The Water Works Scandal
Ex-superintendent W. E. Wilson fights back against corruption allegations and his former board.
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.
W. E. Wilson, the former superintendent of the Seattle Water Works, issued a sharp rebuttal to the Board of Public Works regarding accusations of a financial shortage. Wilson challenged the board to prove their claims, calling the members 'fellows' rather than gentlemen, and denied accusations regarding a rebate allowed to Junius Rochester. Rochester provided a letter in support of Wilson, clarifying that he never requested a rebate and had in fact been paying for water service on his private main. Wilson maintained that his accounts were entirely accurate and accused the board of conducting a smear campaign, asserting he was ready to face an audit at any time.
“For it would be a stigma to decent people to designate them as gentlemen.”
Public suspicion of city departments and the use of 'expert audits' as political ammunition remains a staple of Seattle municipal politics, mirroring current debates over transparency in city utility management.
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