The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-05-12
Light and Water Franchise

has been before the council for the past
six weeks or more, came up again al
the adjourned meeting Tuesday night
Mr.. Jacobsen for the light company and
Fred Reeves of Wenatchee, attorney
for the light company, were present.
A large number of taxpayers were also
present to protest against the granting
OF any franchise at this time. In view
of the fact that within the past two
weeks two companies engagedin taking
water from the Icicle river for irrigation
purposes have made propositions to
supply the town with water for domestic
and fire purposes at rates very materially
below the rate now made by the Tum-
water Light and Water Company, it
seems but reasonable that the council
should proceed with deliberation and
care in giving a longtime franchise to
any one at this time. The water sup
piled by the Tumwater Light and Water
Company has never been satisfactory on
account OF its impurity We have had
here every summer for the past six
years numerous cases of typhoid, and
all the physicians believe it is due to
the water we are compelled to drink.
Before reaching the town the Great
Northern railway runs for II or IA miles
along the bank Of the Wenatchee river.
The impurities and fever germs come
from the car closets, the droppings from
which, seeking the lowest level, find
their way into the river and thus into
our drinking water Last summer some
OF our physicians advised their patients
to boil all their drinking water. The
offer of the Icicle Canal Company, as
also that of the Snow Creek Water Com
pany, to supply this community with
water makes it possible to get our sup
ply from source which it is practically
impossible ever to contaminate. The
city of Wenatchee, knowing this fact,
has in the past, and is now, figuring on
getting her water supply from this same
source. Should this supply cost even
more than the water now obtained from
the Wenatchee river, it would still be
advisable to contract for the Icicle river
water.
That this is the opinion held by al
most every citizen of the town is indi-
sputable. But instead of costing more
we are confronted with the assurance
that it will cost less. So that we are
safe in saying that nine-tenthS of the
people in this town are opposed to
granting any franchise that might di-
minish the possibility of getting water
from the Icicle river The remark Of
the attorney for the Tumwater Light
and Water Company that the granting
of the franchise would not prevent the
council from granting franchise to any
other company, the statment was made
that if the Tumwater Company gridiron
the streets and alleys with their wires
and water pipes and thus make it very
difficult and expensive for another
company to get into the town, it would
very likely deter another company from
applying for franchise. 1t was point
ed out too, that the franchise asked for
reserved no rights to the people but
practically gave unlimited privileges to
the Tumwater Light and Water Com
pany. 1t is true if the company over
charged the water and light users they
could appeal to the Public Service
Commission for redress, but we all know
how difficult and slow these commiss-
ions are to give relief from our expert
ence with railroad commissions.
Why does the Tumwater Light and
Water Company insist at this particular
time upon franchise from the town
when it has operated its plant for the
past seven years without such franchise.
The company claims to have fran
chise from the county commissioners
almost coextensive with the one asked
for. Either it does not rely very
strongly on its franchise or it seeks