The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-03-27

CounciImen in Session This
Afternoon May Cut
Legal Red Tape
MURPHlNE PICKS FORCE

Sesttic's municipal govern.
ment was ali ready Thursday To
assume operation II the Stone
Webster street car system a. .
pubIie-own~d utility.
4 special meeting of the city
council IN In progress 20 pave
the way foe actual taking over
of the propwty during the next
few days. Only legal red tape
stands In the way. Corporation
Counsel Meier must be zuthoria-
ed To sign n stipulation with the
traction company. recognizing
the suprrmc courts decision 10
gsltxing the transaction. Other.
WISE therc wouid b~ . d~lay os
10 days tn await r~snrn of the
-rrmitfitur" to the lowev courts.
Superintendent Of Ttilitie~ Muir
phinc has decided on his operating
organization. planned new wage
scale for employees. and decided on
needed improvements to service.
Murphlnc went before the meeting
OF the council and public utilities
committee Thursday morning TO AJAX
an emergency appropriation OF t5oo.
600 for the month OF April. for opes
atsng expenses. In the budget. Muir.
phine proposes n scale Of wages that
calls for over 5000 900 monthly;
s. 900 more than the traction com.
pany Is paying at the present time.
Pay Higher Rates
According 10 the proposed scale,
the pay OF car operators Will be
si25 per day for the first six
months. $3.50 per day for the next
six months and ts.7s per day there.
after. making higher average Of
wages than Is now paid to their op.
orators by the traction company.
The wage scale also applies to track.
@hen and barn men.
This increase in the payroll will
be counter balanced. according 10
Murphine. by the elimination OF
minor officials. and by reductions In
the salaries OF other officials and
employees Clerks and stcnogra-
piers will receive the rate Of pay
laid down by the civil service com.
mission.
In his plans. Murphine has a list
Of changes In the present system
which will facilitate the handling OF
transportation in the business dis.
trict and will improve the service in
the outlying districts
The new organization is down on
paper. and Murphine will be able to
take over the management OF the
lines on April II the committee ap.
proves.
Acting Mayor Lane was busy all
Thursday signing the $4,000. 900 In
municipal bonds. which will be turn.
ed over to the traction company In
payment for their line.
When the city Of Seattle takes
over the traction company system. 1t
will be the largest operator of munic-
ipal street car lines In the United
states. with the exception OF Cleve-
land. o. The deal will involve the
transfer Of SIS 100000 in bonds.
The municipal railway proposition
was first brought to light In March,
1911. when the citizens OF Seattle. by
vote. authorized the issuance OF
$500 900 In bonds for the purchase OF
the Rainier valley lines and an ox-
tension Of these lines To Ballard. The
proposed purchase was the founda.
ton of the present purchase. The
extension TO Ballard was called Divi-
sion a. the Rainier valley lines Dlvi-
sion -. But because OF a disagree.
ment between the city council and
the representatives of the Rainier
valley company over the purchase
price. the deal fell thru.
In July. 1912. work was started on
Division A. In February, 1918. the
owners OF the Lake Burien car lines
donated their system To the city. on
May "a, 1913. operations were begun
on Division A, which extended from
Third and Stewart to 18th ave ". W.
and Nickerson. On May 81 opera.
tions began on Division G, the old
Lake Burien line.
Plan for Elevated
In July. 1917. work was begun on
the Ballard extension of Division A.
At the polls. In 1917, the people au.
thorized the transfer of $500. 900 OF
the 100000 bond issue for the pur.
pose OF constructing the present Gle
waited railway.
January. 1918, saw the purchase,
tcoNr'D ON PAGE Two)