The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1907-07-10
PROVIDING SEATTLE'S
CITY LIGHTING PLANT


tcontinuedl
election. a. which n was 10 DC vol,
ed upon by the people To assure
themselves upon this point they
asked the opinion Of Corporation
Counsel Humphrey which. when
auhgitted. colncldod with their
own views
believing their actions IN the
matter 70 BE- null aud void on ac
count % the time limit having a.
ready run. they entered into the
project with enthusiasm. agreed
upoa the adoption of the more en-
landed project aud recommended
BY Mr. Thomson and. with the
opinion OF The corporation counsel
that their action was Invalid. stow
ed safely away Ia their inside
pockets proceeded. on January 30.
20 vote TO submit Go the people the
proposal 20 vote $3.50 600 Ia bonds
Tor the purpose OF financing the
project Nj James A. James. Tho
Seattle Electric company's watch
dog Of che treasury was especial.
~ enthusiastic Ia urwinE ~. and
Il passed through council com
prised chiefly OF It's enemies with
cut a negative vote
Tho plan Of the promoters ~
this srand stand play WAS 20 per
mit the proposed nrdinancs of sub.
mission Go b. advertised tor a faw
days and then have some suyrep
tltiouslY advised accomplish make
the astonishing discovery that the
ordinance % submission was in.
valid According 20 thla program
the Seattle Times exploded on
Sunday morning. February 3. with
the sensational discovery that the
whoic light plant project waa in
valid ciuns a. e. authority A.
sissant Corporation Counsel Won
Tohie
Dat IN purnmnr their carefully
laid plans for side tracking the pro
iect the pro corporation manlpuia
tors had entirely overlooked a apa.
clai state las ON ihe subject pass
ID By the legislature Of 1901. a laW
whlch required that Tho proposition
be advertised bat 30 days prior to
the date 81 is submission The
friends % the project IN the cOuu,
cii, C0unciimen Hyera. Nayln.
Murphy and others. we're aware Of
the plan and purpose % the cor
porailon plundsFbund. bat knew
all along Of the existence Of the
state law which rendered valid the
councils action which the plumber
buuds heuchmon believed all
along 70 Be- invalid
Confess Themselves Beaten.
Therefore. when Mr Won Tobla
came out With his Interview that
the whole project had fallen 10 ghe
I ground Mr. Byers called attention
10 the state law making the submits.
sion ordinance entirely valid. a
contention which. when Il was call
ed 20 his attention, Mr Won Toble
waH compelled to confess waH cor.
rect This discovery no took the
Wind out of the sails 81 the plum.
dcrbund'a oounciimanic representa-.
lives that they were unable 90 re-
cover themselves and keep Up
their pretense OF fsvoring ihc pro.
/ iect
Having put themselves 30 enthus.
iaatlcally on record in favor Of the
I project. they could not reverse
their action. so the proposition was
permitted 10 50 10 a vote and car.
ried by approximately three to one.
hut the official adoption By the
city Of the plans for the lighting
plant dld not by any means put an
end 60 the efforts OF the plumber.
bund 10 delay. hamper and under.
mine a. Every obstacle possible
vas thrown IN the way 81 prose.
cutting the plans for installing II.
succeeding amounts Of money
necessary for carrying on the work
have been tardlly submitted. aud
IN a thousand and ono Ways the
management Of the plant on the
part Of the council has played into
the hands OF the private lighting
companies
In the matter Of establishing
rates for private lighting, for
Instance. the private companies
wero especially favored When
the glme came for those rates 10
be considered by the council they
were referred 10 a committee and
considered with the greatest secre-
Z cy, being finally fixed al a scale
I which would leave much OF the
most profitable business TO the pri.
vate companies. on the preteuse
Of making the city plant pay from
I the start
Making New Rates.
For the first two or three years
the city plant could not hope 10
do more than a fraction Of the pri
vate lighting Of the city. Hut II
was recognized from the first that
1 the private companies must i'm.
mediately meet the rates the city
made Under these circumstances
I the course Of wisdom and honest
efficiency on the part Of the man.
agoment Of the city plant dictated
that rates DO made as low as pos
sible 10 provide the service after
/ the plant had been generally OK.
tended over the city. Such a rate
would have given al the people
Of the city immediate relief from
extortion In q much greater dc.
gree. chiefly 1T the expense Of the
private companies. Instead the
COUNCIL fixed a much higher rate
/ than was necessary. providing
tNIIQbtlv Aucreaaod urofitR Nom the