The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-07-13

rich, but comfortable and indie
pendent.
In 1894 he was asked to run
| for county commissioner &c
straighten out county finances.
The bosses opposed him but
the people elected him.
He put the county on a cash
basis.
In 1896 he was elected mayor.
City finances were deplorable.
City warrants were being dis
counted as much as so per cent
on the streets. City licenses and
bills were not being collected.
He introduced business meth
DDS.
The city was in the electric
light business but private COM
pany without any rights or fran
chises, started up and was taking
the business. The company con-
trolled the courts and the city
could get no relief.
Fawcett took a lineman and an
ak and cut down their wires and
put them out of business forever.
The city light plant is making
100000 a year profit now.
In 1910 Tacoma came under
commission government. The
street railway company was defy
ing the city. 1t insisted on col
lecting two fares on certain lines
in the city limits contrary to it's
franchise. 1t refused universal
transfers. The people called
Fawcett to be mayor and in three
months after determined fight
he forced five cent fares through
out the city and the company
gladly gave universal transfers,
although the courts said they did
not have to.
The city needed new bridges.
Certain bridge companies put up
an awful fight and were approach
ing councilmen with insidious Of
fers of campaign expenses. :"
Fawcett fought them to a stand
still, spent his own money to
send citizen committees to inves-
tigate bridges and built the
bridges without breath of scan
dial, giving the city the finest
structures in the northwest and
saving quarter of a million dol
lars.
Tacoma had been at the mercy
of the private docks. Fawcett
started a movement for municipal
docks and after a bitter fight by
the waterfront monopoly the peo-
pie backed him with a bond is
sue for $405,000 and municipal
docks were established and
cleared a big profit for the city
over running expenses from the
start, besides developing splendid
service.
Mayor Fawcett enlisted in the
movement against the liquor
traffic, to save the workingmen s
pay check by prohibiting treating
in saloons. Liquor men said it
cut their receipts in half, and
started a recall, and by combining
with the street railway, water
front and other special interests,
removed him.
Fawcett at the time was suffer-
ing with broken ribs crushed into
his lungs in city hall elevator
accident, and he refused to re-
sist the recall. although it was
proved the petition was full of
fraud and forgeries.
The people within a few weeks
saw their mistake and at the
next election, without his making
any personal campaign, put him
back into the mayors chair by
1000 plurality.
Fawcett at once began a work
of retrenchment to relieve the
people from some of the burdens
of taxation. In his departments
the year prior to his taking Of
flee, there had been spent $40,-
S42. He cut this the first year
to $33,s12, besides paying $500
of old unpaid bills left over by
the last administration.
The second year he cut the ex.
penditures to $27,103 and had al
bills paid up to date. Had other
departments in the city ovel
which the mayor had no author.
fly to enforce economies prac
ticed the same economic polio,
as he did the taxes could have
been reduced $556,24S a year.
1t is for such determined activ.
ity on behalf of the people ant
his ability to get results in spite
of what others view as hopeless
situations, that the people whit
know him have decided that A.
V. Fawcett must go to congress
to give this district representa-.
ton that will be to its interess
and will let the world know thai
southwest Washington is on the
map.
Yours for greater efficiency In
government,
| EDWARD A. RICH, M. d.