The War for Tacoma's Power Monopoly
Local businesses and consumers caught in the crossfire as Stone & Webster attempt to squash independent power competition.
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.
The Times calls attention to attempts being made by the so-called Tacoma Industrial company to force the Snoqualmie Power company out of the electrical field. The electric octopus known under various names on Puget Sound, such as the Seattle Electric company, the Tacoma Industrial company, etc., is trying to secure an absolute monopoly of supplying light and power in this region. It has been persistently fighting Mr. Charles Baker and his associates since the day that Baker undertook to start an independent electrical plant at Snoqualmie Falls. It has followed up its throttling tactics by attacking Baker's White River Power company. The Stone & Webster clique of Boston, which is behind these assaults on Baker, wants a monopoly. The interests of the public will be best subserved by keeping both Baker and the Stone & Webster people in business. Competition means lower prices for electricity.
“The electric octopus known under various names on Puget Sound is trying to secure an absolute monopoly.”
Early 20th-century utility consolidations mirror modern-day concerns regarding local control versus large corporate conglomerates. The struggle to prevent a single entity from controlling essential infrastructure remains a cornerstone of Tacoma’s civic identity.
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