Tacoma Council Refuses Wright’s $100,000 Water Bond
A standoff between the city and a private contractor over water bonds and 'raids' on piping infrastructure.
The city sinking fund commission had another meeting yesterday in connection with the matter of the C.R. Wright water bonds. Isaac W. Anderson, Mr. Wright's local agent, with power to act, was present. Mr. Anderson pressed for the approval of Mr. Wright's bond for $100,000, a personal bond given in the original water purchase to secure the city against mortgages. The council has refused to approve it, fueling an ongoing dispute. Anderson has threatened to 'smash' the mayor and the board of public works unless Wright is given his rights, and vowed to make no further payments on water extension bonds until the matter is settled. The commission proposed to approve the bond only if Wright provided a bill of sale for property seized in the 'gas house raid' and 'gas pipe raid,' where $28,000 worth of piping was secured. Anderson refused, asserting the city has no claim to those materials. The council remains firm that the seized goods belong to the people, setting the stage for a showdown at Saturday's council meeting.
“Mr. Anderson announced in unmistakable terms his intention to smash the mayor and board of public works unless the long-suffering Mr. Wright were not given his full rights.”
This 1893 battle over the privatization of water infrastructure and municipal 'raids' on private contractors mirrors modern-day debates over public-private partnerships, utility sovereignty, and the recurring friction between private developers and city regulators in the Pacific Northwest.
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