The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-20

An Observation-Disclosures CoDpares the
Last AdmInkskratfon Win His Own.


fused publication by the TelesrapA:
SEATTLE, Dee. IS, 1885
Editor TslegropA-Dear Ssr. ] find IN
yocr paper OF the 18th inst. an article
headed The Water Department which
bears on the face OF IL q eonglomerasea
mass of false statemen t., which Tor the
benefit of the public should be corrected
/ propose TO deal with few facts and ng-
urcs rs / hnd them IN the report OF me
board Of public works lately issued TOT the
year 1873, and not from nay report OF loa--
'Firsf-I find this statement from the
superintendent OF the water department.
Operating expenses for 1861 -sds. IS -
ofsfasi1g expenses sos Iss9. Si,ese "a
This is ne { saving of 1865 10 in my
favor. then find thst the operating ex-
pense Of 1888 was $50 1882. an increase
over nay expenditures for the year lsxz OF
s., 05S 50. Had the line OF economy and
prudence been pursued in 1891 and lsS
that Mr.. Calligan's figures show IN lss-.
the city would today have s2s,e43.so mors
money in the treasury than they now
have. But this ID not enough: 1t shoald
be over $50, 600, instead of $2,0O. so
much for the noble reform.
Il now want to ask my successor, Mr..
CaliiRan. what he did With the $s.uSs.s -
more than il cost me 10 operate the same
department. for the same length OF time.
during my incumbeacy ABOUT twenty-five
miles of water pipe and he did not lay
three-fourths OF one mile; also that our
ing my time almost entirely revised the
whole water system; / reconstructed the
Broadway system, the Queen Anne sys-
tenn, the Beacon Hill system. reclaimed
the Cherry and Seventh street spring,
almost entirely remodeled the Lake W ASH
ingfon pumps ana pumping station, re.
completed new books OF all kinds In the
water department. inaugurafed an entire
new system of rebate slips, RECONSTRUCTED
the rules and regulations pertaining TO the
water supply. In fact, LETT The depart.
ment in q condition that mere cniid
could have successfully operated the de-
partment from the time left il until the
present date. lind again from Mr.. CAL
iigan's report that the operating OF the
pumping station At Lake Washington
cost the city under his administration the
sum of $3i, 474.60, while it only cost $26.-
923.04 under my incumbency, q net loss TO
the city of "a, 55L SO, and this IL the DEPART
ment that | have seen mentioned from
time to time in the city dallies al being
model of perfection in economy since Mr..
Cailigan's appointment
Now, fellow citizens. / ask you in all
due eandor If this is the kind of economy
that you desire-;he squandering of
81. 55i.S IN this one little department in 81
short time. 1t would seem, Mr.. Editor
and fellow citizens. that the throwing
away of from $4,000 to $4,000 of the
city's money in 1898 by Mr.. Caliigan while
superintendent of the city water depart
ment has been the prime factor in his
honor Mayor Ronald's mind for the ap-
pointment of this gentleman. Mr.. CALI
gan, to membership on the board of pub
lie works. | can see no other reason for
II. / say that he has souandered from
SIC. 600 to SIS, 900 because he says in his re-
port that he spent So, 033. 80 more than /
did in the same length of time, and en-
phatically say that could have run the
water department in the year 1898 for
many thousand dollars less than it cost in
1892, simply because ! had during 1892
placed everything in first-class condition,
thereby stopping many of the incidental
expenses which had to be incurred at the
start.
III CLEAN from Mr.. Calligan's report the
following: Receipts for water rates in 1891
were &l34. 345. Is; receipts for water rates in
1854 were $l45.472 IS; receipts for water
rates in 1898 were s149,0169l. BY the
above figures / collected $ii, 1910 more
money in 1892 than my predecessor did in
1891, Notwithstanding every house in the
city, factories. mills and elevators were
running at full blast and should have
1892. Again l find that Mr.. Calligan col
lected in 1898, So. 5466.3 more revenue than
/ did in 1S92. This / could, did deem il
advisable TO mention the names OF heavy
business houses and house owners, explain
and account for by showing that, owing TO
the depression in business, We were COM
PEELED to carry on the city books from
month to month these several amounts,
understand have been paid, or nearly so.
thus swelling the collections for 1898.
Now, Mr.. Editor, I have dealt with a very
few of the figures given by Mr.. Cailigan in
his report of the water department, and
in the near future / propose to give you
further facts and figures If they are de-
sired Respectfully. w. u. WILSON.
Ex-Superintendent Water Department
An Eastern View of Western Cities.
Cincinnati Times-star.
When the officials of the Northern Pacific
railroad were casting about for Western
terminus to the great system 1t was gen.
orally supposed that they would go to Sc
attic, a city that had had an existence for
many years, that was magnihcently To-
Gated on Puget sound, with harbor advau-
tages unexce.led anywhere along the Paci-
flc coast. Liberal terms were offered these
officials by the Seattle owners of termina
facilities. and had the officers been loyal to
thC ioa6 bbC9 tCpiroSIAtru tIic ms "pafd
have been accepted. But the Seattle people
were not willing TO turn their town over
in fee TO the small coterie of Northern Pa
cfic officers who did not ask the advan-
tages for the road. but for themselves, and
so all negotiations were abruptly broken
of, and the next that Seattle heard of q
western terminus was wnen IL was an
nounced that a new town was TO be con-
structed on a wooded bluff overhanging
the Sound, about thirty miles south OF Sc
attic, to be called Tacoma and to consti-
tute the western end OF the great North
ern Pacific system. The shipping facili-
ties which this site offered were of the
most inferior quality. since approaches TO
the wharf were down long and steep in
clines and the room for wharts was most
meager. Still the site was selected. Whyf
Because the officials could buy IL for a
song, have the Northern Pacific foot all
the bills incurred IN making improve
ments, such as building hotels. opera
houses, street railroads, with an endless
array of ct ceteras. and since such im-
provements wouid make II possible for the
small coterie of officers 10 unload corner
lots and in lots at fabulous prices, and
that - precisely what the coterie did.
They played sure-thing game and they
Played II for Yeas. and now the stock
holders y no have been fleeced propose to
have turn. There may not be much left
for them, but what there is they want to
save.