The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-27
THE WATER SWINDLE.
eunkoed City Of Tacoma Sues
for q Million.
s,cx or THE WATER PURCHASE.
- People Have YsusA Ous Whaa
shs "Fess-T.sslIigsssss'. TslA
Them Lssg Ago.

~
sss<r supply campaign. Following are
sAe fnag paragraphs in the csty's suit for
100000 damages. which wss fled todsys
That in truth and in fact ~ that time
fhs said property water plansl was Of no
athsr or greater value than the sum of
$4,000. ali OF which the said Tacoma
Isxhs and Water Company well knew:
fkst IL obtained the whole of the said sum
II u.750.0o0 from this plaintiff BY the
aforementioned false and frsudulsnt
representations. and by deceit. faisehood
and fraud, as aforesaid; wherefore this
rssszsih "a. dam aged In The sum Of 81. co.
pald 70 this plalctih.
This plaintiff prsys Judgment against
tie said Tacoma Light and Water Com
pany:
oi090. 0s0l dollars damages.
ssecond-For its costa and disburss-
nxnss in this action"
This recalls the water campaign No
enc who has not lived In Tacoma and 10
aware 81 the Influences brought to bear
rpon every man who has the m anhood to
assert his rights when such . colossal deal
- the wstsr deal comes up. can fully APP
psscsa,e what sort OF an undertaking II
vas for the Tacoma bureau OF the Posr-
IsTELIfaEscEs TO simply tell the whole
truth, and give the simple facts and news
10 this matter. In those days the quss-
ton vas frequently asked: What - the
NJ Of the Posr-IsrELLrsRscEn going to
ths trouble TO publish the facts in this
natter 2"
When Requests were made, ssignif-
exatiy," or otherwise, fer the Posr-IsrEL-
psKscEz to quit or ''lst up" the men
making such requests were simply told
that only the news would be given the
Posr-IsTELLIsEscrR ~ . newspaper, and
that nothing would be published Until the
matter Was authenticated.
II Was very significant that the Tacoma
Ledger. which q few weeks before was tell
Ing about the corruption - be found In
The water supplied by the water company,
should swap over and stuitify itself in its
Characteristic manner by telling what .
Enc proposition Ii was for the city to 20 to
she limit Of Its credit and buy the plant.
Hut it Is generally understood that
that news suppressor was well paid
for publishing misleading and false
statements, which Ii moro than can be
said OF others that did likewise. The
figures given in this connection range
thsmoney paid the cappers who ciaqued up
and down Pacific avenue. and went into
the outskirts and mads speeches for the
water deal managers.
IL 10 estimated that IL cost 500. 900 or
more TO "bunko" the taxpayers, or rather
non-taxpayers into purchasing the
plant Indeed. figuring on q basis Of
$500 for counciimen and like sum for
other officers of influence. the bribery sack
must have been smptisd Of far more than
500. oO0
However. the evil Is mostly . thing Of
The past People have learned that they
we're deceived and misied; that the local
press of the Ledger type lied. and that 1t,
eontemptibls method OF eurrying up
prejudice BY citing any facts published by
The Posr-fsrELIIsEsexg ~ primarily In
furious to Tacoma. 10 . dsiusion and o
mare. Taxpayers have come TO the con-
esuslea that . newspaper publishes the
news and does not cheat Its patrons by
sappressing IL. During the water cam
paign the Ledger used 10 eroak about any
move that the Posr-IsrELITeEScER OPP
posed as being . good scheme for Tacoma
% support IL probably inveigled some of
the people who read its columns then, an -
have since Withdrawn their support, into
voting for the purchase of the water plant
All such admit their error now.
The wate- plant, as controlled by the
water company, may have paid interest
on 81. $50 600. but the evil OF the purchase.
aside from this. il that the plant was not
worth intrinsIcaiiy half that amount; that
there Was not an assurance Of securing .
ehas kv - ~
the city's credit was crowpsd to the limit.
thus shutting of the possibility of securing
needed sewerage and other really neces-
sary Improvements.
After citing what the water company
represented. through its agents and news
suppressors. the city In ito $1,000, 600 dam
age suit says:
THAT all OF the representations, 30
sbove set forth and alleged 10 have been
made by the said Tacoma Light and Water
Company and by its said agents. servants.
officers. stockholders. employees and stior-
nsys. were false and fraudulent, and
knewn by the said Tacoma Light and
Water Company and by the said Theodors
Hcsmsr, George III. Sellers, Isaac W.
Anderson, G. h. Wright and the other
agents, servants. employees and attorneys
a the said Tacoma Light aud Water Conn
made aud that all of the said statements
and allegations and representations we're
~ made by the said Tacoma Light and
Water Company, and the said Hos
mer. Sellers, Wright. Anderson aud
The ether agents, servants. emrloyes
sad attorneys OF she said desen-
asns for the purpose OF misleading
and deceiving the said city OF Tacoma and
Its inhabitants, aud for the purpose OF de-
ceising this plaintiff a. TO the value. char.
acteT. extent and condition OF the said
property constituting the said water sys-
TEN then offered for sale 10 the said cify OF
Tacoma, and for che purpose OF sei.ing fhs
said water syslesn and the nhoie Thereon
10 tais plaintiff for . sum greatly and
largely In excess Of the true value thereof.
that In truth and in fact the said water
system was and 70 wholly inadequate Tor
the purposes for which II Is and vas 20 &c
used, and that all of the facts IN connee-
Won Herewith were exclusively villain
TIE xnoslsdge Of the said taeoDa Light
aad " sisF Company. sts agents, servants
empioyes, e;.icers. stockholders anu sttef
heys and that noae Of the facts so siieged
And knosn of the representation 50 msae
~ them 10 this plaintiff we're within
Toe plaintiffs knowledge, but al %
tAe sane we're exclusively and particularly
within The possession and kno~tedxe o.
ne said defendants. IT'S ofhcsfs, ssenss
stockholdsr., servants. empsoyes Aas a.
ieraeys: that in srath and IN TACT the saaa
fhomAs aud Paterson springs a-e ard
AZ al time. mentioned in this complaint
sere wholly worthless a. source OF y AssT
sappiy. Ana we're as all such times sheiiy
worthless for any purpose whsisser, s1s
are and wsre AZ sit such times sha4lf IN
assquAse 20 saprly the said city OF. seoshA
ssik 10 u0o 90 gallons % pure IreSn wasef.
o. sny amount whatever 20 exceed tae
snoang Of s.aaooo gallons per day. that
u truth and in fact IL VAS az Al s0ea
erne., and nov il. isarossiese 20 ecncaes