The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-07-09

Indebtedness reduced -. 1921 46
The Law makes it my duty ct this
time 20 make such suggestions q may
deem necessary TO promote the best In
terssts of the city. / desire to he AS
brief and as practicable - possible.
lst I advise that the Office Of Chief
Of Police. 80 it now exists, DO abolished.
or in other words. that there be a. now
two policemen. and that one Of them be
designated e. Chief; that his salary be
rot more than ninety dollars per mouth.
The city is not able to pay twelve hun.
dred dollars per year for the services of
this officer. Who only Performs day
duties. which may - we'll Do performed
BY the constsbIes of the city. and Who
are perfectly willing to perform them
for the fees allowed ty Law.
I'd. ! recommend the abolition of the
office Of Street Commissioner, as the
office nov exists. There is No necessity
for the constant employment of man
at the wages now paid. Work on the
streets ought to be done mostly in the
spring; some repairing might be ione
in the fall. The city gets no compen.
sstory benefit from working petty Of
tenders. They do not work and are
we'll fed. And hence. for this reason.
there is no necessity for the constant
employment Of hard at high wages.
He puts in his time experimenting the
lazy aud reluctant operations Of the
petty thief. or in urging forward the
diseased and demorSlized victims OF
squaw brothels. In niue cases out of
ten there is no necessity for the work
thus done. Six months at most is the
time this officer should be paid by the
city.
81. This city. if it ever gets out Of
debt. must change in the most radical
manner its mode OF doing business. No
business man would be trusted by the
people for any length of time whose
expenditures were greater than his in
come. The bankruptcy and ruin of
such man 10 inevitable. The princi.
pie 10 just az true when applied to COR
porstions - to individuals. There 10
but one safe way or mode Of appropri-
atine the public money! way sane.
toned and sanctifsd by all legisla-
tive bodies As the only fit and proper
way-and that is by first ascertaining
about what the amount of particular
fund will be, and then sppropriating
such amount % may be deemed necss-
sary for the purpose for which the fund
was created. This amount should DO
drawn on by warrants. When this
amount 10 expended the work should
stop. Nothing but the most overwhelm-
ing necessity should ever be an excuse
for gong beyond the amount appropri-
sted. There ought to be severe penal
laws applicable alike to mayor and
council, and all the officers Of the cor.
poration, Furnishing anyone contracting
debts or occurring liabilities beyond
the amount thus appropriated.
4th. A certain per cent. Of each fund
yearly ought to 10 set aside - sink
ing fund. to reduce the hitherto con.
stsntly increasing indebtedness OF the
city. Now. know the difficulty OF
enforcing this rule. know that it re.
Quires moral courage to do it. But nm
less it 10 done Indebtedness will increase
from year to year. The taxpayers ought
70 demand that it be done. Their only
safety 10 IN its enforcement. There can
le no compliance with Law without it.
The city 10 il debt now between four
and Eve thousand dollars beyond the
charter limits. Every debt it now
creatss. and every liability it now in
ours. 10 absolutely fnvsliJ.
There 10 ever tendency on the psft
of thess embryo cltiss 70 70 too fast
The demands ars slWsys ssut Of 81
proportion to the means Of perfor
nance. and the chief virtue Of . coua-
Gilman Il the dispositioas OF ability 10
say Ne. His duty 10 to guard the in
tsrssts Of the public and net ths intsr-
ssts Of individuals. only 90 far - such
interests are guarded BY the full pro-
lection of tbs public interest.
congratulate you. gentlemen. on
the fact that You have called halt on
the creation Of debts. The sbowing IL
not - satisfactory - wish it was in
the reduction Of the indebtedness Of
the CITY. II. however. your successors
but follow you, example the debt will,
IN process Of time. be paid Cd: but its
reduction ought 10 be more rapid than
that shown BY our administration.
O. JACOBS.
Mayor.