Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1933-05-04
PETITIONS ARE IN SEVERAL COM
MUNITIEs ON THE ISLAND FOR
YOUR SIGNATURE--LET us ALL
SIGN AND PREVENT HIGHER
TAXES.

each precinct for the signatures o,
those favoring Referendum No. IS
providing for vote on the socalled
Bone Power Bill which is.
"An act authorizing cities and towns
to use, sell and dispose OF electric
energy inside and outside their cor
porate limits; to acquire, construct
own, control, operate and maintain
lands, easements, franchises, distribu-
ton systems, sub-stations, inter-tie or
transmission lines or other connections
to enable 1t to use, purchase, sell and
dispose OF electric energy, inside or
outside Its corporate limits, with right
to condemn certain classes of private
power systems or parts thereof, fran
chises or other private property, and
reserving to such cities and towns all
powers under existing laws"
This referendum is being undertaken
by the Taxpayers Relief Committee
with headquarters in Everett. It is
significant to note that Headquarters
Of this movement to prevent Seattle
and Tacoma from shifting still more
OF their sky-high taxes to the rest of
the state, is in Snohomish county,
Snol'omish, Skagit and Whatcom
counties have suffered particularly be-
cause of Seattle's municipal power
plant going into those counties and
taking large amounts of property off
the tax rolls. The same thing hap-
pened In Mason county when Tacoma's
municipality power plant took SO
much property off Mason county tax
rolls that the schools were seriously
crippled in that county.
In theory public ownership of util-
tiles sounds fine. The cheap power
rates of Tacoma have been advertised
all over the nation, but the fact that
that city's taxes are so high as to
be practically prohibitive is seldom
mentioned. Seattle has sent million
after millions of dollars into power
system that is now clamoring for still
another 10 million dollar loan. These
millions are going to have to be paid
one Of these days and it is not sur
prising that these cities are grasping
for more territory to help pay the bills
as they fall due.
And in picking their territory Seattle
and Tacoma will merely skim the
cream worrying little about the terri
tory with the small number of voters.
The dishonesty of politics is one of
the crying shames of America today.
We neither expect nor receive honesty
IN political matters. The employee
OF privately owned business is asked,
How can you deliver the goods most
effectively" The question asked when
a utility is in politics is, How many
votes can you and your family and
friends deliver on election day?" In
the operation Of our county affairs we
have had ample opportunity to make
observations OF the high cost of politi-
cal management.
Vashon-Maury Island would not be
a particularly inviting field for either
Tacoma or Seattle. And in case the
Bone Power Bill becomes effective we
have no assurance of service such as
We are now receiving. 1t is o certainty
hat the present company serving us
Gould not afford to serve small out
ying territories If crowded out of the
arger cities without charging o much
higher rate than at present.
1t will be recalled that the voters Of
he state turned down the Bone Bill
~ two to one vote several years ago.
The Island returned four to one
'ote on the bill, but to increase the
took Of Homer T. Bone an inexperi-
need legislature passed bill that the
'oters had pronounced unsound busi-
less. Conditions have rot changed
which would make public ownership
VI utilities any better bet now than
hen.
1t is urged that every Island voter,
md particularly the taxpayers give
his matter careful consideration and
vhen convinced Of the danger of the
Bone Power Bill sign the petition in
heir own precinct.
Information as to the location of
petitions in the various Island pre-
'incts may be obtained by calling Red
III, this office.