Pierce County Tried to Block Olympia's Capitol — Seattle Pushed Back
As Pierce County legislators fought an appropriation for the new capitol at Olympia, Seattle's Chamber of Commerce urged the state to finish the building it had already begun.
The opposition to an appropriation for the construction of the new capitol at Olympia is unjust and unreasonable. The people of the state have decided that the capital shall be at Olympia. The site for the new building has been secured, and the state has already spent a large sum of money in constructing the foundation. Under these circumstances it is difficult to understand why there should be any disposition to delay the work. ... If the question of the location of the capital had not been definitely settled by the people, there might be some excuse for the effort made by representatives from Pierce county to defeat the appropriation. As it is, however, such an attempt under the thin disguise of a pretended desire to economize is neither wise nor timely. The resolution of the board of trustees of the Chamber of Commerce of Seattle, in session urging an appropriation for the speedy completion of the building, expresses the sentiment of the people of King county in this matter. It is to be hoped that no sectional jealousy will be permitted to defeat a measure so obviously just and necessary.
“It is to be hoped that no sectional jealousy will be permitted to defeat a measure so obviously just and necessary.”
The fight over Olympia's capitol shows that regional rivalry over state money is older than the Space Needle. King County and Pierce County still compete for attention and investment from the state, even as Olympia remains the seat of government.
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