Seattle’s Sewers and the City Hall Purge
Mayor Ronald removes two public works board members following an eight-day inquiry into municipal corruption and wasted funds.
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.
Mayor Ronald has confirmed the verdict passed by public opinion. He finds that Jesse Cochran and J. M. Wolfe, the Democratic members of the board of public works, have been guilty of incompetence, negligence and willful disregard of the public interest. He orders them removed and has temporarily filled the vacancies by the appointment of R. H. Calligan and Andrew Jackson. The mayor’s decision, based upon charges after a patient hearing extending over eight days and upon sworn testimony, admits a condition of affairs which leaves no doubt that the money voted by the people for the construction of sewers has been wantonly wasted. The result fully justifies the demand that an inquiry should be had, and it proves the fears of the public to have been well founded. The outcome is not pleasing, but it is better that the worst should be known. The Democratic party has once more demonstrated that it is not fit to be intrusted with the management of municipal affairs.
“The outcome is not pleasing, but it is better that the worst should be known.”
Public oversight of major infrastructure spending has remained a flashpoint in Seattle politics for over a century. The scandal echoes modern frustrations regarding transparency in city projects, where questions of competence and fiscal management often collide with political party loyalty.
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