Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-08

1 w aotAy ~ TOO A0uutit rO{ cdCI article
OF property % received
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
The improvement Of streets durinc
the past year has been CO rried TO the at
most verge Of safety. The premonitory
symptoms aud signs Of the coming rs-
action we're too faint and impereeptibls
70 check the irrepressibie spirit which
prompted the property holders to pe;i
ton the Cooncil for the grading and
| Improvement OF streets. In the light of
our present experience, of course. some
OF these improvements we're in adv ance
| OF the necessities OF the city and entailsd
= severe hardship upon adjacent prop
erty holders. / will not un.iersake in
this message to give full and detailed
statement as TO tie condition Of each
separate street Improvement during the
past year and the fand created 70 defrsy
tns expense All Of these facts fullv
appear ia the financial exhibit Of the
City Gle b hsreinbe fore referred To. The
length OF the street grades completed
oorln2 the past year amount q TO
4H,S1O feet or miles against ". 13y
feet or 43-l0 miles Of the presediuo
year and the length Of sidew 4Iks con-
structed last wear aggregated 20, 734 lin
cal feet or l34-lO miles, against 2.I03
feet or miles during the preceding
wear. At the close Of the last fiscal year
the aggregate OF all indeb.@dness of the
various special grade funds WAS ScO.-
ls9 30. Additional disbursements during
the present year In payment for im-
provrmsnts OF streets amounted Z,
S2A7ll 81, thus swelling the grand to-
tai to the SUN of 1884 9Dlsl. OF this
amount there has been paid into the CITY
treasury during the year of lo6, 227 20,
leaving balance in process of coiIec-
ton of S75. 1914 ~. Most of this sum is
nov due and PAYABLE, while a portion
Ut Is has been for some time delin
qnent. The City Attorney has nos
been very aggressive in his attempts
to enforce the tax lien against the prop
erty TO secure the payment of the tax
With considerable show Of reason, he
pleads the hardship in s,tre instances
OF compelling comparatively poor prop
erty holders to raise large sums Of
money in the general stringency of the
market, and in other cases he believes
that little lenlency will induce a vol
untary settlement of the tax.
The collection Of These taxes has been
TO me source of much anxiety and per
plsxity. | have covered With several
of the more prominent delinquents, and
they are willing TO paw at any time. if
Others will do the same. These gentle
men say that they object To pay their
full quota, and then have their
property taxed in addition, to pay de-
ficieney arising out of refusal of others
to pay. Il seems 10 me that their
scruples can be- readily avoided by
payment under protest. II the tax Is
for any reason illegal. il can be recover
ed back II paid uader protest. In any
rveut. something ought to be done. and
done vigorously, to determine the rights
aud Liabilities OF all parties concerned.
The Improvements have been made in
yearly ali instances on the petition of
the adjacent property holders. They
were made in good faith, by contractors
who we're the lowest bidders. No con-
plant il heard that there has been
fraud. corruption. or improper conduct
IN the execution OF the work. The own
ers of adjacent property have been ben
efitea In large excess OF the tax i'm
posed upon them. IL. in the multitude
Of public BUSINESS Performed by tue
Mayor and Common Council without
paw, some teohnicsl i,np-r ections or
slight omissions or irre9alArity not at
footing tue substantial rights OF the par
ties, has been inadvertently occasioned,
which has bern discovered by sogHe
LYNX eyed wver. 10 ought not to fur
nish a pretext TO evsde an honest debt
which rests Ia moral obligation. The
coatractors hA done the work, aud
thew ouRL TO have their pay. Iappsal
earnestly to all delinqurnls to pay what
they owe, and not subject themselves
and the city to tke annoyance and cost
of litigation. IL any of tbeD plead in
ability 10 pay At the present time. let
them acknowledge their liability. and
there will be no difficulty about the sx-
tension Of payment.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
During the past year the city has been
remarkably free from Epidemic dis
eases, and very few cities can be found
where the death rate averages as low "a
vt Seattle. DIR. T. l.. Smith, the Ell
Gent Health Offi5er. reports the total
number of deaths that have occurred at
lhs. aud estimating our population 1T
$500, this would give Us a death rate Of
AZ per thousand. IL must also be ~
memhered that our superior hospital &C
commodations attract TO this city many
vi
ing localities, and that deaths arising
fron that Cause ought not To be DON
sidered in fixing the death rate. Much
has been done during the psst year to
inaugurate q system OF general sewage
and drainage. Large. durable aud ctpa-
cious sewers have been constructed on
Washington. Mill and James streets,
and that district. which for the last 20
years has been the place of deposit for
all garbage and ofai, has at last been
penetrated by proper drain 10 .rry
beyond the reach OF danger the filth
and wastage that accumul ttes ia that
quarter.
recommend the passage of strin-
gent ordinance compelling all properly
owners adj ,cent TO the newly construct
ed sewers TO make connection With
proper house drains; and also providing
for the periodic Il flushing of these seq
ers, so that all impure mntter may be
removed beyond the retoh Of peril, an
that healthfui atmospnere may take
the place of the noxious oiors hereto
fore injecting that quarter or the city.
The work of constructing additional
sewers ought TO be vigorously continued
and prosecuted in other portions OF ths
CITY and wherever needed. One af tn
most importsnt functions Of mu
uicit,ai government Is % provide
for the health Of its iRh ,bitsnts.
that they may breathe fresh air, drink
pure water and eat wholesome fool.
asd be surrounded by the appearance OF
cleanliness and comfort. and no expen
diture within the boands OF reason
ought Co be considered burden II
these blessings are scared.
The City surveyor. ]. NJ. Sncw, EGG,
calls attention 20 the fact that the sew
age flowing westerly ACROSS Front street
IL fast becoming nuisance aud source
OF danger, discharged, a. 10 10. a. some
ak differext places between Mill and
Pine streets. He recommends. ~ the
most economical Az well a. the safest
p,al, 60 convey this sewage into th.
Mill street sewer, and thence by extend
ing the Mill street sewer % the euter
end Of Yesier's wharf, where 10 may be
discharged into the stron2 flowing tide
OF Ellioi,'s Bay and swept away. To 40
compsish this he recommends she con
structiou Of an egg shaped brick sewer
along Front street. from Pine 20 Mill.
with q systsw OF sfone-plpe SEWERS ex
tending easseriy through each " the
a