Tacoma Sues Water Company for $1 Million Over a Dry Promise

Data are being secured by the city officials upon which to base a suit for $1,000,000 damages against the Tacoma Light and Water Company and the stockholders thereof. The damages are to be asked on the claim that the water company guaranteed that there was a daily flow of [missing number] gallons of water at Patterson Springs, when in fact there were but 1,600,000 gallons in the daily flow of that spring. This, it is claimed, is about the only legal hold the city has upon the water company for misrepresentation in connection with the sale of the water plant to the city. All of this hindsight demonstration denunciatory of the water lot is but a sequence that might have been reached over a year ago when the Post-Intelligencer told the whole truth about the scheme to unload the water plant for twice what it was worth. In the meantime something is being done to secure a supply of pure mountain water for Tacoma. The basis of this damage suit, which the city will institute tomorrow, is the assertion that the water plant, costing nearly $1,000,000, was rendered practically worthless by the false representations of the company regarding Patterson's springs, and the failure to furnish an adequate supply there rendered the gravity system impossible. During the water campaign the Post-Intelligencer demonstrated that the gravity system could not be had, as represented by the water company and those paid to help manipulate the sale of the water plant. It is the intention of the legal department of the city to push the damage suit vigorously.