The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-01-20
THE STATESMAN STANDS PAT.

last summer when the new gas and
electric light franchises We're pending
before the city council the Statesman
urged that body to insist upon maxi
mum rates and to place other restric-
tons upon the light company for the
protection of the people. During the
city campaign the Statesman told the
people what they might expect if the
administration was given a new lease
of power. We predicted that a new
franchise for twenty-five years would
be granted the electric light company
or it's successor and that the people
would be in much the same situation
they We're in when the Walla Wal1a
Water company had monopoly of the
privilege of supplying water to con-
sumers in this city. Before the grant
ing of the franchise in August the
Statesman pointed out that there was
little protection for the people in the
vague provision that the price of lights
should be reasonable as it would
require a decision of the United States
supreme court to determine whether
or not the rates charged in Walla
Walla are reasonable. The costly ex-
perience of the city with the water
monopoly should have taught the
council how helpless the people would
be in fighting the light monopoly. But
with the exception Of Councilman
III -l1 40
maximum rate for lights, no attention
was paid to the Statesman's advice.
The franchise slipped through as if
everything had been creased for it's
smooth passage.
While the Statesman was fighting
for the protection of the people the
Union was silent. The cashier of the
First National Bank, who controls the
policy of that paper. was assisting {.
f. Burrows. manager of the old light
company, to unload and without an
extension Of the franchise it was plain
that the deal would be off. The
favored customers of the light COM
pany. paving the minimum rate of
$3.50 or less fer the use of lights all
night in his spacious residence. Now
that the new company is in charge his
bills have been running. up to SO or
more a month and that is where tn ,
shoe pincheS. This explains the
change in the attitude of the Union.
II hos -
other people We're cinched the Union
did not care.
The Statesman has not changed its
attitude. 1t still believes III the prop
er regulation and control of public
service corporations. 1t believes that
the rights of the people should be
safe guarded when franchises are
granted and that it is poor policy to
lock the barn after the horse is stolen.
Now that the electric light company
has twenty-five year franchise it
can fight any reduction in rates by
! the council until the federal supreme
court decides against it.
Meanwhile the council can grant re
| lief IN one of two ways. 1t can install
a municipal plant to be controlled as
the water department now is. or it
| can grant a franchise to a competing
| company, taking care to provide for
| maximum rates with the right tC
change them as cheaper processes OF
manufacture may come into use.
| The Statesman is paving as high
rates as any other corporation or in
dividual for its lights and it is as free
as ever to express its views of what il
believes to be right and just. How
ever. it confesses that it has not 9
great deal of sympathy with the CON
trolling spirit of the Union now thai
he has been caught in the trap that he
aided in setting to catch the people,