The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-10

TIE special committee Of the city coEr-
Gil appointed 20 consider and report on
the Petition fer the scr.eir Of ne fran
ctzse 1nde. which tire Seattle Csry Raj
way Company is now operating a c&aae
lire On YeSsr way and Jackson st-ess, WAS
in session yesterday afternoon hearing
arguments In favor 81 and against the
granting IL the Petition Tie committee
was crippled b the absence OF Council
man DaAer gsso IS - AID slA4ay Lo~ok al
ad4ouynrzssZk. without decisive action. ElEtil
Thursday rs1gng at To o csocx- The CON-
natsee il seriously consisting the a6vssA~
bsiisy Of Ia hing testimony as 50 tha pres
ent condition OF me road.
Beside the committed. Chairman Gill.
t-r:cn,on- HIN and Mus1oon. there were
present General Manager A. p. Haas of
the railway: Andrsw +. Bur.eigh. repre-
seating tina boadAoAiers. Charles w. Stat
sr, Of the Hill estate. ami John B. Hart,
representing the petitioners
Mr.. kurieigh proposed 70 the committee
that a new franchise be offered By tie
city for dtty years. open 20 competition OF
"a bidders he said the railway company
was already planning TO improve the ssrv-
ice. not only by making double track. but
by putting on better ears as vel The
road had been operated during the years
OF hard ,kszsaA he said. al absolutely no
position 10 pay dividends ne considered it
unjust that the eosnpany's franchise should
De forfeited
Mr. Hart. in reply. said that the letting
or nsv franchise wouid BE mere farce
50 long As the street was DISTRACTED hy
The rlSatS ard property OF the present
company. Under the charter. he said. the
MINIMUM Did that coE.d DC accepted on
ntsy-year franchise would be per cent
OF the gross earnings OF the road So Ion
as the Seattle City railway held rs pres
on Esw franchise. and Il would go 20
the company which has TOW the inside
track on = bid OF : per cent. Forfeit the
Iraneasse row N force. be urged. and there
which Wi mean an Increased revenue 10
the city Possibly the city under such
an arrangement might set Z. 4. or even 5
per cent The Seattle Caty Railway has
forfeited It's franchise by not living up 20
it's conditions. The fact that the road Is
nsw in the hands OF 3 receiver d.d not.
felt Such action would usquestionably be
supported Ia shs supreme court.
Mr.. Slater intsrposed 10 state that he
would pat up . bond that. IN case TIE pres
would BID on the new franchise, and II
his bid we're accepted would go ahead with
Ing for the aetio;s Of the courts. He stood
ready - take the road and make tna irra-
prevements. he said. though he declared
II was imr1aterial to him II she present
service were betsered.
The conulsteeu7e listened TO these ar
gunents and asked numerous questions,
but did not commit them selves.
At the ecuncH meeting last night the
bcndhos3ers OF the Seattle City Railway
Company tYesier avenue hnei. through
their attorney. Andrew r. Earseigh, sab
nait;ed an ordinance IN wh3ea they ask
for a dfty-year franchise TO operate n
double track cable line from Occidental
avenue to the lake and an electric ane
from Tntrtieth avenue and Jackson 20 0c-
eidentai avenue. With such franchise
the company promises all kinds OF things
TIE ordinance was referred to the commit
tee on corporations