The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-08-23
ARMBRUSTER
IS MISTAKEN
Was Himself a Consistent Sup
porter of Street Railway Fran
chise Now in Operation
RECORDS OF THE. CITY
MAKE THIS APPARENT
Hon. A. J. Splawn Had No In
terest in Electric Line Until
New Company Was Formed III
the Following Year

Records of City Clerk BROKER fail
to uphold the published statement OF
p. NJ. Armbruster regarding Hon A.
j. Splawn and the franchise granted
by the city to the electric railway
company. Many citizens who remcm-
Der the circumstances connected with
the inception of the street railway
work here commented sunday and
Monday on the statements of Mr.,
Armhruster and the evident fact that
he failed to remember his own con-
nection Herewith. Mr.. Armbruster.
in his statement Of sunday said;
"The press of the city are now writ
ing favorable editorials on the water
question for political reasons They
would lead you to believe that one A.
| j. Splawn. corporation man is the
| Moses to lead YOU out of this wilder
ness. What has he ever done along
these lines? Is he not responsible to-
day, for the forty-year clause in the
street railway franchise, to use any
street at any time. without consulting
any one? Good people, don't be fool
ed again. Many of YOU remember
some nine years ago. how a certain
man of this. same class at mass
meeting in the opera house. most
strongly condemned the water com
| pany and if elected, what he would
do, What did he do? He gave them
the present franchise. DO YOU want
to be fooled again?''
| Not Interested mt Time
| What Mr. Armbruster has said has
been industriously circulated and is
believed by many citizens The fact
is that Hon A. ]. Splawn had nothin-
! ing to do with the street railway
company at the time the franchise
was granted and The further fact is
| that no franchise was ever granted to
the present company but to the Yak
| ina Inter-Valley TranCtion company,
/ in which Henry Lombard ana others
We're Interested. 1t was long after
that time. when The mtcr-NalleY peo-
pie had turned their franchise over
to a company of citizens. anxious to
see street railway constructed here,
that Hon. a. j. Splawn first came in
to the proposition. Like others he
|
through and the line is here
! EX- Mayor Was Interested
Mr.. ArmbTustcr, however, did have
IA connection with the granting Of the
franchise. He was Il memb Der of the
city council and voted for it, Further
more. after the franchise was vetoed
| by Mayor Walter Reed, the motion to
carry it over the mayors veto was
| passed by unanimous vote of the
| council, Mr.. Armbrustcr being pres
| ent and voting. This was in October
1906, and it was not until 1907 that
Mr. Splawn had any connection what
ever. in any capacity with the com
pany.
Membership of Council
The members of the city council il
1906 were Messrs, Armbruster, w. NJ
Thompson, f.. O. Keck, II. II. Schott
l.. II. Linbarger. G. A Marsh and f.
IN. Lane. The first vote ON the fran
chise. including the forty year clause
condemned by Mr.. Armbruster wa,
October /, 1906. This was the pres
ent Franchise but was granted to tn,
other corporation, the one which hat
of the one of which Mr. Splawn wa,
afterwards president At that meet
ing, all members, except Mr. Schott
lwere present and the vote was unani
Imous in favor of the franchise May,
or Reed vetoed the franchise and or
October ! 3 the question Of its pas.
sage over the veto was before the
council. All the members were pres
ent, Messrs Keck and Lane having
come in after roll call. The vote
was unanimous. This is according t.
the records Of the city clerk and may
be seen by any citizen who viii APP
ply at the clerks office at the court
| house.
| Remembered by Many
| The facts, as shown by the records
Of the city clerk. are known person.
| ally by scores Of citizens who remem-
| Der the incidents, as the street rail-
way proposition was one which made
| "A distinct impression on the citizens
at the time. The unWonted activity
in the spread Of the Misrepresentation
quoted in the extract from the com
tnunication of Mr. Armbruster has
reused many who have hitherto been
politically Indifferent and the cause
of good government. according to
statements made on the streets Mon
day, Is proiiting greatly thereby.