The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-03-12
U-B0ATS ARE COMING
ORDER
FLA IS
ROAD!

Hurriedly adopting q resO-
luton authorizing construc-
ton OF an extension of the
municipal tideflats street car
line to the Todd Shipbuilding
plant, on HylebOs waterway,
members of the city council
Monday took the initiative so
sharply that Manager Louis
Bean Of the T.. II. & p. Co.
forgot to insist ON any of the
demands mentioned at Satur.
days conference.
After the action had been taken
he told the council that his COM
pany would agree to operate cars
over the new line If the city
would agree to an extra fare OF
2 cents for passengers carried out
side the city limits.
The council will refuse to per-
NIT any extra fare, believing that
public interest will demand a
straight five-cent fare across the
flats.
I'VE have authorized the line, -
said Mayor Fawcett after the
meeting. Now If the T. r. & P
wants to bubble over a petty 2.
cent fare on a street car line which
the city is building and turning
over to 1t at nominal rental,
think the people will have some
thing to say about IT,"
Bean Shows Up.
Members of the council are
troubled over the question OF
raising money. No funds are
directly available, and the city is
bonded to It's dead line" on gen.
eral fund debt.
Manager Bean and Chester
Thorne both attended the meet
Ing.
City Controller Shoemaker re-
ported that the present line had
lost $4,075.44 in 1915, but had
earned a net profit to the city OF
$1,026.30 in 1916. There was
a loss In January, 1917, because
or the necessity of adding more
cars.
O for Co.; for City.
Shoemaker Shaved that the
city is paying tho T. r. & p. Co.
$1.77 for every mile that street
cars travel on the tideflats line,
as a maintenance charge. The
city pays all upkeep on the line
and cars. and the T. r. & p. Co.
pays to the city only per cent
on the investment and a gross
earnings tax.
The T. r. & P. company is set
ting aside 6 per cent on the in
vestment, rolling stock and de-
probation for the st. Paul ave,
line which is branch of the city
line but owned by the street rail
way company.
There seems to be no good
reason why the company should
pay itself per cent on it's own
investment and pay the city only
per cent on it's investment, ex-
cept that the present contract
seems to be so Interpreted" re-
ported the controller.
Action Unanimous.
Saturday Chester Thorne told
the council that the T. X. & p.
Co. would not agree to operate
the extended line unless this 4
per cent charge were wiped out.
Without any discussion, Mayor
Fawcett caused his resolution to
be read.
Bean suggested that an extra
2-cent fare be charged outside
the city limits.
THAT would be an injustice to
the workmen at the Todd plant"
replied the mayor.
The resolution passed without
a dissenting vote.
Will Get Money.
"I wonder il Mr.. Bean will tell
us now whether or not this reso-
luton Is agreeable to his COM
pany," suggested Petit.
81 will say that it is agreeable
to us to accept If you will let us
fix fares SO we can pay interest
on the investment" replied Bean.
He afterwards said that he
would not consider operation OF
the line at this time unless allow
ed to charge a higher fare.
The council at once notified
the county commissioner 1t was
ready to build the line as soon
as the financial problem had been
worked out. :,
But we'll have the money all
l.. n