The City Waterworks Scandal
Tacoma citizens call out a grand jury for failing to investigate alleged bribery in the million-dollar city waterworks purchase.
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.
Tacoma, Feb. 11—Whitewash may be the final act in the $1,000,000 city waterworks steal. But if the county grand jury does apply the whitewash brush, it will not be because it has not information showing bribery in connection with the deal. Those who know the most about the water loot do not hesitate to say that no man could favor it on its merits. It is, no doubt, too low a figure to say that $100,000 was spent in bribing the bribable into silence or securing their assistance, inasmuch as the sum of $10,000 was tendered to one councilman. Bribery has become so chronic in City Hall circles that there are those who show signs of losing all faith in humanity.
“Bribery has become so chronic in City Hall circles that there are those who show signs of losing all faith in humanity.”
Public suspicion of the influence of money on local infrastructure projects remains a persistent feature of Washington politics. In 1894, the distrust was directed at the purchase of a private waterworks system; today, debates over public-private partnerships and the influence of developers often echo these same concerns about civic corruption.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.