The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1899-06-07
Municipal Owner
ship Is Defeated.
KwlNCIL COaaITTEEOF WHOLE
Speeches Made Pro and Con By
Frtsads and opponents OF
ssvla's Resolution.


city council last night. pr. erich.
ton. a friend - the resolution. was
absent when the nmal vote was TAX
en-. The matter had been made a
special or,ier Tor last nieht. and a
large crowd was preseist a. hear the
discussion. The petitiun that had
l.sssn eircuiate1 for subHsifttnE the
auestioa of municipai ownership 10
"a vote q tbs preple. although the
requisite Number of signatures had
t,eea obtained. Was nal presented.
The pefittna viii be further circuiat-
ed. and ~ many signatures a. pos
sihle aeeuresi
ca a melton - Councilman Jones.
those desiring 20 address the cqun-
cil on the sualect Nvre given an ot-
psrtuuify. ~ mutual consent, the
tssne allowed each side vas timAed
to one hour and thirty usinatss=-sras
hour f0r argument and thirty uin-
utss Ter answering.
Prof. >. Aiien smith. DIT II. =.
Tfsua and Judge wtnRor. spoke In
faxor. and Jacob ENurth. J. :. Geld
smith. George usoueworth. Allen +.
Milton. pr. T. c, kifbourne and
Judge Thomas Burke against the
resolution.
The diss.u-sfou vas opened By
Prof smith - ehe state University.
He said. Here arr some facts In
tsrsi-,i 70 avert a basis Tor conrius-
tons. FIRST LET Us consider munictpal
ownership IL kas plants. In case =
company has an annual product cf
/. osso oen cubic feet Of Eaa. a capital
fzatlon q ss.aoa.paa. as possibly 81
Saa 90 wNuuzd be considered fair.
This wOuid allow 81 OF STE az the
capital Invested for every fpeo feet
of product. Many plants under
private ownership have hes, but
the average - ts.ts. OF more
THAN three times a. larre a. q should
he. THIS aadesi capitalization IL due
to dupiicntion % plants ana waterei
stock. yet a good Income 10 made
on All 81 Il. The total capitalization
OF gas plants in this country IL tEs9.-
eaa 900. over one-ialf Of which re.
r.rsseuss no outlay of capital This
a. one way 20 compare rubltc and
private ownership. Another = 70
compare the cost % gas under the
two aysfems. Here Il The price I'M
der private Ownership. = elites pay
81 80 per ies,0 n. Is pay Ills. "a pay
y. 10 r.ay tzs0. aud u pay g. Ua-
der muuiclpal Ownership tiis average
u 81 s. I'D. Here fs the stresst rail-
way problem Va Cleveland. o. capltal
stock. sz0.901. coo. authorized debt.
81 oe.o 600: coat Of dupiicatlnx system.
81 500 600. gross annual earnings. ~
500. coo: net earnings. tt.fps.0oo. AFFORD
ing a ~ per cent. income on ~. :
coo. In St Louis. the cost Of cor
structinx and equlpplnx the stre~t
railways was 3. sos. 90. their value y
az. SsT 900 The Income gives = net
return of = per cent on the cost. =
In addition. Prof. Smith took up
street railway systems u PhiiadeI-
pissa. Chieaso and a number Of other
cities.
I'VE only ask that this matter
be left 10 the people, said DIR.
TITUS. you can shift the matter 30
che peoples hands and avid the
charge u icing under Inducements.
Friends Of the franchise cannot ask
otherwise. Injunetion prscsesiings
win BE- brought. and you will not be
able To grant this franchise for ssv-
srzI months at least. We have our
petition present with the signatures
Of 20 per cent. u the voters. but wish
to secure more signatures. These
were secured In three days. ] want
10 protest against the rsbbery ~ the
many for the benefit Of the few"
J. = Goldsmith opene1 the Discus
sion On behalf - the friends ~ the
franchise. lie said. The man who
pays the taxes i the man who hears
the burden. Tstxes are higher IN So
attic than IN any city on the coast.
WorhiueTnen DO not car9 whether
fares are three or I'VE cents. what
they want are their wages paid reRu-
larry Seattle cauuot be compared
81 Glasgow. or aBy other city IN
Europe. What We want II outside
capital. The city - not ripe for this
move
Jacob Fusth said: y have been
connected with the street railways
since -. and I know what they cost
and what they earn. only two lines
earn operating expenses. They are
kept out Of the hands u receivers
by stockholders paying the operating
expenses cut Of their own pockets.
a private corporation pays cioaer st
tention 20 business than can a muni-
cfpailty."
III II a question u business with
the council" said Mt. DOnworth.
I'VE want street railways. and not
q theory. The consolidated company
VIII give us extensions. and the
city cannot 10 -. Let older and
weather. communities try this ex-
pertinent"
Men who have invested money in
fa4is city, said Mr.. Milton. should
carry more weight than those who
have no financial interest here. The
council should consider names at
tachsd to the two petitions. before
acting on them"
IF any man - to advance money
on this proposition. he must have a
franchise 10 back him up said Mr..
KffiJourue. III municipal owner
ship II sueh a good thing. why don't
the large Eastern cities take II upg''
Judge Winsor summed up the mat
ter IN favor Of municipal ownership.
making a comprehensive argument.
and Judge Burke closed for the other
SIDE, stating that municipal owner
ship WAS only In vogue In deapotic
countries. lie wanted 10 know why
the citizens were taking 10 much in
terest Ia the ownership Of railways.
when they dd not have enough
school room for the children now 10
the eity2
Councilman james then moved that
the resolution be- reported back 10
the council with the recommendation