Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1933-05-18
City Not Subject
To Regulations

-
Will tthe so-called Bone Billf passed
by the last legislature taxpayers OH
the Island, rs well rs In all other parts
Of the state, are signing the petitions
calling for d referendum. 1t will re-
quire 10000 signatures to secure for
the taxpayers the opportunity to vote
on this question at the next general
election, November 1884. 1t will be re-
called that six years ago when this
same power bill was put up to the
vote of the citizens of Washington 1t
was turned down by large majority.
In the face of this fact the legislature,
ignoring the verdict of the people,
passed the bill.
Some few have failed to sign the
petition because they do not under
stand the bill" In signing the petit
ton one merely expresses a desire that
this bill be again presented for the
approval or rejection of the voters Of
the state.
The power bill under discussion will,
If it becomes law, give to cities the
right to go into the power business
outside of corporate limits. Not by
honest competition, but by condemns
alton and seizure of property belong
ing to private companies. These COM
panies are now paying taxes, helping
with the operation of our schools,
county and city affairs, roads, port,
etc., etc. When the property Is taken
over by city, now in the power busi-
ness, this property Is at once removed
from the tax rolls. In the city Of
Seattle property exempt from taxes
amounts to s228,64O,00O and of that
amount s73,o00,000 is property exemp-
ton on street railway, water, light and
power departments Not one cent of
real estate taxes is being paid into the
city or county on these millions of
dollars worth of property. *
The privately owned company repre-
senting the investments of thousands
of small stockholders is at the present
time paying l-48 of the gross taxes
OF the county, or approximately $1,000
per day. Taxes which we, the small
tax payers, such as Island residents
represent will have to have added to
the amount we will have to pay If
this property is absorbed by the city.
Municipality owned utilities pay no
taxes. The state government has no
power of regulation over cities, there
fore cannot force them to give service,
or regulate the rates which they
choose to charge consumers.
Privately owned companies are sub
ject to the regulation of the state.
Private companies also pay taxes that
we would otherwise have to pay. They
also must obtain franchises to operate.
If the power bill becomes a law
cities now in the power business with
out so much as by your leave" can
take over territory. Remove it from
the tax rolls, charge their own price,
and the city giving the service will
pocket the profit.
The rottenneSs of politics should
show the danger of our utilities get
ting into the hands of politicians.
And If by means of our signatures We
can gain added time for conditions to
get back to normal; to keep the help
of the taxes now being paid by pri-
vate companies helping us to carry
our overwhelming burden are we not
doing the least possible for self preser-
walton?
Did You Ever Think About This?
That if the power bill goes into eff
feet that there is little likelihood that
the Island would be annexed by either
Tacoma or Seattle?
Consider the miles of lines in pro-
portion to the number of patrons. The
company operating here is not yet re-
reiving returns on the original invest
ment. They pioneered this territory
for the same unsentimental reasons
that our grocers, garage men, coal
dealers, feed companies, printers, and
whatnot pioneered it-because they
saw in the territory the possibilities
of future profit.
If the power bill goes into effect and
we are ignored by Tacoma and Seattle,
the company now serving us will not
be forced to give us service at loss.
with the larger towns they are now
serving gone--and 1t is the avowed
purpose of these larger cities to annex
them-can we hope to receive electric
ey at the present rate?
Think it over. Use just ordinary
reasoning. vashon Island is, as we
see it, at the present time between the
devil and the deep blue sea. And also
as we see 1t our best bet, from every
angle, is to add our signature to the
petitions asking for a chance to vote
on the question again.
There is a petition in every precinct.
It is the duty Of every taxpayer to
think carefully before refusing to sign
The petitions must be in Seattle by
May 25th.
"This old world we're Twin in, is
mighty hard to beat; we get thorn