Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-04-18
VOTE ON
ELECTRIC GRANT IS
ASKED OF COUNCIL
Formal Request Registered by E.
G. Williamson--Decision to
Bind Council.
FRANCHISE IS POSTPONED.
Yauger and Wertheim Switch
Their Votes-Steam Heating
Ordinance Passed.

Five councilmen, Funk, Leupke,
POwe, Wertheim and Yauger,
Thursday signed an agreement to
submit the Lemon-Foshay electric
franchise to popular vote, details
of the election to be settled at a
special meeting of the council at
1880 tonight. The councilmen
pledge themselves to abide by the
decision of the majority vote cast.
No portion of the expense is to be
borne by the city. The franchise
to be voted on will, if passed, per-
NIT the grantees to furnish gen.
eral electric service and will not
limit them solely to the sale of
power, as does the ordinance in
definitely postponed Wednesday
night. A committee of citizens at
first proposed to pay the cost of
the election, but Messrs. Lemon
and Foshay offered to bear all ex-
pense.
Formal request that the city council
summit to popular vote the question Of
granting an electric franchise to Mil
lard Lemon and Wilbur B. Foshay
binding itself to abide by the result
Of that vote, was registered by Emery
c. Williamson, a prominent real estate
dealer of Olympia, at the regular meet
ing Wednesday night. The request wa.
roundly applauded by crowded room
full of spectators.
1t was Immediately followed by Al
offer by Mr.. Foshay to bear all the ex
penses Of such vote providing the Or
dinance permitted general entry In tn,
field and was not limited to power ONLY
and providing the vote was IN hi
favor, the expenses to be paid by thu
Olympia Light z Power company II the
franchise Is, voted down. Mr.. Fosha,
made similar offer last fall when tn,
first ordinance was introduced, but tn,
council refused to permit popular
vote at that time. Wednesday nigh
Councilman Yauger, who had previous
W voted to postpone the ordinance in
definitely. moved to submit 1t to the
people, but the molten dwindled away
during confusion over parliamentary
point.
Mr.. Williamson's request came after
the council had voted to postpone &C
tion on the nding limited power fran
cllise indefinitely, in spite of the rec
ommendation made at meeting of the
council as committee of the whole
April that the ordinance be passed
Councilmen Yauger and Werthein
switching their vote. Councilman
Funk had previously moved the pas
sage of the ordinance, the motion
being amended by Councilman Elwel
to postpone indefinitely.
Before the announcement Of the vote
on the amendment, Councilman Funk
changed his vote to aye and served
notice he would move reconsideration
at the next council meeting. Then the
request for popular vote on the fran
chise was made. with the understand
ing that, though such referendum IL
unauthorized by statute, the council
would pass a resolution binding itself
to act according to the majority will
expressed in the vote.
Earlier in the evening the mayors
veto of the steam heating franchise was
read and was supplemented by state
ment by him that after series of con
ferences an amended ordinance meet
ing all the objections he had raised had
been drawn. The council then unani
mously passed the vetoed ordinance
over the mayors veto with the under
standing, expressed by the mayor and
set forth in a communication signed
by Messrs Lemon and Foshay that the
amended ordinance would be accepted
when passed in lieu of the original. II
was read for the first time Wednesday
night and doubtless will be passed a.
the next meeting. AS amended 1t pro
vides that the original installation O
the system shall include every stree
IN the business section between Adam!
up to and including Columbia and from
Second avenue south to Ninth street
alleys being used in every case excep
on Columbia street.