Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-07-07

its appraised vaius, vhsehse suoh Iands
are within or without The city limits
wAx1 suYYLY AND RuxA
The absence Of an sdsquats vatsr
supply for al necsssaxy purposes has
been very detrimental 70 our city
Water ID needed NOT only for domestic
and manufacturina purposes, bat for
corporate PURPOSES, such - the proven
ton and extinction of dres, flushing of
sewers and sprinkiinQ Of streets From
time 70 time the City Council has grant
- 70 applicants di6srsot franehiees
gcAntina the use ee strsses an4 allsys
foe TIE 1eyine q sase pipsa 1syood
= Limited s sopesy sos 5000 &c. .sp asposss
Nth the exception Of The SPRING Hill
understand, has axpsndsd Q large
Amount Of money 70 secure 1t An sa1iy
day the introduction Of IN abundant
supply Of frsah water into the city. The
operation Of the Fire Department, With
is present apparatus and Appliances for
extinauishinQ 0res, II not only e1pen-
sivs, bat In seesoas u drouth like the
present ous II totally inadequate 20
give the necessary proseotjon. The resi-
dsnse pJFti0n OF the city u practically
helpless against the YavaQeo Of IRE.
CnlsM . Large amount OF money 10
expended for additional apparatus and
the boilding It ci<terns In many payts
Of the city, this evil cannot be remedIed-
lt would b much preferable to place n
convenient cornsrs in all portions OF
the city hydrano 70 Be- fed with the
proposed supply Of the SprinR Hill
Water Company, II reasonable forms
could be made with the company. This
woald dispsuss 70 . great extent with
the large current Expenditure OF the
Fire Department, and give a. abundant
protection. The best plan undoubtedly
would be for the city 20 construct and
maintain its own wafer works; but leQls-
Iative restrictions place it beyond the
power of the city 70 incur the indebted.
moss which sooh an improvement would
ueoessitate.
AEvrsIoa OF THE GRADES OF STREETS.
The present established grade Of
streets 10 unsatisfactory TO many OF our
citizens. Some complaints against it
are undoubtedly veil founded. Con-
siderstions Of Temporary expediency
without regard to permanent Necessity
probably Induced in many instances its
adoption. While change OF grade in
streets already improved il Of doubtful
propriety. there ought 70 b q thorough
scrutiny of all others, with such amend
ments as will secure convenience, aoces-
sibility and beauty for our thorough
fares With the least possible expense 70
the abutting pr0psietOrs. Especially
are these defects noticeable In the lower
L - MIL A-I H.AA - AvSA
ON Commercial street. The grade at
An elevation of several fest will not
only secure good sewerage and dry
basomeuts, but will materially lessen
the stsepness Of the grade l,ading to
second street. The prOpriet0rs of the
| Leary block have initiated this change,
and others are conforming TO it. be-
lieve the city ought to o0uraRe0usly face
damages, before The erection of more
| renders this Improvement too expensive
and impracticable.
- AMENDMENTS TO CITY cHARTRR.
The present city charter is constructed
| in many respects on tho narrow gage
principle. Ii answered the purpose
very veil at the time of its adoption, but
when We realize that We are suddenly
emerging from q country town to a
large, thrifty commercial and manufac-
turing city. We ought not to be ham
pered by legislative restrictions and the
want Of ample means to carry on i'm
portaut corporate undertakings in aid
Of tho new order Of things. l shall not
| undertake to point out in desail what
| particular amendments are necessary to
| suit the present wants. An extension
of our city limits both north and south
seems also joss measure, 20 that equal
burdens may be put upon th0ee who
share all the benefits OF our corporate
| existence. To accomplish these pur-
poses, / suggest that the present or in
coming council appoint q committee Of
three competent persons 70 consider
| and submit to the next Legislature,
which convenes in October, such
| amendments as are necessary to supply
all defects IN the present charter.
TAI DELINQUENCY AND TTs COLLECTION.
Quite an amount of taxes due the city
are delinquent and remain in process OF
collection. In some cases tax sales
have been made and the city has be-
come the purchaser and no redemption
having been made deeds were executed
to the city for the lots, on which the
taxes were levied. These lots are q
| in number and all OF them are valuable.
A particular description OF them Il con-
tanned in the appendix to this message.
Il remains for you TO say vhether the
city will take steps TO test the validity
Of the tax proceedings attending the
sais Of these lots and the efficiency of
| its titles. In this connection l would
suggest that no valid reason 10 apparent
Why the County Treasurer should b en-
trusted With the COLLECTION OF delinquent
CITY taxes, wien the city has it, own
ofI3csrs, chosen BY the su6rages OF its
0Wn citizens, or its representative Who
control their acts and prescribe their
duties.
c0DrYIcArIoN OF ORDINANCES.
During the present year there have
been paced and approved one hundred
and thirteen ordinances, numbering
from Nos. rs 70 eos. Some Of these
are purely private and local n their ma
ture, which by Lapse OF time have be-
come obsolete and imperative, while
others are general and permanent and
concern all the inhabitants Of the city.
such are Published in the odicial news
paper, which ut BEST only affords i'm
perfect means Of preservation and 40.
osss. The last c0didcAtion, Published
in 1880, ended wish ordinance No. 20.
while tbs latest number u 406. While
in the theory Of the Law everybody 10
couclusivsly presumed - know the law,
I hold Il 70 b. the duty Of the Govern.
mens to furnish ready and eonvsnient
means 10 acquire suoh knowledge. !
Therefore recommend Q Nsw compilation
and publication In pamphlet form, nm
der the Supervision Of skilled person,
Of all operative ordinances up 70 date at
the expense Of the city.
Lx0ETA0 TIE sTl18Ts.
The sum Of ta6D.50 has bssu paid
during the past fiscal year for gas in
lighting the streets in addition for at
tendance on lights, the purchase and
setting Of lamp posts and repairs. BY.
an ordinance passed within few weeks
the gas limits we're ounaiderably ex-
tended. After mature consideration I
feel sasisded that made . mistake in
approving this ordinance without ex-
acting guarantee that the gas supply
would b introduced to all portions Of
the extended limits, % that all tax-pay