The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1903-02-21

showed the utter fallacy Of the Arxu-
tneut that the Cataract franchise
aes 4 copy % the well known iiuf-
/ faio ffanchise.fan therefore = SUE
ceas No showed that the Buffalo
franchise was eas . sueVess In iafs
| fale. that no poser ~ lisht NAn alss
fributsd under q. but that the grant
lns ~ the ffanehia- Nish the provtHe
| that price once toWerss rnutd never
~ raised. had brought about .
noneppts that i almost Identical
, Nith that In Seattle. The only ar
terence ia that the tive eonpstins
companies were mefsFf IHta oue AZ
that place u his The Seattle Cataract
Company il aglil flEhtin. far ltn iifs
Ia Seattle The result h. said. was
esaetlf the same Monopoly and ex.
hafbitant eharEes.
AuseHs the other speakers was
john " Roberts. Who aeelafcd that
the proposed amendments needed M
explanation lie said e eas simply
matter II abstract justice. aud
there eusht % b. no hesitanry IN
granting them.
psepls Demand II
The people see u" he eancladesl.
',ansi they ALI So that s.ssuef hins =
donr atsut u. You ana I afe paying
10 times shat ths seattle k-lscsrtc
comnany pays the snoqa4lrnls pea
pie fer the same Isower.
A y f3nrNstl president 81 the
Aanufae turern' Association. called
attsntian % the fsrt that the people
- this city arr to1Ar snblsct 10 a
rate that IA made With Absolutely M
competition. lie cuntina~d that the
Manufacturers Association 10 a..
rured Of q rate p g. - per cent. be
iow that charged al present II tbs
amendments were adopted
After several others had spoken
10 fasnf ~ the proposed amendments
Councilman James made = lengthy
faik. in which hs told II his. Iauise.
record orr franehise matters for -
YEAR, back. lie soon sut ihio deer
water
The Ehufneson franchise PASSED IN
the city council : feaf Hsu WAS pre-
duced on him BE was asked 20 et-
plain how u Vas that there vas no
clause like that IN thr Seattle Cat
RFaef cornpanye franghiae for never
raising rntrn after once lowered.
tioN II was that al the last moment
clause providing that the city shall
b. allowed % uas the poles efecf~tf
under that franchise lointiy with the
compsny gperstine under It's
clause similar 20 that ests In IN.
=
The CLAUSE IN the ahuffi=fan fran.
chise providing that ~ miles % poles
and wire shouts te ur Within oas
year. vas read. The final blow was
landed when ths councilman WAS
asked 10 explain that clause under
which the franchise eas assigned 10
the Seattle Electric Company.
The clause provides In effect that
the franchise may be assigned -
auy other corporation, providing
that corporation aaHiEn t. the city
any other franchise il may have
with the exception % any street rail-
way ffnnchisss II may have.
Pertinent Facts
An explanation IVES asked for re
rarding these clauses In connection
With the fact that NJ the time the
franchise was granted Ehuffieton
had not one wire Up. IN connection
with the fact that the Seattle Eiec-
trie Company was the only cofpors-
ton that could fuifiii its terms. IN
connection with the fact that the
Seattle Electric Company did buy the
franchise almost ~ roou as passed.
and did assign other light and power
franchises. and did not rcaasirn 90
the city IL street car franchises.
Councilman JAMES isbored the
beat he could under the erusn-flre.
and ~ last apparently got quite an
cry when John " Roberts jumped to
his feet and made the foliowins
statement.
THAT franchise wns granted for
the Seattle Electric Company. and
for that company only, and the
members % the council who voted
for Il know IT.
Laugh on James
During the discussion a hearty
laugh was enjoyed by the business
men In the lobby az Mr. James ox-
pense. The statement wac made that
the Seattle Cataract Company could
afford 10 furnish liFht and power
cheapef than itr competitor aud that
the public demanded competition.
"But what viii become Of the Fee
attic Electric Company put IN Mr..
James before he thought what he
was saying.
yes. what will become Of them.
Won't the manufacturers and other
users Of electricity get the benefit7"
was the response that came from the
lobby, and the crowd inuKhed with
giee at the councilman'H diecon-
Torture
Earlier In the meeting. Mr.. Pigott
had been called on TO speak hut had
declined. but after the debate had
become somewhat lively. he address
"a the chaif. telling % how he wnH
held up by the Seattle Electric com
pnny. He stated that on promises
made by the Seattle Electric COM
pAny that the rates FOR power would
be reasonable. he Ind dismanticd
steam plant and put In motors Soon
the price was raised, and he had to
go back 10 steam again, Later he
made a deal with the Cataract com
pany. and N now getting power at ~
per cent less than what he was fore
cd 20 pay the monopoly
Want Composition
Yes, we want competition. We
want u In everything" he continued.
We want " In water. want 10 bid
ON some OF that waste water that n
delivered 10 the waterway company
for mere bagatellc"
You can get t. interpored james.
YES, get " ut a prohibltive price"
Mr. iigott then told James a few
facts that he hid CLEANED in the
grand Jury room. Not only Janor.
but other oouneilmsn flushed when
the etpnsc was made. Mr.. James att
tempted a weak defenfa.
The committee then decided 10
Postpone further confederation 81 the
matter until next Tuesday.
II IL pretty we'll understood that
several members Of the committee
VIII offer every impeachment possible
20 speedy nctinn on the application
for the amendments.
The provisions Of both thu Hen,-
tie Cataract aud the f'onttIe Electric
companion franchises were exnlaln-
ed by City Engineer Thomson.