The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-30
Not Enough Names Secured by
City Ownership Advocates.
CITY COUNCIL WILL NOT ACT.
Twenty Per Cent. of the Voters Reg
istered 1T Last Election Were
Needed to Make the Petitions
Good-Big Job OF Checking sigma
tures-Every Benent OF Doubt
Was Given to the Petitioners.

The city council last night took action
which indicates that the petitions Of the
committee Of ono hundred for the submits
sion TO the popular vote Of charter amend
ments providing for the initiative and ref
erendum and municipal ownership will re-
ceive no further attention from that body.
Although the matter was not formally
brought to the attention of the council
City Comptroller Parry yesterday finished
checking up the signatures to the two PEI
titions with the result that 1t was found
that both fell short OF TIE charter require
ments. The charter provides that the
council shall submit any amendment petit
toned for by 20 per cent. Of the voters
registered at the last previous municipal
election. The number required under this
provision was therefore 1.540
1t was ascertained by the clerks employ
ed on the work of checking the petitions
with the registration books that the petit
ton asking for the submission of the mu-
nicipal ownership question fell 800 names
short Of the requirement of the charter.
The petition purported to have 1900 sigma
lures OF voters registered at the last cleo
ton. The. other petition, regarding the
initiative and referendum, was 160 names
short of the charter requirement
At the council meeting last night Navin
brought up the matter of the two petitions
by moving that in view Of the favorable
ruling Of Judge Moore, OF the superior
court, in the mandamus cases brought to
compel the council to submit the amend
ments, the council should take the petit
lions from the table and submit the amend
ments az requested.
Gill moved as a substitute that Navin's
resolution lie on the table. The matter
was debated for few moments and then
put to vote. The ballot stood five to
eight In favor of Gili's motion, the fys
members VINO have all through !s1n $1,000 IN IN
This action leaves the petitions on the
table. from which 1t Is hardly probable
they will ever be removed since the court
cannot force the council to submit the
amendments unless the petitions were sign
ed by the requisite number of voters.
Mr.. Parry said last night that his work
had been prosecuted solely with the de-
termination of learning the exact facts in
the matter. The benefit of every doubt
was given to the petitioners. There were
very many instances of names which were
fllegible, but all save one OF these were
finally made out.
In cases where a mans name appeared
as the signer Of the petitions and there
was no trace Of him in the. record Of the
precinct and ward from which he signed.
the forty-five registration books of the city
were checked over. and in many cases the
clerks went out about town to find the
signers of the petitions and verify them,
where mistakes had been made.
Every name on the petitions was check
ed at least four times. The task was a
very great one, involving much hard work.
The checking was done by e. l.. Marsh,
until a short time ago president Of the or
ganization Of Seattle street car men; T. w.
Valid, formerly secretary of the board Of
public works, and d. G. Rudy.
Several members OF the committee OF one
hundred visited the office Of the city comp
troller Thursday night and Investigated
the checking process. They expressed
themselves as we'll satisfied with the check
ing.