The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1943-01-21
.PUD Turns Down
Offer to Submit
Suit to Vote
Story says resolution
got 'scant consideration
by other 2 members

-
A resolution to submit the propo-
sition of immediate condemnation
proceedings against the PP85L prop
critics in Benton county to a vote
of the people, was "given scant con-
sideration" at recent meeting of
the PUD directors held in Kenne-
wick Guy Story, local member of
the board, who presented the, reso-
luton, has given the following in
terview concerning the situation:
"Thes controversy in question is
not a question of public versus pri-
vate power operation, but rather
a question of methods and timing.
The public distribution of Bon
neville-Coulee power is as newt
able as public distribution of irri-
cation water by irrigation districts.
The successful operation of either
project depends primarily upon
securing dollar of needed value
for each dollar expended. Some
of the irrigation districts in this
county have had considerable ex-
perience with a loose fiscal policy,
many farmers having been forced
off their farms until the inevitable
adjustment came and the indebted
ness settled on the basis of 25-3Oc
on the dollar. s ls..-
!"As an example Of condemnation
by public utilities is the case of
Okanogan county, which has been
cited by some as a favorable award,
in which the court gave a verdict
of over a million dollars more than
the value placed upon the property
by the utility. It does not take an
engineer to see what a similar
award in Benton, county would
mean. ~
mo doubt the trainers had this
in mind when the grange pledged
On sponsoring the formation of a.
utility district here that the county
would not be obligated to any ex-
tent without referring it directly to
the people,
"a resolution enbodying this idea
and providing for submitting the
question of immediate condemns
ton to the voters of the county and
presented to the Benton County
PUD board at their last meeting,
where it received scant considera-
ton. The majority of the board
cited the fact that the State Grange
was very much in favor of immedi-
ate condemnation and pledged
themselves, without equivocation,
that they would stop at once all con-
demnation proceedings if the State
Grange said it was not advisable
to continue.
) 'This nation has lost thousands of
her best citizens and untold suffer-
ing for other thousands and is fac
ing the loss of other thousands,
practically every citizen doing all
or more than they are called upon,
to successfully prosecute a war that
has, for one of its basic theories,
Government only through the con-
sent of the governed >-.. |
Benton county has a duly con-
stituted municipal corporation in it's
PUD and is utterly disregarding
the expressed wishes of 80 percent
of its power users of the county
Burton report) and is pledging to
carry out the wishes of an outside
agency.
"The grange was founded on prin-
ciples as high or higher than any
in the country and has
always subscribed to the theory of
rule, so it would seem
hat the excuse of the PUD is
.ather an alfbi to sell the farmers
If Benon county q bill of goods.
However, since the State Grange
las been brought into the contro-
'ersy, it would seem in order for it to
ldvise the Benton PUD to carry
Tut truly democratic process and
ubnit to the people most concerned
he question of immediate con-
the amount to be spent
o carry out the proceedings, the
'verall amount the district was will
ng to pay for the properties and
he source of the funds and the
ate of interest, these being of
to all power users in
he county"