The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-11-21

offers an ailurlng and tnpossioie
proposition 20 you at time when
the adoption OF tried and reliable
method seems assured or Is Il
the plan that lowers the cost OF
your transportation 70 n minimum
by giving wholesale riding pfivtegcs
AT a wholesale price and adds 90
mr. cent 20 tho service furnished by
the utility without increasing oper-
xting ccsfsY
A scent fare, OF course, N
very desirable. 80 II scent or
s-eent fare. But all arr Inn
pe~~ible when one considers the
cost and who pays for H. Tn
DIR the Scent fare. which pre-
vailed during the shipysrd fiur-
IN until the Increase 10 GA
cents. In July. 1899. with the
number of passengers carried
totaling 10 per cent greater
than ut the present tinrs, the
cost OF operation. with no bond
payments to meet. exceeded the
gross revenue received by so
per cent, and during the year
1890. which includes more than
five months operation under
SA-cent fare the loss TO tho
railway. with no bond pay
usents included. l. reported hy
the city comptroller 60 have
b<~n ss7.sSs.s..
Considering the fun year. 1850.
on A scent fare basis with reduced
operating costs, as Of 1891. gross
revenue would total t5.i3fi3s. OPP
Grating costs s5.s5z.2ss. leaving a
deficit Of sssi.is5: then adding the
bond payment OF ss&s.0oo required
this coming year. and for several
years thereafter. there would be
total deficit under scent fare OF
N.6s4.iss. with no consideration
given to the further payment for
taxes that would be required under
private operation. amounting In
1890 10 more than $780, 600. equal 10
III per cent OF the total operating
costs. which 10 now included In our
general taxes
Who win pay this tremendous
Dnss that must BE- made up BY
an assessment on real and per
sonal propertys
Il II the man who owns the bsg
business block In the heart OF tho
city or II Il the small home owner
in the cutly1ns distxtctsf Lst US
zee:
when the owner Of the big bust
nesu block gets his tax statement
he Immediately includes this assess
ment In the rent he demands for
the uss Of his property from the
occupants Of the building. And tho
lessee must necessarily include the
payment for rent as part Of the cost
for conducting his business. And
the merchant just passes II on to
the consumer and he must pay H.
And what about the consumer
With his modest little home costing.
say. around s3.0o07 Like the big
business man. ne Is assessed at the
same rate for the property he owns,
and IL the city rate is % mills. as
II 10 al this time. he must pay rs
per cent on a so per cent valua-
ffon. tquaI to $500. or 500. which
Is In addition to the big business
mans tax he pays in higher cost
a 4 further deficit to meet. as IN
admitted there viii be from the
operation Of the street railway at
a lower rate Of fare than at present.
then there must be added TO his
present tax his proportion OF this
deficit. which. under a scent fare.
amounting to si.ssf,1s5. win add 7
mills TO the general tax levy, max
ing the rate OF assessment 30 mills.
equal to the sum Of $50 on an as
sessed valuation Of $500. He viii
also be required to pay. as before,
the additional tax levied against the
big business man which is readily
passed along TO the consumer. WIN
Mr.. Average Citizen stand for this7
BY a 3 to / vote the citizens OF Sc
attic rejected a proposition to place
a deficit from street railway opera
ton on the tax rolls and there Is
no reason 70 expect a different de-
cision at this time.
How does the pass system OPP
crate to improve conditions?
Under the pass system tire pur-
chaser of pass becomes
sfockh0lder In the corporation
owning and operating the street
railway. The casual rider, the
man with a Packard or the
owner Of any automobile. for
that matter, who Is not rvg-
uIar patron Of the railway and
uses II only as matter Of con-
yenience In case Of emergency
or other necessity, II not
stochhoIder, and may be consid-
cred as one of the corporations
patrons.
He is not interested In the cor.
poration's welfare or success and Is
therefore not entitled to the bene-
fits that should accrue to every
stakeholder The casual rider Is
therefore required TO pay a higher
rate OF fare. which amounts. at the
present time, to 10 cents for single
fares or three for rs cents. The
stockhoider, on the other hand. is
provided with pass emitting him
to unlimited riding TO suit his con-
venlence or requirements for which
he pays comparatively small
amount weekly.
The average citizen with pass.
experience shows, viii ride 2s times
weekly, for which he pays the sum
OF 81 or sf.25, as the case may be,
with an average cost per ride OF
about cents. His rides may con
sisf OF long haul rides to and from
Green Lake or Fauntleroy, morning
and evening. or at night, weekdays
and Sundays. combined with short.
haul rides during the day 10 the
public market, in which case the
total number OF miles Travelled will
be conalde rabIe: or the rides may