The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-14
Tho Proposed Street Railway
Franchise.


The city council must presently take
action that win be substantially Anal
on the proposition to grant q franchise
fer q consolidated street railway sys-
TEN in Seattle. It is purely business
question, into whose decision neither
politics nor theories should enter. Here
as everywhere there should be but one
deciding motive. What will conduce
most to the growth and prosperity Of
Seattle and to the welfare Of its peo-
pie, present and future? That Is the
sole and SUFFICIENT test. With It ~ .
guide we ask our citizens to examine
the proposition that has been before
the council for some weeks past.
First. let US see how affairs stand
nav ana WIN stand II new franchise
10 refused. Six lines or systems are
included In tho proposed consolidation.
These are the Madison. Union Trunk.
West Street and North End. Third
Avenue. Traction Company and First
the city except those on Yesler and
Grant street They serve the daily needs
Of the great bulk Of our population.
Many Of them have been financially
straitened. Several have tracks out Of
repair. poor equipment and render a
service that calls out protest both in
dignant and Just. There is no reason
able prospect of improvement under
present conditions. 1t will require large
capital to put our street railway system
into condition to give adequate and
satisfactory service. 1t will not be done
If matters drift as they are. because
1t cannot.
These companies are already in pos
session OF franchises that cannot be
taken from them. The first four men
toned have sixteen years to operate
before their franchises expire. The
First Avenue has fifteen years and the
Traction Company forty-five. For all
this time, within which we expect to see
the population Of Seattle rise into hun
dreds Of thousands. the only control
and the only improvement possible are
such as can be enforced by the city
council through tedious and uncertain
litigation. II nothing is done, we may
count upon a slipshod and insufficient
service for at least sixteen years more.
Meantime the city will derive not one
penny of revenue from the valuable
privileges that 1t has signed away, ex-
cept 1 per cent. on the gross earnings
Of the Traction Company's line, and
that begins only after ten years. The
others pay nothing at all. These are the
facts in the case.
What does the consolidated company
ask and what does it offer? 1t asks a
general franchise covering these lines
and proposed extensions with a uni
form life of thirty-fve years. One fran
chise is extended twenty years, four for
nineteen years and one is cut down ten
years. This is substantially the only
concession, and this franchise is not
exclusive. In return the new COM
pany will at once prepare to give us as
good a street railway service as any
city in this country can boast. 1t
agrees to put old tracks in good condi-
ton and to build about ten miles OF
new. 1t viii spend $1.5oo.00o cash in
groproveyenfa here within fhe ,,ext Four
years. and nearly all will be paid out
within a year. 1t will establish a uni
versal transfer system, so that one fare
will carry a passenger the full length
OF its lines in one direction. One can
go from Ballard to Beacon Hill. about
twelve miles. for cents. The pay
ment into the city treasury WIN be not
less than per cent of the. gross earn