The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-14
Preparing for Fight on Blan-
ket Franchise.
the svsrEM or TRANSFERS.


antsress IN the consolidation Of the SIX
Dr1ncspal street railway lines OF the city
n centered now In the city hall. whefe
tho application Of the consolidation man
agsm for q blanket franchise ID on hie.
This application was made or'EsnAiiy ny
Jacob FsIrfh and ]. D. Lowman. ~ nae
bssu referred to the corporations commh-
80 and has been generally dlscussca, o"t
no definite action taken.
THIS franchise wili be amended in several
imp0rtanf particulars before IL n presented
% the council for final action. SeverAi
amendments VIII be offered by the new
company; there may possibly De some
changes Ia the routing for the new lines
and In other ways the purchasers OF INC
roads viii ask to have II changed. This
viii be to make the franchise accord with
the plans Of the company.
From all indications IL s apparent thar
NE discussion Of this franchise in the coun-
cn will be long and interesting 1t - said
70 DO more than possible that the franchise
eesifed by tho consolidated company VIII
not be obtained without considerable ef-
fort In other words. the views OF the
Consolidation managers and those OF fhe
memhsrr Of the city council are at vari-
anca. Before any franchise Is granted
these vfewe must De harmonized and the
ordinance drafted 50 ~ 10 cover tho situa-
tfon.
NJ. F,arsh, Mr. Blanchard. Mr.. Young.
Mr.. Tcurny and in fact all the men who
have figured In the consolidation assert
that It will be absolutely necessary 10 have
. forty year franchise In order TO make
thu deal effective. In this attitude they
are met BY certain members OF the council
who say that this council has gone on
record against granting any street rail-
way franchise longer than for twenty nve
years.
MERELY A QUESTION OF FIGURES.
Mr.. McMicken. who has had a very I'm
postant part In the negotiations resulting
in tho sale OF the roads. said yesterday
that In order for the consolidated company
to fioat a th:rsy-year bond at 5 per cent.
e would be compelled 10 have forty-
year bond behind 1t. 81. Is merely a ques-
tion 81 figures" said Mr.. McMicksr. "As
Tho end Of thirty years, or the period when
The bond natures. the company VIII have
ten years In which 70 either secure ncw
franchise or else dispose OF Ito property,
No shorter ulargasn OF time would avail.
The thirty-year 5 per cent. bond IL the
standard OF railway securities in the fnan.
cial world Tho lines In the consolidation
have franchise extending over confdd-
efsbIa period OF time The city can well
afford, considering the investment OF money
promised. the proposed Inauguration Of a
e
old franchises. 10 grant the franchise AK
Cd for"
II IL confendeA. further. that the city
would be compensated for the long term
franchise by the fact that the lines In
volved would DO brought within the scope
Of tho charter which provides that the
recipients of such privileges must pay
sixed annual revenue into the city treas
ury.
sxt,.t~r.nu f,u,.. 10 ,bn carcor.,;oc.
committee. was asked last night for an
expression Of opinion relative to the ap-
piication for forty-year franchise. 1T
would be nanifessly improper for me to
discuss that matter now" esid Mr. James.
'.inassnuch "a II will no brought before the
committee of which I am chairman. There
are number OF things 10 be taken into
consideration. have not yet been in
formed as 10 the details of the censeida-
ton or thu probable nature Of the appiica-
sion 20 be made by the new company
SoSnc al the sceuncifmen argue that the
purchasers % the lines should Va satisfied
with q twenty-five year franchise II is
said IN support OF thia View that a twenty.
year hand at per cent. can be ffoated and
that the consolidated company could weil
AFFORD 80 Ray tho higher rate OF interest
IN consideration of the fact that they
have. as II IL claimed. secured the elk
roads At very lew price
SOME PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
One councilman said yesterday that the
city xfloui! be amply protected in the mat
ter ana that he would rasar thu insertion
Of 4 secusn providing thar the wages paid
she men on the cara should be net lees
than 70 cents per hour. This Is tho scale
generally paid In this ctsy AZ present II
has been paid by .a@ Seattle Traction
Company FOR some time past. THE coun-
Gilman said that the insertion az this PRO-
cl@, wauid insure tho travelling ,sutasg,
arairsrt incompetent; werkren and pro-
traesea interruption 90 traffic by labor
trSsltsissa.
IRE amendments 10 the application w.it
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