The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-07-17

$0hy
gross earnings tax upon tho same
condition. Our check for s64.SsT.Ih
was sent 10 the city. but WAS re-
fused and subsequently returned.
We did not refuse TO pay Il. We
rendered II. II was refused by the
city.
The Paving
We have neither refused 10 pave
nor to pay our just proportion OF
the cost OF bridges. We are hold
ing paving In allegiance. which We
have q right TO do. until our pc,i'
ton Is acted upon. We have made
offers which the city has refused
10 consider in settlement OF the
bridge matter. We then offered TO
arbltraie. and this offer was also
refused.
The matters nj issue 70 back TO
the franchise provision for the sale
OF tickets. which Is that the com.
pany shall keep on sale at THEIR
MAIN OFFICE AND POWER STA
TIoNS" within the city. tickets at
rs for one dollar. such tickets
shall not be transferable" says the
franchise. and further that 9TH.
company may make such reason
able regulations IN regard 20 the
Issue and use Of tho same as TO
enforce these provisions"
July IL. 1911. the city council
passed a resolution instructing It's
utilities department to secure from
the company the sale OF tickets at
l2 designated places in addition 10
those named in the franchise. The
company acceded TO that request.
Not satisfied with this conees-
sion the council later in the same
year passed an ordinance requiring
us to sell tickets on the street cars
at six for Is cents. and by this or.
dlnance violated the franchise and
compelled the company to do that
which the franchise did not say u
should do. forcing upon us foss
OF many thousands of dollars. until
the federal court In August. 1913.
declared the ordinance invalid.
Since then tickets have been pur-
chased in large lots. even tho the
franchise expressly stipulatcs that
such tickets shall not be trans
ferable." and resold all over the
city at q profit 10 the merchants
Of four per cent on the turnover.
This IL Illegal.
Composition Enters
Ordinance No. 5s74. passed In
March, 1900. granted our principal
franchise. Our light and power
franchise was granted in 1902.
After We had accepted these fran.
chises In the terms in which they
were granted: after our railways.
power stations and other plants
had been constructed and placed
In operation at a cost of many mil.
lions OF dollars. the city started a
competitive business by entering
the light and power field. We d.
not question the clty's right TO do
this. but we do question its wisdom
II passed ordinances requiring us
10 do some things not provided for
in our franchises and other things
for which we had no franchises.
and prosecuted our officials for re-
fusing to comply with the unjust
demands made, all OF which ordi-
nances and prosecutions the courts
refused to uphold But we, OF
course. had to pay for the litiRa-
ton.
Then the city, without legal au-
thority 10 do so. issued licenses 10
jitDey buses and permitted hun
dreds OF those buses to operate
for hire. competing with us over
streets for the paving of which we
have paid millions OF dollars. They
were allowed to parallel our tracks
and take hundreds of thousands OF
dollars of business away from us
without paying a cent OF assess
ment toward the construction anc
maintenance of streets and bridges
on which we had long been paying
large sums Of money In paving
costs and maintenance az well as
gross earnings taxes from opera
ton with other taxes on the physi.
cal property laid thereon.
City the violator
The city has violated its contract
with us many times over. II has
made Illegal demands which the
courts have refused to uphold, and
thus forced upon us the expense OF
litigation. II permitted unlawful
and unregulated competition with
our railways to exist. has refused
TO consent to any mediation to set
tie differences, but seems TO ex-
pect. on the contrary. acceptance
on our part Of any ruinous arbi-
trsry demands that may be made
These are all facts that will be
borne out by the records OF ordi-
nances passed. orders made and
suits instituted. SO II IL not a
question OF violating the franchise
contract between the city and the
company. but of who started the
war that compelled the company TO
20 to the Public Service commits
sion for relief.
The time has come when the