The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-12
CITIZENS DEMAND
PROMPT ACTION
Water Commission Must Do Its
Duty Regarding Public Lights.
Let That Body Meet With the Council and
Formulate Some Plan Of Action at
0nee.-Many Ways Are Open.

The members Of the water commits
sion Of the city OF Astoria viii do vel
TO heed the signs of the times. TIL,
manner in which the citizens have re.
ceived, approved and applauded tn,
action Of the city council on the public
lighting question. should warn then
that the people Of Astoria are tired OF
the inactlon Of their body and not only
expect, but demand. that it shall do its
whole duty and do it promptly.
What the water commission should
the first thing do is to meet with the
council and either act in harmony with
that body or map out course Of action
for itself.
Nor should the water commission seek
to evade its responsibility by delay
The city council has acted. II has re-
fused to allow the taxpayers to be long
er robbed by the extortionate charges
of the West Shore Mills Company and
has said to the citizens, and TO the
water commission, that the streets
shall go unlighted If no other way Of
lighting them. other than the West
Shore Mills Company's proposition. can
be found.
While the council has other ways
of lighting the streets. and lighting
them better and more cheaply than
they have ever been lighted. still that
body had every reason to believe that
the water commission could. if it would,
back up its action in emancipating
the citizens from the tyranny of
greedy corporation by coming forward
with proposition which. by its adop-
ton, would not only make the eman-
clpation certain for all time to come
but would enrich the city and save the
taxpayers thousands of dollars.
The water commission could. if it
would, make such proposition today
and II would be welcomed alike by the
council and the citizens-and let no
one forget for an instant that the
citizens are thoroughly aroused on this
question and determined TO have their
rights.
The water commission has the sole
and absolute control of the city water
power and by it's inaction and in
difference to the welfare Of the
city. ten thousand good hard
dollars, taken from the taxpay-
ers' pockets, is rusting and rotting
away in an incompleted light plant.
The water commission now has the
opportunity to not only utilize this
10000 already expended, by the expen-
diture Of but little more money but to
pay back in saving on the public light |
ing Of Astoria, the money to the tax
payers who paid it.
Let the water commission and the
council meet in special session to dis |
cuss the lighting question, and the
lighting question only. and let both
bodies keep on consulting from day |
to day until some decided action is
taken.
If the water commission does not
care to enter the field of furnishing
electric lights to private consumers,
as it has the entire legal right to do,
and as the people expected it would do
when they demanded Of the legislature
of 1897 the passage Of the act giving Il
that power, then let ARRANGEMENTS be
made for pubic Lighting only.
Il the Wster commission IS wiHfuiiy |
blind Z ths ciiy interests ana proposes Z,
% nernei furnish lights for the city /
sld the inhabitants thereof nor FOR The .
city aicne then 'et ii offer the eorncil /
tte 4Th 20 lease the water power to
who will gladly invest their
money in a lighting plant in Astoria
under proper conditions. No capitalist
is going to invest money in a light
Ing plant here unless he can be sure
that the water commissioners will not
take it into their heads to start a city
lighting plant year after he has
started.
Let the water commission wake up.
Let its members do something or get
out and let men be appointed who will
do something. The council has done
its duty and will do more If the water
commission viii meet 1t half way.