Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1924-10-31
BONE BILL: WYNOOCHE POWER
BY A. EMERSON CROSS. CRY ATTORNEY.

In my last article desired to dis
cuss the provisions of Section Of
the Bill, in view of the declaration
by the power interests that the Bone
Bill will enable Seattle and Tacoma
to invade Grays Harbor county and
condemn or construct plants in Ho-
puiam, CosmOpolis and Aberdeen.
Existing statutes give Seattle COM
plete and indisputable power to con-
denim any private power plants in
Seattle. If the menace Of cOndemna-
ton elsewhere is no greater than it is
in Seattle, the contention in recent adj
vertisements that the smaller cities
would become "vassals" to Seattle and
Tacoma falls fiat.
Any cities enjoy equal rights Of
condemnation. It is as absurd to be-
Iieve that Seattle or Tacoma would
condemn distribution systems in
smaller cities, except to help such
cities to ultimately acquire them, as
it would be for the city of Aberdeen
to invade Seattle or Tacoma and con-
denim the privately owned power
plant.
Initiative No. 50 gives no right to
Seattle or Tacoma that are not given
every other city in Washington.
Other cities can acquire generating
and distribution systems on exactly
the same terms as Seattle and Ia
coma. If the lunatic assumption is
made that either Seattle or Tacoma
might jump around the state con-
demning any inefficient, Over-capita-
liked and obsolete private plants
which they refuse to condemn in their
own cities, the home city has in hand
its remedy by going into the power
business for itself.
Section 5 of Initiative No. 81 abb
solutely protects any city-owned
plant from condemnation by any other
city. The condemnation clause was
put into Initiative No. So at the in
slant request of Grays Harbor re-
representatives. and over the express
protest of Seattle and Tacoma repre-
sentatives that these cities did not
need it and did not want it.
In 1917 the city of Bremerton, at
the invitation of Charleston and the
Navy Yard, acquired by purchase a
private water company operating in
Bremerton, Charleston and in the
Navy Yard. The proposition was
submitted to the voters of Bremerton
and carried, including an issue of
bonds to pay for such entire system,
A suit was brought to test the
validity of the bond issue.
The Supreme Court held that the
bond issue was invalid, because under
the law BremeFton could mot acquire
a water system in Charleston.
The Legislature happened to be in
session at that time. 1t passed a
special act (Rem. Comp. Stat. Of
Wash. Sec. 952-95O4), containing this
provision:
"All cities and towns are hereby
authorized to purchase, own and con-
troll franchises and distributing sys-
TENS of water in other cities and
towns"
This law has been in force since
1917. Yet we have never heard of
any city attempting to invade another
city against its will and operate u
municipal water works system there
in.
There could be no possible motive
for any city doing so. 1t is not opera
ting its plant for profit, but for ser
vice. 1t is always ready to serve
its neighboring city if invited by its
people. No city in this section has
ever been known to have impressed
its sovereignty upon the rights Of
another city without its expressed
invitation.