The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-02-18
Reading of Figures Re
suits In Near Fight -,
Debroe and Meads
Prominent Factors In
Excitement.

Excitement.
The Public Welfare league o
Tacoma was organized at Ger
mania hall last night TO carry tn,
recall movement through agaIns
the present city commissioners
A committee of five will be ap
pointed by Frank Magill, chair
man of the mass meeting, to ar
range for finances for the cam
paign.
City Controller Johnny Mead,
was the star in the mass meeting
last night. He came armed will
figures which indicated that some
city departments were not goinl
on very economical basis. Tn,
water and light department o.
Nick Lawson especially looked
bad. Meads simply gave the fig
ures showing the operating ex
penses in 1909 and 1910 with NJ
comment
But when he read the figure!
for water and light II. G. Rowland
asked some pointed questions.
In 1909 under City Electrician
Lauzon $169, 1921 of new con
struction work was done with ;
labor cost of only $35,3S7.25
In 1910 under Lawson with a la
Dor cost of $37.4S2.55 the tota
amount of new construction don,
amounted to but $122,S3S.55.
Spent $4,000 Extra.
That is, with s2,105.30 more
money spent for labor Lawson die
$46,292.66 less work than Lauzor
did in a years time. In othel
words Nick Lawson was JUS
about $4,000 a year less compe
tent than the man he threw out O.
the city service without ever find
ing out what he had done or coult
do. This showing was an eye
opener for the citizens present.
The water department showed
a similar situation but not quit,
so bad. 1t was so bad. however
that Pete Dabroe, Lawson's mar
Friday, who looks after water
mains and politics and who wa.
present with a couple of dozen o.
Lawson's employees, jumped to hil
feet as Meads- was leaving tn,
platform.
He wanted to know whether /;
water plant could lbe operated a.
cheaply when it has 200 miles O
mains as when it has 100. Mead
retorted real peppery" that h,
was not there to discuss the mat
ter but to simply give the figures
and let the people form their owl
conclusions.
Meads started out and Dabro,
began bowling for hearing. The
crowd began shouting:
"Sit down." Put him OUT
Get the hook" came from al
quarters of the house.
Dabroe did not intend to sit
down. Meads was rushing to the
door and Dabroe was untangline
himself from the chairs and get.
ting out after him. Chairman
Magill finally called Meads back
81 want to go to a prize fight
shouted Meads as he came back
There was fight on across the
street and Meads is an Eagle and
wanted to go. There was a rapid
fire of snap and snarl between
Meads and Dabroe.
Then H. G.. Rowland got the
floor to ask Meads a question.
els it a fact that there was a
man carried for $75 a month in
the light and water department
as a cook when he was simply an
axman and should have received
but $50 a month";" asked Row
land.
Some Dynamite.
eyes, it is a fact and since
Dabroe has attempted to call me
here 1 will say that his son il
poles at 81 day when he
should be getting but $3.50. a la.
borer's wage" shouted Meads ex.
This was the spark that touched
off all the Dabroe dynamite there
was on tap. Dabroe howled for q
hearing and the crowd howled
him down. Meads started for the
prize fight and Dabroe started af.
ter him. A score of people got
up and swept with the pair and
both were landed outside before
the rush was over.
1t looked for a moment as II
Meads would not have to go &c
the Eagles hall to see fight but
everything quieted down in mo
ment and Dabroe came hack ant
asked for a hearing but as Mead,
had gone he was denied.
Then Mrs. A. e. Shores got III
and made a clever speech abou
the emotional nature OF women
and pointed out that in all tn,
conventions she had ever attend
ed she never saw quite as mucl