The Power Grab at the Board of Public Works
Mayor J.T. Ronald demands the resignation of two Republican board members, setting off a political firestorm involving allegations of corruption, insurance kickbacks, and administrative negligence.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
For several weeks, Democratic managers have been scheming to gain control of the Seattle Board of Public Works. Mayor J.T. Ronald has been attempting to force the resignation of the two Republican members, Major W.V. Rinehart and George H. Heilbron. Both have refused, citing the charter’s intent that the board remain independent of political influence. On Monday, the mayor formally requested their resignations, but both declined. Following their refusal, the mayor served them with official citations charging them with misfeasance and malfeasance in office. The charges against Heilbron involve alleged conflicts of interest regarding insurance policies for city pumping stations, as well as neglect of duty in managing the tunnel construction and street pipe laying. Charges against Major Rinehart include similar insurance conflicts and the allegation that he profited by purchasing city warrants from laborers at a discount. Both men deny the accusations, with Heilbron asserting he has no personal financial stake in the companies named, and Rinehart dismissing the insurance commissions as trivial and the warrant transactions as simple accommodations to assist city laborers waiting for payment.
“I should be lacking in what I conceive to be my duty should I consent to be a party to a plain and palpable violation of the spirit of the charter under which this city is governed.”
This 1892 power struggle over the Board of Public Works reflects a recurring theme in Seattle politics: the tension between an executive administration seeking to consolidate power and the independent boards designed to insulate city operations from partisan patronage.
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