The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-25
NO NEED TO
ASK FOR CHARITY
Mayor Bergman Failed to Ap-
ply to Council for Lights.
He'd II Ia His Power to Get All he
Wanted In the Way Of IIIpmins-
tIOn without Going Begging.

II Mayor Bergman wanted 10 have
the public streets lighted. during the
soJourn Of the delegates 10 the grand
lodges Of Odd Fellows in this city, why
Is II that he. as mayor Of the city
Of Astoria. did not bring the matter
before the council when Il was In seg-
sion on last Monday night?
II Mayor Bergman had 80 desired.
he could have brought the matter up
before the council and then, II that
body had refused 20 take any action.
he would have had ample excuse for
going 10 the lighting company as a
citizen and asking the favor which he
asked the next day. though why his
request as citizen should have more
weight with the lighting company than
that Of any other citizen in Astoria,
Ia not easily understood
III Mayor Bergman Ii in no way con-
cerned with the West Shore Mills
Company AMI II he had only the cityl
Interests in view" said citizen. yes
tqrday. how II is that he does not
act as a mayor should? Why didn't
he demand lights for the streets from
the councll7"
The truth Is that II looks very much
as II Mr. Bergman tried to aid the
West Shore Mills Company in making
n grand stand play In their offer to
furnish free street lights for two or
three nights.
The citizens WIN fully appreciate the
love. interest and desire TO benefit the
city that Mayor Bergman has in his
heart. when he win deliberately aggra-
vate controversy over a public mat
ter. pertaining to Astoria only. with
a thousand strangers in the city.
What was the use Of Mayor Berg
man dragging the public lighting
question into the midst Of a conven'
tIon Of strangers? As mayor Of Astoria
he should have tried TO hide all the
troubles OF the city instead OF washing
It's dirty linen in public and before
visitors. This he could easily have
done by bringing the matter before
the council. at its meeting Monday
night, as he had a perfect right to
do.
But no. Mayor Bergman waits un-
I'll Tuesday and then asks for lights
-as n citizen. he says.
Does any thinking man or woman
believe for a moment that the request
OF Mayor Bergman was granted by
the West Shore Mills Company. as a
citizen? No. They know that had
Mr.. Bergman been a plain citizen In
stead OF mayor OF Astoria, the West
Shore Mills Company would not have
listened to him for a second. The con-
cesslon OF street lights was granted be-
cause Bergman, mayor OF Astoria,
asked that II be granted. Had anyone
OF dozen OF our business men gone
to the West Shore Mills Company and
made a similar request, 1t is almost
a certainty that they would have been
denied.
II the West Shore Mills Company was
so anxious that the visitors to Astoria
should carry away a good impression
of the city, and thought that impress
sion would be deepened by lighting the
streets, why didn't they turn on the
lights without request from Mayor
Bergman or anyone else? The West
Shore Mills Company people give the
lights free, they say, then why wait un-
III the mayor suggests to them this
charity, when they knew the need OF
II?
The truth is that the offering Of free
lights by the West Shore Mills Com
pany was what Is known as grand
stand play" bid for the sympathy
and support of the people whom they
know to be against them on the pub
lie lighting question, and Mr.. Berg
man. as mayor of Astoria, was used
as a booster" to give the matter
weight and force with strangers, who
knew nothing Of the real merits of the
public lighting question controversy
between the people Of Astoria and the
West Shore Mills Company and would
have known little or nothing about it