FORTY NfAR STREET
HALLWAY FRANCHISE.

The question OF whether a Ions or
short term franchise shall be grant
ed 60 the consolidated street railway
company which seeks 70 control the
principal lines 81 travel IN this city.
will preha bly, GENE before the city
council next Monday night. The
matter Is one Of great importance
10 the people % Seattle. and should
receive the earnest consideration. not
only ct the eouncllmen. but u every
o<sircn who ls Interested In the future
welfare o. the community
There V no question az 20 the pos
sibiiity OF Improvement In the street
railway facilities Of Seattle. Better
construction and better equipment j.
demanded. n Eastern capital viii
enter Seattle for the purpose q TAX
ins transportation matters In hand
60 the benefit Of both the investors
and the city. well and good. but let
the fact be made apparent from the
outsr, that the city is TO Sc, dol
lars worth OF benefit from every
dollars worth of privileges accord
ed
In Its hesue Of May fs. the star call
ed editorial attention 10 this matter
and rccned at length the objections
which exist TO iong-term street rail-
way franchises. The fact was stat
- that IN most % the large Eastern
citsrs . pr~pontsratinx sentiment has
developed against the granting of
franchises for term. exceeding IS
yesr-. owing TO the fac; that the
corporations holding long term priv
fiew~s are inclined to become very
independent In their attitude towards
the people. ard pay little regard 20
their needs. 20 say nothing OF their
wishes. The short term franchises
h~lp~ TO keep che corporations civil
In tone and morn accommodating In
action.
Another reason why franchises
should be timsed TO short periods Ia
Co BE- found in the rapidly changing
eoodssscns Of the present sge. Long
before another 20 years have elapsed
tho present methods Of transporta-
ton may have become obsolete. and
up-fo-date improvements wiii require
sweeping changes. as great a. those
which occurred when the old fash.
ssned hors~ cars gave place 10 the
Improved oahis and electric cars a
few years sxo. Cities tied up with
long term frAuchssrw will then have
caure TO rcwrwt the short sighted
policy which guided municipal bodies
granting the same. san Francisco
today has an object fssson very much
to the polnt. On two % her car lines
leading through the heart q the city.
boo-satIsd carw drawn by mules are
0eiii IN operation. protected by a
franchise that the city would only
~ too giad 70 annul. Heavy damage
sufss are sssc pending In the courts
there. brought against the city BY
the street car company operating on
Market street. because n network
Of useless Old track. have been torn
up TO bitumenise ard niodernixe that
sbcrouxhfare. Yet when the city of
ian Francisco granted the street
railway franchises it was presumed
TO be for the lasting benefit Of the
people.
Forty years with see a marvellous
deveiopnent IN Seattle. and the
street railway privileges will enor-
mousiy increase IN value Twenty
nve years viii witness great adj
vsnce~. and the corporation seeking
90 control transportation In this city
can weii afford TO b. content with a
grant for that length Of time. some
psrsons advocate the municipal own
erxhip Of street railways to b. opsr-
ated at cost for the benefit OF the
people. rnts sentiment may Increase
with the years and become dominant
long before a 70 year franchise would
expire.
1t lie not wise 10 tie up the City OF
Seattle with franchises reaching far
snto the future.