The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-08-06

condition OF the city Will lie, 10 very
great extent, but 3 repetition # the
clear and quite full statement Of my
predecessor. From tina. report We find
tina. every fund authorized by the Ac,
( Of Incorporation is in debt as follows
City Fund. ..............sl6,4io Sc
Road Fund ........ 1915 81
Gas Light Fund ....... 1,le6 81
Fire Fund .......... 2,is6 66
Cemetery Fund. l2I %
Total. .......... I'll 800 =
1t will be seen from the above that
! the amount due the Cemetery Fund IS
| not inclnded 10 the summary of my
predecessor. for his aggregate WAS
| S2l,127 90 - the difference being
| 1927 %.
In addition TO the above the city
owes e. 533 "a on its steam engine.
one half Of which. with the interest on
the whole at nine per cent. per annum,
is due on the first day of January next.
The remainder. with interest, is due one
year from said time. This sum of
| &. 533 "a was not included in the
statement Of my predecessor, because,
| IS | suppose, not yet being due, it was
not debt. However that may be, it
i. certain it is no. only liability. but
Q fixed liability, and must be provided
for.
There 10. moreover, u contingent la
bility Of x706 % Oh the Commercial
street grade improvement. II the city
succeeds in its pending litigation, the
property holders whose property has
been benefited by said improvement
will be compelled to pay it; if unsuc-
cessful, in accordance with the prece-
dents established in such cases. the
city will assume its payment.
Again. an ordinance was passed on
the - day OF ---, A. D. 1877, al
lowing the holders of warrants drawn
or the assessments against the owners
of adjacent property for the grade and
improvement ON Marion. Madison and
Seneca streets to return them and to
receive in exchange therefor warrants
on the City Fund. The amount Of such
outstanding warrants, as near as can
learn, 10 about one hundred dollars
The exact amount is difficult to
ascertain. for part payment may have
been made on some of these Outstand-
ing warrants.
Such is O brief statement Of the in
debtedness and liabilities, fixed and
contingent, of this city.
The cath Section of the Act Of A. ID.
1875, amendatory Of the Charter Act
Of A. d. 1869. limited the indebtedness
of the city to ten thousand dollars.
Its language is, But the indebtedness
o.the city must never exceed in the
aggregate the sum Of ten thousand
dollars. and any debt or liability in
Cured in excess of ten thousand dollars
shall be invalid and void "
This section was amended in A. ID.
1877 so as to read as follows: But the
indebtedness of the city must never ex-
coed in the aggregate the sum of
twenty thousand dollars. and any debt
or liability incurred in excess of said
sum of twenty thousand dollars shall
be invalid and void; provided. that all
debts heretofore contracted by the city
shall be valid"
These limitations on the power of
the city government to contract debts
or TO incur liabilities were made in the
interest Of the taxpayer. and to check
the tendency so marked and seemingly
SO irresistible in modern times Oh the
part OF municipal corporations to
plunge deeper and still deeper into
debt. The indebtedness Of counties
and cities in the United States in A. d.
1870 was $525. 100000. The next
census will show it to be over billion
Of dollars. 1t will have doubled. AID
more, in ten years. The tendency is
alarming, and it must be checked by
the application Of the most rigid econo-
my in every department of municipal
government. The fixed liability of
this city on the 3Oth of June last was
not less than twenty -four thousand
dollars. This is an enormous load for
the tax payers Of this city to carry, and
to meet the current expenses of the
city. Times are hard. money is scarce,
the volume Of business is shrinking,
property deprecisting. and the ability
Of the taxpayer to respond is less than
heretofore; and hence the delinquent
list is growing larger year by year.
Every fund authorized by the City
Charter is in debt Let it he our first
and paramount duty to pay our debts.
Keep the expenditures clearly within
the revenue in every department.
Create - large a surplus as possible in
the city or general fund for the pay
ment Of interest and general indebted.
ness. Cut down the salaries of officers
when they are too large. and decrease
their number If now too great Fear.
lessly. yet intelligently. examine this
subject, and act accordingly.
There may be danger of an increase
Of expenditure based upon the increase
Of the general fund by the addition
thereto Of the saloon and billiard
licenses after the lst Of January next
Bat . moments reflection will show
that the increase from that source for
the present year will be but small
The fiscal year commences on the Is,
Of July and ends On the Both Of Juue.
Tho County Commissioner, meet in
February. April, August and Novem
Der. Licenses are granted for six. nine
and twelve months. The county will
issue licenses at its August and No,
vember terms. Those licenses may bs
for year. The city cannot license
until those issued 10y the county ey pire
The aggregate Of sill the saloon and
billiard licenses Of the city is not ovel