Tacoma’s Mayor Calls the Public Works Board a Political Machine
At a council investigation into the suspended light and water superintendent, Mayor Orr accused the public works president of running the department as a patronage operation—and talk turned to impeachment.
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, July 18.—[Special.]—Mayor Orr furnished the sensation at today's session of the council's investigation into charges of dishonesty preferred by President Demorest, of the board of public works, against George H. Hollidge, the newly appointed and suspended superintendent of the light and water department. Mayor Orr stated that Demorest was running the board of public works as a political machine, and that any anti-Hanson man, so he was informed, could not secure work under the president of the board. The mayor gave evidence of being full of facts and figures, but he was not pressed to give his information in detail. Hollidge's attorneys attempted to show that the charges were brought against Hollidge simply to kill him off as superintendent of the light and water plants. One of the affidavit makers who charged Hollidge with dishonesty made a weak showing, frequently contradicting himself. The investigation will be continued at 10 a.m. Saturday. A proposition is being considered to follow up the Hollidge investigation by an attempt to impeach the board of public works.
“Mayor Orr stated that Demorest was running the board of public works as a political machine, and that any anti-Hanson man, so he was informed, could not secure work under the president of the board.”
Tacoma’s 1894 fight over the light and water department was a classic patronage battle: elected officials, appointees, and investigators accusing one another of using public jobs as political currency. The language of the 'political machine' and impeachment still sounds familiar in local fights over public utilities, hiring, and who controls city hall.
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