Tacoma's $750,000 Railroad Bait—and the Utility Deal That Fell Apart

The amorphous and scheduleless water and electric light plant purchase ordinance, which was hurried through the city council Saturday night and quickly signed by the mayor, is dead.

Indeed, this scheduleless ordinance was so rotten that it could not even bear to the supreme court the questions to be settled in the test case, and which are set forth by Mr. Buell, attorney for Edmund Seymour, as follows:

First—Section 9 of the ordinance provides that the ballots of election shall submit the "proposition," while the act of authorization provides that the ordinance itself must be submitted.

Second—The water and lighting plants to be purchased should be specified by a description of sufficient particularity so that the taxpayer, without going to other sources than the ordinance itself, will be apprised substantially of the property for the purchase of which his money is sought to be appropriated.

Third—The act of authorization contemplates that there shall be two distinct propositions embodied in the ordinance: First, the question of the ratification of the system and plant proposed to be acquired; and, second, the question of assent to the creation of indebtedness. The voter is entitled to two votes, one to ratify or reject the system and the other to assent to or dissent from the indebtedness, depending on what changes have been made by this legislature.

Fourth—The act does not authorize a purchase in that the title does not express that purpose.

Mr. Buell says: "With the exception of Seattle, I do not believe that any town or city in this state has succeeded in placing its bonds under the present statutes. Seattle had the supreme court bolster up its purchase and it went through. The statute in the title fails to set forth the contents of the body of it. The title provides for the construction of the water and light plants, etc., while the body of it provides for the purchase of the same. It is a question if the court will stretch the point and allow a purchase under this statute. The bonds cannot be sold until this is decided. Another question is whether the ordinance for the purchase should be submitted to the people separately with another providing the price and giving the schedule of what is to be purchased."

Mr. Seymour says: "This question is of vital interest throughout the state. Walla Walla, Colfax, Montesano, Sprague, North Yakima and New Whatcom are all interested. It is useless to go ahead and prepare to sell bonds and have the bond buyers turn them down. New Whatcom is in the same fix that Tacoma is, or would be, if it had voted to buy the plant. There is a question as to the construction of our statutes that ought to be settled. When this city gets out a new ordinance for the purchase of the plant, we will renew our suit on the questions above stated."

A new ordinance may come before the city council Saturday night, and in the meantime it is likely that C. B. Wright may express himself as to what he will do about building another railroad into Tacoma. If he will only talk railroad, Tacomans will not haggle about a $750,000 bonus. Tacoma wants another railroad and wants it real badly.

Besides agreeing to devote his attention to secure another railroad, Mr. Wright is expected to follow the example of other millionaires in endowing institutions of learning by giving $100,000 to Washington College, of this city, within a few weeks.