The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-05-25
PRESIDENT STRAHORN
TALKS LIGHT AND WATER
Discusses Rates and Repeal of Fran.
chises-Says Company Hasn't
Been Fairly Treated.

hoDert StTanorn, president OF tne
Northwest Light & Water company, &C.
companied by his wife, arrived in the
city last Saturday. He expects to re-
main here, he says, until the matter of
light and water rates is satisfactorily
adjusted. He expects to take the sub
ject up with the council and thrash it
out, expressing his willingness to do
the fair thing. Wishing to give the COM
pany fair snow, The Herald called on
Mr.. Strahorn Monday and asked him for
statement. He was perfectly willing
to talk, and, at the request of this
newspaper, prepared the following:
"There seems to have been general
misunderstanding as to the position of
the light and water company in regard
to the reduction of rates. The facts are
these:
First. instead of failing to prompt
ly comply with the request for re-
duction of rates, 1 came here immedi-
ately after buying the plant in Jan
uary met Mayor Fechter and the coun-
Gil committee and at once offered to
adopt a schedule of rates to be arrived
at by making an average of the rates
charged in the six cities, of Portland,
Seattle, Spokane, Walla Walla, Pendle-
ton and Lewiston. All of these cities
have municipal ownership.
Second, at the same meeting I pro-
posed that if the above was not salts
factory. we would adopt schedule made
by taking an average of the rates of
all the cities of the northwest. This
would take every city having either
light or water plants and include all
the cities which own their own plants.
"Third, I was ready to act at once and
did not ask for time, as has been stated
here. But Mayor Fechter and the coun-
Gil committee expressed themselves as
being satisfied with the fairness and
liberality of these offers, they said they
must have time to look into them be-
fore deciding. 1t was then positively
agreed that no final adjustment would
be made until returned in April or
May. Meantime the council was TO pur-
sue its Investigations and submit its
decision by letter.
Fourth, this resulted in the council
finally asking that we adopt the water
rates of Roslyn and the light rates of
Tacoma. This we declined to do, for
the reason that instead of settling upon
fair average rates as agreed, the coun-
ell picked out the two cities having
absolutely the lowest rates in tine north
west.
Fifth, in declining this one sided de-
mand, which simply meant our ruin
| repeated our proposition made in
January as outlined above. This was
in April, and l advised the council that
| would be here in May. Our represen-
tatives here were positively assured by
the mayor and members of the council
that no further action would be taken
till / returned. This assurance was re-
peated only about week prior to the
recent council meeting at which the
repeal action was taken.
Il ask any fair minded reader whether
| have lacked in courtesy to the council
or inattention to this important matter
when it is remembered that my definite
offers of a fair and reasonable revision
and reduction have been before the coun-
ell ever since early in January and
have been reiterated in various ways
since.
"Recollect, there was proposition
before the council for five months which
if adopted, meant that the city of North
Yakima would nave enjoyed the ad-
vantages of rates and conditions which
prevail in all these cities enjoying mu-
nicipal ownership in the states of Ore
gon and Washington. We are ready to
90 before the people of North Yakima
or any other city on such an issue. We
know that any intelligent, fair minded
person would agree that our offer to
adopt a schedule which is the average
of the cities above named or an average
of all the cities of Oregon and Wash
ington, is reasonable But if the coun-
ell or anyone can offer any fairer adjust
ment than to take advantage of the
long experience of these older cities
which own their plants we will be glad
to adopt it.
"In view of our very heavy invest
ment here, our monthly payroll OF
about $1,000, our annual outlay for ex-
tensions and repairs of from $4,000 to
$4,000 and the burdens in the way of
taxation, etc, does the city council OF
anyone else honestly expect us to 60
on doing business without earning a
small rate of interest on the capital
investedf This is what it means to put
us on the basis of Roslyn and Tacoma
in which the rates are so ruinously and
exceptionally low and in which cities