The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-11-18
City Must Pay Big Tribute
10 Seattle Electric Octopus

Seattle taxpayers have begun to
reap the costly consequences OF the
perfldy OF the council that granted
the natorious shufreton franchise
Prom the moment that the city be-
gins To light It's own streets which
will be next January according 10
City Engineer Thomson. Il will be
obliged To pay $1,000 a year tribute
20 the Seattle Electric company
The ordinance containing the agree
meut has been passed BY the coun-
eil and was last night signed by
Mayer Baiiinger.
The ordinance represents the best
deal which City Engineer Thomson
and the finance committee have
been able to make with the off,
cials Of the octopus. after nearly a
year OF negotiating The board OF
works made the best bargain ~
could under the circumstances. and
then surrendered to the electric
monopoly. The officials OF the Sc
attic Electric company acted az de-
Gently as they thought they had TO
sud then. like Shyiock crying for
the fulfliment % the bond that gave
him a pound Of human flesh. point
ed TO the Shuffleton franchise and
reminded the public servants 70 be
rood =
BY the terms Of the ordinance
signed By Mayor Baiiiuzer last
night the city pays Is cents a year
for each crossarm rented from the
Seattle Electric company. For the
street lighting system about 5000
crossarms viii be required. 80 that
the yearly rental will amount to
s20e0 The ordinance also provides
that the city PAY $50 100 for the cir
cults. tncaudescenis. arcs. trans
formers and other machinery used
by the electric company In lighting
the streets The 81 600 rental which
the city viii be Obliged TO pay. IL
sufficient 70 pay the company 4 per
cent interest on the material II sold
the city. The Shuffleton franchise
lasts for nearly 50 years longer II
the city continues 10 rent the pres
ent number Of poles required. II viii
pay the company In that time $780,
600 tribute.
II Is generally conceded that the
city only paid a reasonable price for
the material II purchased. although
the octopr officials had che gal.
Il Is said. 70 ask nearly twice $50. 900
when City Engineer Thomson began
negotiations with them n year ago.
They were Obliged to be reasonable
because most Of the material was Of
no use except for the street lighting
business. from which the company
must retire. and could not be dis
posed Of otherwise except at a loss.
The company got in its graft from
its poles Although the city Off
cials were not particularly fond OF
paying 5000 a year tribute 10 the
octopus. they were driven to II.
They had 10 either do that
OF 20 to the expense Of put
ting IN poles and system owned
By the city. which would have been
very expensive. Two thousand dol
lars a year is Their ent the city must
pay when double the present num-
UT u NAAN fA AlEMNH aAf AAAaAAAthAs .
IL now paying the company $500
n month for lighting the streets.
This Is what the taxpayers find
themselves up against In the third
year Of the half century lifetime o.
the ahufneton franchise. a docu-
ment OF which the city officials are
70 ashamed that u does not appear
IN the latest code OF the city Of Sc
attic issued by the cite comptroller:
an ordnance resulting from shady
legislative manipulati0ns. once sub
jected 10 a grand jury investigation;
n monster that not only holds up
every taxpayer in the city at the
present time. but stretches its felon-
ious fingers far into the future to
rob posterity.
without securing for the city n
cent in return, the city council gave
away on March ~. 1902. the Shut
fleton franchise. The present ives
made 50 quickly that the public
hardly had time 20 realize what had
been done. Shuffleton said he want
Cd Il IN order 20 compete with the
Seattle Electric company. The lat