The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-02-14
:. 70
That Poicer Contract.
City Benefits.
Gets Juice Cheaply.
Why Misrepresent?

"A the buncornte served up to the
public by the mayors probcr. VII
mon Tucker. and the mayors grand
Jury report. Is tho discussion Of the
power contract between the city and
The Puget Sound Traction company.
This power contract Is being
roundly denounced with the consent
and approval Of Mayor Caldwell. and
the attempt Is bcing made 10 show
that II Is outragcousiy unjust to the
city.
The fact is--and The Star charges
That Mayor Caldwell knows u to he
( fact-that the power contract Is
highly profitable 10 the city,
POwER At CENT
FER kfI.OWATT HOUR
According to it's terms. the city
railway Is TO be furnished power hy
the Stone q Webster company at
cent per kilowatt hour for direct cur
rent. In ANY amount the railway
may need
The fact Is that the city-owned
light and power plant cannot and
does not. furnish power to the city
II - good . price
The fact Is that the city light de-
partment is charging something Ike
I cents a kilowatt hour 20 the tax
payers Of this city for street Hight
ing.
The fact l. that the city light d.
partment charged the city railway.
when n operated Division A and
xtfrsa fffE =
cents per kiiowatt hour. until Supt
Nurphine compelled reduction In
price-And the reduction was cent
: kilowatt hour. The fact Is that the
\ city light department never has. and
does not now. charge less than the
stone q Webster people arc charging
under the power contract obtained BY
the city.
LESS THAN CITY CAN
PRODUCE CURRENT FOR
Al the rate Of l cent a kiicwsf
hour for direct current II In only
~4rht- senths OF a cent for alternate
current
This Is less than tf,e city hight de-
partment can produce current for.
As a matter OF fact. then. the city
4 making money on every bit OF cur
rent II obtains from the Stone 4 Web.
SER company.
Mayor Caldwell knows tor
ohouId know it--and when he per
uits the false impression TO 10
rUund that the power contract was
hlouitous. he Is deliberately irnpos-
ne = wrong Interpretation upon H.
The city can buy a. much power
= n needs TO run It's cars from stone
4 Webster and for as long q period
q n chooses- The city can terrni-
nate that contract. but the Stone d
Webster company cannot
WHY AGREEMENT WAS MADE
WITH STONE q WEBSTER
When the traction system was pur.
chased. II was plain that the city
R4xht department could not furnish
enough power To run the cars. And
Il was plain that II wouldn't be able
70 do 30 for severai years. not until
the skagtt plant was developed to
he point OF producing and transmit
ting current
Consequently the agreement was
made with the Stone a Webster COM
any 10 continue furnishing power to
~ railway at I cent per kiiowatt
bour direct current. n was agreed
hat the city could discontinue TAX.
hg 5000 kiilowafts at time by Civ
ing a years notice, and by agreeing
b take over the power company's
nubsfations at value 10 be appraised
~ three arbitrators. one chosen by
The city. one by the company and
one by the two thus chosen.
When the Skagit is developed. II
Das felt. the city will have to build
1ubstations II IL could not get the
Btone 4 Webster stations. There
1bre. thee city wasn't obiieating itself
% DO anything that was not Of ad-
vantage TO IT, On the other hand. the
Stone a Webster people felt that II
The city ceased taking power from II,
II would not need 20 many substa-
b0ns.
CITY CAN'T FURNISH
ENOUGH JUICE
The gkagit is stili undcveloped.
The city plant can't furnish enough
tuice. II can't furnish juice as
cheapiy 10 the railway as the Stone
4 Webster contract does. The city
railway is making money on the
contract.
The city can quit taking Juice from
the traction company whenever II
gets ready. The Stone h Webster
company. on the other hand. cannot
quit OF It's own voiition. The con.
tract. " one-sidcd, is TO the advan-
tage OF the city.
Yet Mayor Caldwell permits the
nnxev eorfracf IN be rnisrepresented.