The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-04-01
BALLARD COUNCIL IS TRYING
TO SELL OUT THE CITY TO THE
SEATTLE ELECTRIC COMPANY

has been kept up. while other meth
DDS have been brewing.
The suoquaimio company got into
the game and several franchises
were flied. keeping the council Ia
continual debate.
Finally one c. E. Remshurz ap.
piled for a franchise. offering con.
ecssions that were almost absurd In
their iibcralitY. and when IL was
charged that Rcm4burE represented
the Seattle Electric Company. there
vas no denial. The application fell
OF its own weight Rcnnburg even
offered TO omit the clause against
strikes. the elements ana the acts Of
God. but tho FEELING la ballard
against the Seattle Electric Com
pany IL 80 strong that the most l1b-
erai concessions could not Induce the
city 20 accept it1 andlsgussad appli-
cation
While Remsburg wAs making his
useless application for a franchise
and dabbllnE with futile amend
Ensuts. III. A. stArkey appeared on
the scene. and those on the inside
say he appeared for himstN indi-
ytdually. armed with a mighty Haff
lie talked vaguely OF Alaskan back
srs and applied for to-Year fran
chiss. offering the most remarkable
terms to the city, Those mnfnhxr4
OF the council who were trying TO
assist RemsburE TO engineer some
sort OF franchise through far the
bitter against starksy. They op-
posed his propositions atfenuoasly.
Particularly strenuous were Council
men Haxiay and Ingalls, Hut star
key only smiled and offered more
concessions, each more generous
than the last. Then. suddenly.
something happened. HetnAourK >
application was sheived and Star
keys enemies became his best
friends. II Was n plain case Of
switch. /" and Counelimrn TwiK and
Fitzgerald began 20 investigate
The result was a split In the eoan-
cit. eliminating Ia n climax last
Tuesday night
starksy's franchise. several times
amended. was brought up and vas
about TO be 'railruaded" through
when Couneilmen TwiK and rita
gerald isaped to their feet simuita-
usously and protested. They we're
promptly called "FilibuHters' by
Mayor zook. who told them they
were out OF order. but the two nj
busters" insisted that the franchise
be read before the vote. aa Il had
not been read since Il had been
amended. After much excited scrap
ping the franchise was read and n
strenuous session followed. To over
come the suspicion that the Seattle
Electric Company was behind the
franchise, an amendment had been
added to the effect that the power
should be Eensrated In Ballard. and
Il was expected that this would al
low the franchise 20 pass. But T'wig
and Fitzgerald argued that the octo-
pus could easily profit by establish
ing n aub-statlon at ballard. ueing
Seattle electricity Of hish voltage
for generating power. and thus gen
crate other electricity TO be sold IN
Ballard OF sent out 10 other towns.
This scheme. Mr.. TwiR aaid. had
come 10 his ears. and the amend
ment carried no protection against
II.
At this point Councilman Fttz-
gerald startled the council. He
asked. as an evidence OF good faith
on the part OF Mr. Gtarkey. that he
should add an amendment 10 the
effect that he would build a steam
plant In Ballard with which to gen
crate the electricity.
Mayor Zook Immediately leaped TO
his feet In wild protestatlon.
mo. no. nol' said he. THAT
would be outrageous The fran
chlse has passed ita first reading and
no more amendments can be added. 4"
Upon this ruling the vote was
taken and Councilmen Twig and
Fitzgerald voted against the fran
ohise. They were tho only two.
This Is the situation Mt present.
Manager Simpson. Of the Ballard
Electric Company, states that Bal
lard cannot support two electric
plants. and that n another franchise
ia granted he will be compelled 10
sell out. And then" said he. after
the Seattle Electric Company has
purchased our franchise, II can set
aside It's own and operate under
ours"
The sec. 900 plant that starkey
guarantees 10 erect I'm Ballard. while
n sufficient sum 20 erect a generat-
ing plant. Councilman Fitzgerald
says. would be n very cheap price
10 pay for n sub-statlon TO the Sc
attic Electric Company. which could
be operated by high voltage cleo
tricity from Seattle and supply cleo
tricfty for any other extension the
company chooses TO make.
The only names given by 8tarkey
ms his Alaskan" hackers are Dom
aid Bolsen OF Dawson. who IL inter-
ested IN an electric plant there, and