The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-09-30
GAS FRANCHISE
WAR THREATENED
TWO NEW COMPANIES LOCAL PRIVILEGES AND a
THREE .eoRsEREo FIGHT is sllLGo FOR FUTURE eous-
CIT MEETINGS

icon street Mr. Crane states that
he unly object 10 to furnish cheap
eiertrleity and steam heat 90 the
people In this district. Who rann1t
naW procure Il. AZ the company ~
not uew in the Gaa business. lie
apparently does not remember that
n he secured the amendment %
hla franchise. 81 which the gas por-
ton q only one part. he would re-
eelve shat the American Improve
meat company has for a year vain
~ sought FOR
n obtained. u could b. used 9r
sald 20 either q the other tNo com
paniea II in claimed ~ some that
the attempt 70 secure Il is an at
tempt 81 the present monopoly 10
staye off the granting ~ a fran
ehlse 70 the American Improvement
company
Il h because ~ these facts thaf
the corporations committee has de-
eided n it gives the Diamond Ice
a Storage company a franchise. 90
give if one that protects the city
IN some manner Instead % the prea-
ent one The latter was granted In
Isst. uhen Seattle vas barely ouf
Of HVaddiiuF clothes. II waa only
to apply 10 the district before de-
Heflbsd. ard the valuS Il might Al.
tain in these limits
WAS NOT DREAMED or
AZ that time The franchise IL nov
one ~ the most liberal In existence
IN the opinion u Franchise Inspec-
tor Wheeler
InnoeentlY Il came before the
council several months aNo, the
company desiring the extensions Of
the limits from Madison street
nofthvard John " Powell repre-
scented the company lie did bis
work we'll When the committee
clerk started In 20 read the fran
chise and its proposed amendment.
Mfr Powell suggested that the read
Ing Of all this legal xerhlaEe be-
dispensed with and that he explain
the amendment in a few words
He did 50 he made no partieu-
lar mention Of the fact that the
proposed amendment vas equlxa-
lent 10 n valuable gas franchise
aud the city saluna did not grasp
the idea They only thought OF
the extension ~ the compahys
steam pipes and electric wires
They thought that was a good thing
and only asked that the company
agree to place ita wires under
ground a. such times a. the city
should desire Mr. Powell said he
thought the company would glad
81 comply
The matter then rested quietly
until some 81 the committeeman
began TO realize how deity they
were being led into
a LEGISLATIVE BLuNDER.
Then the limelight microscope was
applied Franchise inspector
I Wheeler wna asked to examine the
I franchise aud 20 make recommend o.
ntlons for SO amendatlan
Hhe has completed his report.
which 10 said 20 be substantially
coucurrod In by CitY Engiuced
I Thomson. The provisions for the
extensions Of the electric wires and
steam pipes OF the company are not
E fiAAAiN ANifi WI ~ WILL HHA AHf
gas portion Of the franchise has
been 81 reconstructed that Il would
not be recognized by the Diamond
Z Ice A. Storage company.
Tho provisions are now some
thing like any other respectable
modern franchises. The company
must furnish gas at 81 for ilmmln-
atlng purposes and 50 cents for fuel
purposes. the city being given it's
gas for 80 cents This franchise.
with Inspector Wheeler's report,
and the other eomnany'a franchise
and the proposed amendment TO the
telephone company franchises pro-
posed by Daulton will come before
the corporations committee at a
meeting 10 be held next week.