Aberdeen Herald

HOQUIAM FIGHTS
WATER DISTRICT

Mayor McKee Files Suit in
Superior Court to Stop Call-
ing Special Election

MONTESANO, Jan. 18.-Suit was commenced in the Superior Court Saturday by Attorney E. A. Philbrick to restrain the county commissioners of Chehalis county from calling an election on the question of creating a water district as demanded in the petition filed with the commission. The suit was brought in the name of Mayor J. S. McKee of Hoquiam in the capacity of a private citizen.

A restraining order was issued by Judge Mason Irwin, which will debar the commissioners from taking any action until the matter is heard next Friday, as to whether or not a temporary injunction shall be granted. If this is secured a date for argument for a permanent injunction will be fixed.

The action is based on three different grounds, one being unconstitutionality of the law governing establishing water districts in that it infringes the principle of self-government. It is also contended the petition did not have sufficient signatures, as called for under the act. A third contention is the certificate of the county auditor to the county commissioners is defective, inasmuch as that official did not personally examine the signatures of the petition and also made an incorrect estimate of the number of qualified electors in the district.