The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-10-25

LTITzH AlEAEIEs II A@@az - -
tzbl.shed orser & things re-
ceived quite : lolt y TIE election
q hat radical Bone 70 ne
STATE legislature from district
known for years for it -reEa-
larstv.- What made The at
particularly severe Vas that Re
xzzs elected - = Fsrmsr-Laeor
candidate
In that session q the lexisla-
tare Bone started On Ms pro-
gran designed 70 remove the re-
strickions On municipalities CD
Grating hydro-electrie plants
selling the surplus current 70
ether communities Sc stroag
vas the opposition. however.
that il took II years 10 get the
legislation through
TIE chief objection Vas that
once given the power. municipal
tiles. particularly Tacoma AID
Seattle. with their cheap power.
would gobhle up fss market and
the private power companies
representing investments Of a
great many stockholders. voulc
Be forced from the field
But nothing like that hap
pened. Neither Tacoma nor
Seattle rushed into the power
business Time after time petit
lions asking for service were
refused. Only the other day
the Tacoma city commission
ss< asked - art N . petition
from the lakes district that
had bern pigeon-holed for .
year or more.
All this time Homer Bone was
becoming more Of \ crusader
and establishing a strong state
wide acquaintance. BY the time
1892 and the depression arrived
he had become the '-indis-
pensable man" At least that's
what he would have been called
II there had been one Of the 1880
model political press agents at
large then
Seeking the nomination for
United States senator on the
Democatic ticket. ne made the
power issue statewide. Old line
political managers tore their
hair. II was outrageous. Homer
Bone was unfit TO represent the
state Of Washington in the Unit
ed States senate. Who did he
think he was, anywsy-this up
start Fsrmer-Lsborite7
What he thought about him
self didn't make 80 much diff
ference-if was what the peo-
pie thought that counted. and
what they thought was ex-
pressed In the primaries In
September, 1881.
Senator Bones opponent for the
nomination on the Democratic
ticket in 1892 Was Steve Chadwick,
now seeking the same office as q
Republican. He advised all good
Democrats to bolt the ticket as a
rebuke to the party for nominating
Bone.
What the people thought
was expressed again In the
general election In November.
The unusual career of Homer
Bone was climaxed by his
election to the United States
senate He IL serving his sec
ond term. and the way IL looks
now he can stay there n long
rs he wants the Job.
The public power issue Is still
his dish. He is the father of the
bill introduced. in the United
States senate TO establish the
Columbia River Administration.
The bill gives the administration
authority for the Indignation
and coordination" Of the cleo
tricsl facilities Of Grand Coulee
and Bonneville, and to sell the
product to public bodies or Co
operatives:
The government, says Senator
Bone. doesn't want anything 10
do with the retailing Of the
product Of Grand Coulee and
Bonneville. What the govern
ment is interested In il dispos-
ing Of the product at wholesale
though agencies that viii give
the people the greatest benefit
Senator Bone has taken on the
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