The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1899-04-18

On Wednesday. March -, the fol-
lowing editorial appeared In the
star;
POWER COMPANIES FIGHT
There Is sharp nght between
Bakers Snequaimie Falls Power
company and the Washington Power
company. which should ba clearly
understood. Bakers company has
spent a half million dollars In tun-
melting and preparing Tor tho install
iatlon Of an electric plant one -
the Baker boys IL reported 60 be In
New York at the present time,
seeking TO raise money for the en-
terprisc. In the meantime an eaElc
eye in being kept by the nakcrs up
on the promoters Of the Washing
ton Power company. which Is Sock
ing 10 establish itself up near the
head u the Cedar river, and which
threatens. II Il does obtain a foot
hold. to heccme dangerous
rival for the power business ef So.
attic and Tacoma. The Bakers are
determined to throttle the Cedar
river enterprise al any cost New
let II be understood that the Wash
inKton Power company claims 10 be
the successor. by purchase. % the
rights. titles. and Interests. what
ever those may be. % the man who
raised such ruetloa IN this COM
munity a few years aso-the noted
Mr. Ammidown.
'sWtthin thelast ten daysthe trana-
fer OF interests from Ammidown TO
the Washington Power company is
said TO have been made. ana the
new owners state that they have
no connections whatever with the
thrifty gentleman who wanted 10
sell water TO the city In days gone
by. II may be that pollution Of the
water supply would follow the hiuld-
ing Of the electric plant at the head
of Cedar river, That matter must
be carefully considered. In weigh
Ing the case. let there he an under
standing Of all the conditions under
which the present hght Is being
waged. and then justice can b. done
60 all parties concerned"
The snoquainiie Fails Power com
pany has been doing prodigi0us
amount Of editorial work Cor some
weeks past. advertising the troubles
that will overtake the city provid-
ed that abuttins property along the
Cedar river Is not promptly con-
demned and purchased by the muni-
eipailty. II has been poinied out
that the water supply viii be pol
iuted In years to come unless the
city owns all of the mountain tract
from Cedar lake down 20 the valley.
Copious references have been made
70 refuse from towns and hamiets.
from sawmlils and other sources"
and tbs city has been urged to buy
up the property along Cedar river
in order to prevent such unsavory
pollution. Not one word was said.
however. about the division Of busl-
ness and profits that would result
from the establishment Of the rival
washington Power company on
Cedar river. The effort was 10
choke of the opposition enterprise
in the manner outlined. and 60 make
the city draw the snoaualmie Falls
company's chestnuts out Of the FIRE
by buying up the land along Cedar
river. 80 as to cut OF for ali time
the possibility Of competition by
rival power company. In carrying
out this plan the promoters found
II necessary TO attack city Engineer
Thompson for saying that the pro-
posed condemnation and purchase
was unnecessary. and would entail
an uniustiiable expense upon the
city. Tnompaon's motives could not
very well be impugned. as he was
seeking to save money and not TO
spend Il. but his professional judg-
rnent was held up TO criticism. 9th
er engineers were said to differ from
him.
The campaign was carried on 50
vigorously and eleverly as to make
some people believe that a great dan
ger threatened the city. Finally.
however. the hidden hand Of the sno-
aualmle corporation was d!seerned.
and the Star brought the matter 70
public attention. While members
of the city council we're lnvcstigat-
ing for themselves. a resident Of Sc
attic. Tracy II. Robertson. brought
an Injunction proceeding yesterday
to prevent the award of the con-
tracts for the Cedar river water sup
ply system. presumably in the In
fsrest Of the power company.
"a a result. the council last night
unanimously passed the following
resolution:
"Whereas. IL IL our opinion that
the Snoqualmie Falls Power com
pany, by It's agents and employees,
has instituted proceedings in the
courts for the purpose and with the
intent to delay or prevent the city
from entering into "A contract for
the construction of tho Cedar river
water system. and has thereby at
tempted to put upon the city the
burden Of driving out rival COM
pany. and.
whereas, Inc most vital interests
of the city and Of all the people OF
the city have thereby been wantonly
and unnecessarily attacked In n
manner and at n time when they
are in no mood to brook such delay.
nor TO submit to the dlctatlon OF any
corporation, great or small. holding
franchise under the city; now. there
fore. be II
'Reaolved. Tint a special com
mittee Of the council Of which the
president shall be chairman. shall be
appointed by the president. and II iH
hereby instructed 10 make due in
quiry into the matter, including the