The Price of Power: Citizens Take on the Electric Monopoly
Dr. J. F. Cropp leads a crusade against the Northwestern Gas and Electric company, armed with petitions and a list of rates from 27 other cities.
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That the patrons of the Northwestern Gas and Electric company in Walla Walla were compelled to pay exorbitant rates for gas and electricity was the contention of Dr. J. F. Cropp at the council meeting last night. He presented a monster petition bearing the signatures of nearly 600 people asking that a maximum rate for gas and electricity be fixed. He also provided facts and figures from 27 towns and cities of the northwest showing the rates charged elsewhere to be from 50 to 100 per cent less than what the local company was charging. Dr. Cropp argued that the Walla Walla hospital, of which he is president, was paying over $50 per month for 26 incandescent lights compared to much lower rates elsewhere. President Isaac Anderson of the Northwestern company responded by denying that rates had been raised and questioned the validity of the petition, claiming many signers were not even customers of the utility.
“To use a homely expression, the doctor was loaded for bear when he was given permission to address the council.”
Public battles over the cost and quality of private utilities are a timeless feature of Walla Walla civic life. This 1904 clash over gas and light costs mirrors modern debates about corporate accountability in essential services.
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