The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-02-17
Home Rule Cities Fight
State Light Rate Control

Continued From Page One)
has a man on the Job In our city
and in all others all the time. snd
he has fun access 70 all our books
and records.
Regulation Is only needed IN
order to protect the public. and
there is no public demand for this
bill.
Public utility rates are low
voluntarily so. and probably will
go lower.
Would up" Rates
Until cities begin TO take un-
fair or improper advantage of
their power customers. no such
bill as this should ever pass.
But II you want TO see NUM-
cipal rates forced up to the level
of private utility rates. then pass
this bill.
"As matter of fact. suspect
certain interests are supporting it
with that very hope and aim in
mind" Carothers concluded.
Councilman James Scavotto.
chairman OF the utilities COM
mittee of Seattle city council. said
the bill would wreck public owner
ship.
He disclosed the measure was
aimed al vicious practice" in
Seattle. where both public and pri-
vate systems allow large power
users to resell power at retail and
pocket the profits.
That's bad" he said. and we
know it, but We can correct the
situation without state regulation.
city plants now are under
elected public officials. They
are not operated for private
profit. We need more Of this
sort of home rule, not less.
Don't tie us up so we can't
operate our own utilities.
which we have created and
buiided."
Seattle Councilman John Carroll
spoke for the Association of Wash
ington Cities The cities are a
unit in opposition to it, he de-
clsred.
McCutcheon Protests
John T. McCutcheon appeared
for Steilacoom city. Peninsula
Power e. Light Co. Gig Harbor)
and certain mutual companies in
Pierce county.
I'VE do not" ne said. want our
purchasing arrangements with
Tacoma City Light regulated by
the state.
Had this proposal been law
during the past 80 years, there
would have been no public
ownership or low rates in this
state,
In the portions of Pierce coun-
~ where Tacoma City Light and
r. S. p 4 L. Co. compete we want
no enforced rate equaliza ton. We
know that would mean higher
rates
I'VE positively do not want the
unholy hands of the state public
service commission dabbling in our
affairs"
Grange Leader Heard
Puyallup's pioneer public owner
ship advocate, Fred J. Chamber
lain, representing the State
Grange, declared:
This measure represents new
effort to kill Oft public plants.
You legislators, believe me, are
taking a great risk, when you
attempt to block the wishes of the
people in this way"
Sen. Duggan, in defense of his
bill, charged that Seattle City
Light had refused to cooperate
with the state department. He
cited instances in which he said
certain individuals in Seattle were
big profits" in retailing
power to apartment house and
building tenants.
I've no quarrel" he said. with
public utilities not in competitive
fields"
Schaaf ON Defensive
Ferd Schaaf, director of the
state department. described his
bureaus inability to clear up the
Seattle situation. Regulation is
needed in Seattle" he said.
And logic demands" he went
on. that all public utilities. or
none. must be supervised by the
state"
In equslizing rates, wouldn't
you force up the public plant
c h argos McCutcheon asked
Schaaf.
No" replied the latter, I'D
never have the nerve, II anything,
we'd force them down"
Schaaf cited Wisconsin and
other states in which. he said. all
systems, public and private. are
under state control.
However" he said, ~ ad-
init. the result might depend,
10 some extent, on the person
mel of your state commission.
They could he helpful or
otherwise"
Have you received any COM
plants from Tacoma power con.
sumers >" Verne Kent, Tacoma
city light superintendent, asked
Schaaf.
We have received q few COM
plants about alleged discrimina-
tion,' the director answered.
However. nowhere but in Seattle
does the picture We want to erase
Exist"
Why Punish All
why should the rest OF us be
punished because of Seattle >" Nc
Cutcheon demanded-but got no
-eply.
Numerous other state commune
les sent written protests or wit
1esses against the bill.
Only Lawyer Joe Cheney of
q kif,,o -