The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1913-09-05
HERE'S LEE AGAIN
ADVISING HOW TO
CHEAT THE PUBLIC

The Hon. George A. Lee. former
chairman OF the public service com
mission under Gov. Hay. did one
great service for the public. And
only one.
He resigned and saved Gov. Lis
ter the trouble Of kicking him out
Of office.
For this tho people are duly
grateful 90 the Hon. George A. Lee.
They've had enough OF him.
And they don't want any more
Of tho Hon. George A. Lee.
A Dreadful Picture.
EquRling hts consmnmate hypoc.
risy while In office. the Hon.
George A. Lee yesterday undertook
at IN. meeting OF the Northwest
Electric Light and Power seEocia.
ton tStonc- Webster and allied
companics). to peddle his stock ad-
vice how TO save the people from
themselves By giving the public
utility corporations all they want
20 grab.
Ne pictures all manner OF dire
caiAmi,ics that would befail the
people mot the corporations. mind
your with municipal ownership and
home rule.
Must squeleh Home Rule
Home rule In any degree must
be squelchcd In the next legisla.
turo. he counseled. aud entire con
troll conferred In the three public
service commissioners. And mnnio'
ipai owneruhip must DO Subtly
guarded against. too.
The Hon. George 4. Lee. being 4
past master In the art OF Milling
laws with iokers. outlined the plan.
or course. Il wouldn't do TO at.
tack municipal ownership openly.
Tho scheme IN To get an amend
ment 90 the present law. to prevent
duplication Of public utilities.
Has Great Scheme
That means. OF course. that whom
private company II in business.
similar public utility under mn-
nicipal control should not be per
mltted to establish itself.
Had such a Law been In existence
before. neither the Seattle light nor
water plant could have been estao-
llshed
Lee would 80 further.
He would include municipality
owned plants. already In existence.
under the control Of the state
board. 30 that II the city light plant
should reduce rates and compel the
Seattle Electric Co. by force OF
competition. 10 do likewise. the
state commission could come In and
stop such reduction on the ground
that II confiscatca the profits OF
the private company.
People Are Awake Now
And all this IL 10 be done In the
interests OF the dear people, The
Hon. George A. Lee. having sue
ccssfully put that Kind or bunk
over while In office. still nurses the
delusion that tho people haven't
wakencd up to his role OF corpora
ton apologist.
But they have.
The people know that George
A. Lee, while still . member OF the
public service commission. was the
worst corporation lobbyist In Olyrn-
pla and did more than anyone else
20 throttle the measures for home
rulo demanded by the people.
They know that the Hon. George
A. Lee was largely instrumental In
slipping through the joker In the
public service law. which now per
mits the state tax commission TO
fix the assessments Of public util-
lty corporations at a lower valus.
tlon than appraisements made by
the public service commission.
And the people know. too, that
the Hon. George A. Lee. while still
a member OF the public service
commission, was personally lnstru-
mental In getting an extra appro-
priatlon OF $4,000 for the attorney
general (hls former oolleasue) for
the purpose OF employing special
counsel for the dlstributlvc rate
CAGE and the Puget sound rate case
In the federal court"
And the people know that this
$4,000 extra retainer went to 3. s.
Hrassptin with whom GcOrQe a,