The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-01-12

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borrowed from the ncighbors,
qucnched the fire.
Think of this the next time the
motorized equipment from the sta
ton at Ninth and A goes looming
up the hill at 40 miles an hour.
The city council. after having
been forced by the Law and Order
League and other groups to tight
en- up on gambling and liquor con-
troll. had another problem in the
shape of an application for a
liquor license for building in
which the chief of police was in
terested. The council finally took
the position that 1t might be en-
barrassing TO the chief If there
were any complaints against the
place and the license was refused.
just what that city council of so
years ago would have done in the
case of member of the police
force owning stock in a joint or
ganized to beat the state liquor
law, is a matter of conjecture.
Another controversial mat
ter about this time was the
alleged laxity of public Off
Gals In controlling an epidemic
Of smallpox, an epidemic In
which there was some parallel
with the mess In which the
county commissioner are now
involved over the Pierce coun-
~ hospital. As the news
papers finally dragged the
story from official closets, IL
appeared that the council In
the first place had neglected
to provide even the most ele-
mcntary machinery for con-
serving the health of the city.
When the smallpox epidemic APP
peared. more thought seems to
have been given to how the matter
would affect certain groups and
individuals than TO the rights OF
the citizens as whole. There was
some Understanding and not a
little side-door politics involved.
Before the matter was settled in
the public interest there was a
good deal of backing and filling.
Some of the officials were put in
the position of County Commits
sioner Melton. who. when he dis
covered that the Central Labor
Council was opposed to the action
he had taken in regard to a head
of the county hospital, did tele-
graphic about face, to which it is
said that his collie ague, Mr.
Sehlarb, did not object, also being
mindful of public opinion.
All of which raises the same
questions that were involved in
public health matters 80 years ago
If the gentlemen who engineered
the deal were right in the first
instance, they must be wrong now
II they were wrong in the first
instance and took snap Judgment
on a matter of such vital interest
to the community. what guarantee
is there that they will not be
wrong on other matters of public
interest? Officials of so years
ago had to answer the same
questions.
Good news was Brought to
Tacoma by W. {. Garrctsou,
of Garretson, Woodruff &
Pratt, who had just arrived
from New York to take charge
of the firms drygoods house
In Tacoma, now the Peoples
Store. In 20 years business
association In New York. said
Mr.. Garretson, he never heard
of q new western city receiv-
ing so much favorable news
paper comment rs Tacoma.
He predicted that other New
York firms would come to
Tacoma.
Fifty years ago Tacoma was
seeking the location of the pro-
posed Puget Sound navy yard or
Commencement bay. A commits
sion 10 locate the yard was being
wined and dined in Seattle. Mayo,
Henry Drum appointed the follow.
ing prominent Tacoma citizens tC
see the commission and point cut
the advantages of Commencement
bay: Isaac w. Anderson. Col c
W. Griggs. Allen C. Mason. George
Brown. Hugh Wallace, j. H. Nit
chell. Jr., Theodore Hosmer anC
Samuel Wilkeson. The committe,
tried hard enough but owing e
the fact that we had Democratic
leanings and the national admins
tration had just gone Republican
we lost it. Fifty years after the
commission turned the cold shout
der 10 Tacoma, we have 10 all in
tents and purposes accomplished
the original objective with tn,
Narrows bridge. which virtual,
makes the Puget Sound navy yart
at Bremerton q next door neighbol
to our Fort Lewis.