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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 5 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 7 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 2 |
| 1887 | 3 |
| 1888 | 3 |
| 1889 | 15 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 9 |
| 1893 | 23 |
| 1894 | 13 |
| 1895 | 17 |
| 1898 | 2 |
| 1899 | 5 |
| 1900 | 2 |
| 1903 | 8 |
| 1904 | 4 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 2 |
| 1909 | 2 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
| 1915 | 1 |
| 1916 | 9 |
| 1917 | 13 |
| 1918 | 2 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 2 |
163 stories matching shortag
- Hop Shortage Promises Record Prices for Farmers
A disappointing harvest in Western Washington valley regions leads growers to expect a massive spike in market prices.
- The $1,500 Hole in Clallam County's Books
A second look at Clallam County's accounts turned up altered figures, a $1,500 shortage and bondsmen who refused to keep paying. The treasurer was arrested.
- The Railroad Land Agent Who Embezzled for Ten Years and Chose Suicide
A Northern Pacific land agent's decade-long scheme to skim payments on timber and farm contracts unravels into a $350,000 shortage — and a bullet.
- Ballard’s Ex-Treasurer Takes the Stand Over a Missing $500
John Keane blames a tax collector who failed to turn over receipts, as the city of Ballard tries to recover an alleged shortage from its former treasurer.
- The Postmaster's Shortage
A former Marysville postmaster is given two weeks to reconcile embezzled funds or face a lengthy prison sentence.
- Street Work Stalls as Tacoma Runs Out of Horses
While city contractors scramble for sewer work, a curious equine shortage has brought local street grading to a complete standstill.
- The War on Rot: Kennewick's Fruit Crisis
As WWI labor shortages threaten the local harvest, an editorial demands federal intervention to preserve the region's fruit.
- The Shortage Scandal: County Officials Missing Funds
A wave of missing funds across Washington Territory has exposed several deputies and treasurers as they slip away, leaving empty accounts in their wake.
- The Trusted Deputy and the Missing $900
Island County's longtime deputy treasurer is found short in his accounts; his old chief quietly makes the county whole.
- Postmaster Arrested for Embezzlement in Bright
Marion E. Jackson, the postmaster of the small community of Bright, has been charged with embezzling nearly $700 from government funds to support his ailing family.
- Hanford Postmaster Fired After Audit Reveals Shortage
A postal inspection in Hanford leads to the sudden removal of M. W. Gross and the appointment of a successor.
- The Water Works Cash Scandal
A former water superintendent admits to using bill funds to cover mysterious cash shortages, triggering an explosive office row.
- The Treasurer's Escaped Liability
A landmark state supreme court decision saves King County bondsmen from paying for a massive treasury shortage.
- A $100,000 Hole in the Railroad's Land Books
Northern Pacific's land accounts were being audited in Tacoma amid rumors that the late land agent left a six-figure shortage—and a second company's books were under scrutiny.
- The Great Crew Shortage of 1887
Facing a labor scarcity and rising costs, Seattle ship owners considered an radical, cost-cutting plan to import crews from the East Coast.
- The Patriotic Duty of the Pig
With the nation facing a severe meat shortage during the Great War, local agricultural officials pushed Benton County farmers to increase hog production, framing the effort as a vital sacrifice for soldiers.
- The Great Wheat Heist
Spokane elevator manager S.F. Sherman and aide E.C. Loveridge were arrested for stealing 27,290 bushels of wheat.
- The Union Treasurer Who Caught a Ship
Thomas Pentory left a letter admitting he was short in the books, then sailed for Britain. Tacoma wired Port Townsend to take him off the vessel.
- Seattle’s Missing $5,500: A Treasurer, a Fire, and a Quiet Committee Settlement
Ex-City Treasurer W. L. Ames’s accounts were short. His bondsmen admitted it and the finance committee looked for a settlement—no prosecution, just a deal.
- The City's $13,650 Hole in the North End Bank
A judge ruled that the bondsmen who covered Seattle's deposits in the failed North End Bank can step into the city's shoes and pursue the bank's assets.
- The Fruit Growers' Dilemma
Federal promises to prioritize fruit shipments during WWI don't solve the long-term transportation and infrastructure crisis facing Kennewick's orchardists.
- The Great Seattle Housing Shortage: Why Immigrants Are Skipping Town
Despite a slowdown in new construction compared to last year, the city is facing a critical shortage of boarding houses and homes. Officials warn that without immediate building, the next wave of immigrants will bypass Seattle for other cities.
- The Price of a Cold Spring
Unseasonable weather caused Kennewick’s strawberry harvest to fall short of demand, costing local growers thousands in lost revenue.
- Embezzlement Scandal Rocks Spokane Insurance Firm
The secretary of the Washington Farmers’ Industrial Insurance Company is accused of missing funds and chaotic bookkeeping.
- Fruit Industry Faces Tensions as Labor Organization Mobilizes
Farmers and business leaders urge the governor to curb I.W.W. activity as agricultural workers demand an eight-hour day and higher wages.