The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-26

Company and ask for the lights the
council had never refused.
II is a wrong. and an un-American
idea, to suppose that any citizen, no
matter to what high Office he has been
elevated by his fellows. is above crit
ioism. President Mckinley does not
escape il. and surely Mayor Bergman
should ask no more immunity than the
head OF the Nation. And it is a cow
ardly newspaper that fails to critieise
public official. regardless OF his pop
uIarity. when he deserves II, Mr..
Bergman. as citizen. may stand as
high as any gentleman in Astoria but
Mr.. Bergman and Mayor Bergman are
not the same. although in many re-
spects they should be.
II Mayor Bergman had no desire TO-
aid the West Shore Mills Company in
their present controversy his actions to
say the least. are very peculiar regard
ing the securing Of temporary public
street lights. He has never denied. nor
attempted to in any way disguise, his
partiality for the West Shore Mills
Company. He has even gone so far, as
he told an Astorian representative.
as to suggest that the West Shore
Mills Company deserved some con-
sideration from the city-that is, aid
by paying high prices for poor lamps
for that was all that company asked
for-because It had built a lighting
plant in Astoria when it did not pay
to run one.
The Astorian has fought this conten-
tion right along. It does not believe
the taxpayers are called upon to sub
sidiza any private enterprise in Astoria.
No set of men ever yet started
a private enterprise without the expec-
tation Of making profit on their in
vestment. and the West Shore Mills
Company never started a public and
private lighting plant in Astoria with
amy other purpose or intention than
that Of making money out of it. II the
company failed TO make money. it is
not the taxpayers fault. and the Asto-
rian cannot agree with Mayor Berg
man when he suggests the city should
pay that company extortionate rates
for street lights simply because it
built a plant to furnish such lights at
an inopportune time and the investment
has not paid.
No apology is offered for the criti-
cism OF the Astorian upon Mayor
Bergman action in regard to street
lights during the l. o. o. F. conven-
ton. 1t has been held. and is now
believed as firmly as ever it was, that
Mayor Bergman did the city and the
citizens a wrong when he put Astoria
liz the false position Of seeming to be
unable to pay for public utilities. May
or Bergman was wrong to stir up and |
foment a quarrel between Astoria. as
city, and the West Shore Mills Com
pany over the matter Of public lights,
when there were a thousand visitors
within our gates.
As said before, no official ever
reaches a pinnacle where he is right
fully exempt from criticism for his
acts and the Astorian still holds that
it was to Mayor Bergman, and not Mr..
Bergman, the citizen. that the West
Shore Mills Company listened to and
then made the city an object Of char
ity. This paper still believes the West
Shore Mills Company would have re-
fused request for free lights, If it had |
been made by any one of hundred |
prominent citizens. It was only be- |
cause that company saw and grasped |
the opportunity of putting the city |
under obligations to It by granting the
request of its mayor
Sympathy. popularity and all the rest
Of 1t, is all right until it comes down
to business, but business is business;
as much so, If not more so. with pub
lie officials as with private individuals,
and no official has the right to place
city In a false light before the world |
either because he has the power to do
so or because he desires to oblige a
friend.
However, the incident Of public lights
during the convention is closed The
question as to what Astoria is going to
do for street lights remains open and
Tie water commission
should certainly be able to give the
council some sort Of an answer as to
whether it will build a public light
ing plant or not, at the councils next
meeting. If no satisfactory report
from the water commission is received,
then the council should go ahead and
provide street lights and let the blame
for delay in having lighted streets rest
where it will belong. with the water
commission.