Seattle to the Railway: Pave Your Share of Pike Street

The board of aldermen last night passed a measure requiring the Seattle Railway Company to pave its tracks on Pike Street from Front Street to Seventh Avenue. The company's franchise required it to pave between and alongside its rails, and the city was to do its part of the work. The aldermen did not act unanimously; representatives of the company appeared and asked for delay, and members accused the corporation of pursuing procrastinating methods.

The case of the railway on Pike Street was brought up. Alderman Little said the company had not yet informed the council that it would begin the work required by its franchise. He said the receiver, Mr. Barkus, knew well what was required but was in no hurry to comply. Little favored compelling the railroad to comply. He thought the council had been very lenient with corporations and that it was time to make them live up to their franchises; the corporations, he said, were trying to shirk everything onto the city.

Clinton said he did not want to be understood as favoring the railroad company, but wanted to know positively how the company was fixed for funds to go ahead. If the bondholders were wealthy men, he believed they should be made to live up to the franchise even if it squeezed them. Young thought the road should be made to live up to its franchise and said Receiver Barkus had stated in conversation that the work should be done at once. Goodhue thought paving the street was a public necessity and the corporation should be made to do its part at once. Hurd said the company's officials asserted the work should and would be done and that they would not take advantage of legal points, but that at present they were about as unable to pay as anyone. He favored compelling the company to live up to the provisions of its franchise.