Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-09-16
SEATTLE-PORTLAND
STAGE APPLICATION
STARTS CONTEST
Granting Of Certificate Of
Necessity Opposed by
Railroads.
PRESENT STAGE LINES
OFFER TO BRIDGE GAP
Testimony Of Witnesses for Petition.
ers Brings Out Existence
Active Demand.


partment of public works yesterday
at the hearing on the application of
the Seattle-Portland Stage company
for certificate of public necessity
and convenience to operate a stage
line between the points named.
Opposition came not only from the
three railroads serving that run but
from the owners of stage lines oper-
ating between intermediate points in
that territory.
The petitioners, J. F. Bogue. E. D.
Grove and A. Erickson, proposed at
the start to establish service with
three eight-passenger cars. leaving
Seattle Sunday and Thursday and
leaving Portland Tuesday and Satur-
day, stopping at Chehalis for lunch.
Their schedule calls for nine hours
between terminals
Railroads Oppose Action
Opposition from the railroad
standpoint developed ON the point OF
service, the railroad attorneys con-
tending that the service offered by
the stages would not be equal in any
respect. either in accommodations or
schedule, to that of the trains, and
that such service would only serve tn
depreciate the value Of their property
and injure their investment without
serving q public need.
Opposition from the other stage
lines developed on the ground that
the present companies by bridging
the gap between Chehalis and Castle
Rock. the only section at present not
served by stages. could render stage
service adequate to the demand.
Demand zs Active
That there Is demand was
brought out by the testimony OF va
rious witnesses for the petitioners.
persons connected with other stage
lines running into Seattle and Port
land, and with terminal station and
hotel information stands. Inquiries
for direct Seattle-Portland bus serv.
ice ranged from one to several each
day as the various witnesses testified.
C. D. Hamilton of the Central Auto
Stage Terminal in Seattle judged
from inquiries he had received that
more and larger equipment would be
required by the petitioners to fill the
demand for service, once the service
was inaugurated.
Testimony on behalf Of the peti-
TONERS occupied the entire afternoon
and an evening session was held when
the railroad witnesses and witnesses
for the short-haul stage lines were
heard.
BY railroad witnesses 1t was shown
that should the long haul bus line be
enfranchised and should it develop
any amount of business. the result;
ultimately would be to force reduc.
ton Of train service on the main line,
which also would affect service or
the branch lines, and that mail ana
express service also would suffer
thereby. Tax experts for the rail
roads quoted figures to show thai
the railroads last year paid IL per
cent of all taxes in the state of Wash
ington, thereby also contributing IL
per cent to the cost Of highway i'm
provements.
Offer to Bridge Gap
Owners and managers of the
Seattle Tacoma, Tacoma Olympia,
Olympia -Chehalis and Castle Rock
Portland stage lines testified that
should the business and public con-
venience at any time demand, they
would connect up their lines, selling
through tickets, bridging the Castle
Rock -Chehalis gap and make traffic
agreements which would benefit the
travelling public and give as good
service as the proposed new line. One
expert witness for the petitioners
Hamilton, as we'll as Mrs. Hamilton.