The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-08-30
PLAN
IS SHELvED
BY COUNTY
Commissioners Threaten to
Discontinue All but
Four Routes

King county ferries win not be
handed over TO private inssresss'
This vas determined Tuesday
morning when the board of corn
mlraicners unanimously passed .
mcsson rejecfing ~ bids for the
i<anino q tho ferry system.
AZ che aans ytuA thst boae3 h
dicated that n would cndcavcr to
cut down expenses Of the ferry
system by reducing the number
Of craft.
For nearly an hour amer the
public hearing Vas schcduisa -
open the three commissioners
locked themselves In their private
office discussing the ferry question
Tremendous pressure was brought
10 bear on the commissioners. u
is believed. 20 have them turn over
the ferry system to Captain J. l..
Anderson. whose bid 10 run the
system for receipts rnd nm annual
subsidy Of $4,000 was backed by
large property owners here.
uON<O< MOVES
TO REJECT BIDS
When the three commissioners
flied out OF their private office.
n hush fell over the lobby.
without preliminary discussion.
Commissioner Tom Dohson moved
that al bids be rejected. The mo
ton was carried.
'sThe board has not received sat.
isfactory bids" Commissioner Lon
Smith said. hut ! would like to
suggest at this time that we op-
eratc the ferries after September
is slonE the lines laid down In
the advertised bids. A policy OF
strong retrenohmcnt II imperative"
This suggestion was vigorously
lndorsed by Dobson.
Under the plan proposed, only
four Of the principal ferry routes
land. Fortuna. on the lakes. and
vashon.fiarpcr on the sound. Al,
the present time approximately
nine ferries ire operated BY the
board
The two bids rejected by the board
werc those OF Capt. Anderson and NJ.
l.. Hamilton and Krist Knudson.
Both concerns demanded annual sub.
sides 10 operate the lines. Anderson
wanted $4,000. I'm addition TO the re-
ceipts OF the ferries. while Hamilton
and Knudson wanted $4,000 sub
sidy.
LARGE LOBBY
READY TO PROTEST
Anderson has been superintendent
OF transportation for the county
since 1919. The ferry system has
been running behind nearly $1,000 a
day during that time. II is estimated.
A proposal 10 erect n pontoon
bridge across Lake Washington was
not considered at the hearing.
A large lobby jammed the chamber
OF the commissioners. IL consisted
Of representatives OF civic oreaniza.
tons. taxpayers of the county and
residents. who were ready to fight
any attempt to push tho leasing
steal
Heated discussion developed be-
tween residents OF various settle
ments on the east shores OF Lake
Washington. Each town had It's ad.
herents. who believed that they
should bc given better ferry service.
In some instances the arguments be.
came so acrid that II required the
efforts OF Chairman Ramsay TO keep
order.
"You people on the east shore Of
the lake must get together" Ram
say declared I'VE cannot continue
10 operate all OF the present ferries.
Il Is absolutely necessary that you
should agree upon two or three main
routes that will best serve the In.
terests OF the entire community"
Laurence Colman. wealthy Seattle
property owner. declared that on
some Of the ferry routes the people
are paying cents for ride that
costs the county IL cents, lie pre-.
dicted that tho ferry system would
run behind over 100000 this year.