The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-10-08


NOT going into bankruptcy. The city would never per-
init it. in the first place and in the second place. the mu-
nicipal railway is not losing money except on arbitrary
bookkeeping figures.
will the Stonewebster interests modify the purchase
agreement Why should they?
1t is high time that the municipal railway be taken out Of
the realm of politics. 1t may not have been the
west thing have purchased it. But who is there in this
usy AGAINST the purchase They are Councilman Ercf
and exCouncman W. ID. Lane. AT the first opportunity
the voters defeated Lane reelection and Erickson had to
battle hard barely TO scrape thru
Mayor Caldwell corporation counsel during the
os Ia % s the nroa snS G ne Of the car
While his handled the actual details of the trans
ing about He did not utter the slightest protest either
citizen or as the citys legal adviser.
DOBERT BRIDGES the farmcr-labor candidate for gov
X ernor approved the carne purchase Shipyard work
ers and shpyard owners demanded it, the business people
wanted it radicals aye the reds who yeping
about it the first TO urge the purchase conservatives
were equally for it.
IF mistake was made in the purchase of the street
system 1t was mistake OF the city % as whole The facts
everythngreceived public notice. and the people voted
for the proposition four to one
The city WANTED the railway system. That's the simple
truth The people GLAD to buy the systemand
der the conditions they would be glad to buy today
Why should We deceive ourselves about the matter?
For ten years the private company had failed to lay
single mile of track in the city, had made extensions
improvements The service getting and poor
The outlook hopeless. There absolutely
prospect of decent service for to Under
these circumstances would be remarkable the people did
seek change The city tried to the lines
other propositions finally offered 900 for the sys
te Fully two months passed between the time the offer
made and the vote of approval by the people, There
plenty of time back But the city did
back out. The city wanted the system
Possibly better bargain might have been driven Posi-
bly, not That is all in the past But this is true Some of
those yelpng about white elephant" were among
those responsible for the purchase Some
political capital by knocking it, trying But this
political petoggng is unjust to the street raiwayand it
is unjust to the city.
TN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, asked to vote
$4,000 600 bonds for the Caryon paved road system
That's twice much paid for the street system
Every that be urged for good roads be urged
for good system. When put into paved roads,
do not expect of back in the public treasury When
put money into street railway, expect it all back
the Caryon bill passes it will Seattle citizens for their
share approximately $0000000 The Star has no hesancy
saying that they will not get much for that
they will get out of the street railway systemand THAT
costs them nothing
pUBLIC UTILITY pirates, traction profteers and
enemies of popular control thruout the nation are
pointing to Seattes experience as an example of the
FAILURE of municipal ownership The local pals of
these gentry unable to block public ownership here
are doing all in their power to prevent its further
spread
The truth is:
Municipal ownership of street cars is NOT failure
in Seattle
Our city car line is NOT losing money.
The bankruptcy" agitation is insincere
And 1T HURTS OUR TOWNl