The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-04
COITERILL ANSWERS BAGLEY.

II
Seattle, Wash, Dec. 2. 1925.
To the Editor: Under the caption The
railacy Shown" you give prominence to
a letter from my friend, c. B. Bagley. of
the comptroller's office. Facts and figures
are what the public wants in this vexed
water question. but ii does seem as though
there will soon be as many sets OF figures
as there are varying opinions.
Mr.. Bagiey refers to certain "misstate-
ments and the "unfairness of the figures
given out by Mr.. Cotterill of the city en-
gineer's office" / want TO say right here
that Mr.. Cotterill of the city engineers
once has given out no figures. During
the past three years and more. particr-
larry during the past year, the city engi-
neer's department has been called upon
by the mayors advisory board, the city
council, council committees. newspapers
and citizens generally for information con-
corning our water system. Every report,
fact or figure thus furnished has been
given officially from public records of the
city, including the comptroller's books;
every calculation has been verified and
Endorsed by the head of the department.
Only as an employee of the department,
performing the duties assigned, have I
prepared these fgres, and when my friend
challenges them he is simply attacking
official information for campaign pur-
poses.
Now. If these figures or facts are fall
~lacious. the city records viii easily dis
close that fact. But Mr.. Bagley's letter
Is one continued series OF fallacies with
out plan. connection or result. He tells
the public that his figures are from the
city ledgers and can be verified by any,
body competent to add two and two The
trouble is that he has taken one two"
skipped the Objectionable other, and
shouts with surprise that he has proved
that the result is not four"
This is no joke, but the cold fact. Mr..
Bagley quotes the cost OF operating
Lake Washington pumping station. over
looks Broadway and Queen Anne, and
then discovers that those who did the sum
correctly don't agree with him. Strange,
isn't 1t?
But here's another sample of the same
arithmetic:
During the years 1894 and 1895 the ex-
penses connected with the operation. etc,
of the water system have been 81. 1868
less than the income" This Is a master
piece indeed. The people are not taxed to
support our water system: there is always
a surplus in the water fund, but II has cost
us more than we have got out of the sys-
tenn 10 pay for It. AS we have not borrow
ed any money during the past two years
and there are no outstanding warrants
against the water fund. we can only con-
AAfA AAAhA CtAtA' IdhAiPAtL GtlN pAiANAdA mas
advanced this sum, or else friend Bagley
has got mixed in his figures.
The truth is that in his eagerness to
show that there is no surplus from the
water works, my friend has gone too far.
He has dug a hole TO try 10 show a de-
felt and then fallen into fl. What's the
use of juggling figures anyway? The peo-
pie know hat the cash receipts of the
water works are about Slu 600 this year:
that Il has cost only about S4l .000 to paw
operating expenses and that the $40. 90
profit has gone 10 pay for interest. extern
sions and general expenses. which ought TO
he met by a general taxation. and for the
greater part OF which a tax levy is actual
~ made. Why not he honest and say that
we used this surplus for legitimate ex-
penses and not try 10 hoodwink the people
before an election into believing that there
is no surplus?
But II IS as an engineer that my friend
BaCley exceeds his arithmetical attain
ments, He tells us that the Cascade
mountains are fun OF ice cold streams
awaiting the demands OF Seattle: that we
don't need 20 worry about Cedar river:
there are others. etc. IA OF Benezette
Williams. why aid the taxpayers waste
sS5,00 in surveying the Cedar river and
Swan lake plan? ~Snodualmte river could
easily ne tapped at Sallal prairie and the
pipe line would have been only about s.
miles long under heavy pressure and with
ont any fwpoundiDg reservoir. II the pipe
line should break we could do without wa
ter until IL Is fixed. And Green river Why.
even Tacoma has rejected II. BY extend
ing our proposed Cedar river line across
Ceda~ river and ten or fifteen miles FUR
Their at an expense or another million or
50. ~ can tap Green river. but we would
be greeuer than the river II we let Cedar
river and Swan lake 20 on such a pros
peet. As BercZette Williams caustically
remarks IN the closing chapter Of the com
TrehepstvR report OF his work. Opinions,
which cost the city nothing, we have had
In abundance"
And then my friend devises n little plan
Tor constructing the Cedar river system
on his ovn account. He issues 6 per cent.
ana : per cent warrants and works up an
Interest charge OF 500. go Der anulIw which
horri6es him So that he dismjsses the
scheme. As nobody has advanced such a
plan. much less submitted 81 10 the vote
% The people. I rail- IN see the application.
But IL IL "a a moU~uer for the late Spring
Hil Water Company that INV friend Rag
lev caps the climax. Think Of g., The
wicked city 81 Seattle drove these public
henefactorS into q corner and robbed them
~ their h'rthright True. We paid them
g. e5i1 while they stood StiIl - he
rncofa, ana some U~nthirkiug citizens
Thought they got TWO or three times the
value ~ their plant. but thanks - Mr..
Psgiev. after all these wears. our NUM-
opal crime IS uncovered Gioatei with
our success IS n hiEhwayman. We jumped
On the moor N'tle Union Water Company
ara robbed them likewise. In the light Of
this experience Mr. BaElev - convinced %
our ability 20 rob the Seattle Power Com
parv whenever Ne have 20. Come row
is-'t g more manly % give the power
company fair warning. 50 that their time.
energy ant means vii not be wasted n
t~sf}i{nz M a plant which the city must
eventually force out ~ their hands AZ half
ftS val2e@ Nu9 then some % us are Doubt
ina Tnomases who are Innocent enough 70
think that the ctty occasionally gets the
worst - such bargains Bat 7 leave Broth
- RaE}ev on the wouruerS bench.
7 cannot control NIX aStonishmeut A. The
statement wAt-h follows; IF the dishon-
e~t e~~tr8vaEsnre which prevailed during