The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-10-28

is<s eozld have the assurance that
fhese hyn1s wuusd he TIE oniy ones
issued Il woz3d BE- a. sxxs<r mxf1kf.
Mary cities that hare piseed . large i
nmours 81 bonds hass got into an AZ
most hxnkrEp< condition
DO goa fzvpr the Ownership 81
uaterx6rks by she city
/ Meet assarediy do. ! don think
| Il imp<rxtivesy necessary q have that
eoudsflou of affairs noz. The existing
cempauz<s supply car needs vsr5 1
| fairly. Mary other things are more
reedfaf at present there are streets 20
| h. graded, . eisy police station and /
l Ixii, and cours bo1@e- In three o.
sour YEAR, time there vii be many
more 70 Consume pzter and CONS
quentiy . system. eou.d then probably
&c seifznstzining. There vii then os
more graded streets and think thst
from dis reason ssss cost II the plant
would h< esen less th4n now B,se1y.
I am IN fSvoy 81 city ownership Of the
| water system, bat under the e1reuM-
stances rot az present
l G. RI. Hanforx--I zsn in favor OF the
city having 3 sufficient supply Of the
beat water and an ssi<qusts system
have strong impression however,
| that the best water se viii ever get
viii be from Lake Washington and
that good system can Be pat IN Tor |
talking aboat. 1 do not think i sd-
yisafie 10 incur an Indebtedness OF
81 90 90 or more for water system |
uheu We need other improvements 20 |
badly.
W.T.. Hannon~r ana In favor Of
good water and good sewerage, but Les
us have thorough sewerage system
before ue undertake the water scheme
| would not favor incurring any such
a debt ~ il proposed for sach pur-
pose at this tine.
/ ". Y. Ledgerwood--I doubt the
propriety Of entering into such Q |
Gigantic scheme ~ this. with the heavy
Itaxes We have already TO pay. We
ought 70 and will have water works as
soon a. se can get ar0cnd 20 II, but
there are other crying needs 20 be |
supplied first. | think the city should |
not in the meantime grant 50 many |
franchises to water companies thst
when the time comes. when il viii be |
in shape 20 put in water system. the |
field viii Re thoroughly occupied and
the streets filed up With other |
mains.
| J. Furth-T dislike 70 say anything
on the question. as | ana interested In |
the company II present, regulating
the water supply, and my staterents
might possibly be considered biased |
by some Apart, however, from my
relations with the spring Hill Water |
Company. do not think the city Is |
4 - s.fa
TEN at present There are many
other needed reforms agitating the
minds OF citizens, among them sewer
age and street grading. The city will
also be called on shortly to consider |
the proposition OF macadamized |
streets, aud these and other improve |
ments may be considered more urgent |
than the new water supply.
| II. Hershberg. OF Hershherg &
Gel think the quality OF the water |
nov supplied decidedly requires inn |
provement. L. myself, have been for |
hidden 10 drink ii By medical author |
ity, and some steps should be taken 10 |
improve IL. I am ia favor OF tax
payers only voting on this matter. l
am anprepared to say whether the city |
should so 10 the expense at this time, |
IS have not had sufficient leisure to |
examine the question thoroughly. The |
step Il serious one and should be |
taken cautiously.
| Capt. G. Hopkins While / am in ia |
vor OF the city controlling its own water |
supply, and am DESTROYS OF seeing |
the city's needs properly met, | can
not but think that the burden which |
would be imposed would cause the city |
1 a. fnartw - - AZ the fIrFp
Many other improvements OF moro |
urgency are pressing upon us, and |
think action ought 20 be deferred I'M /
I'll the city gets tirrner on its legs.
| Mr.. u. Gatzert- While am connect
ed with the Spring Hill Water Conn
pany, ! am OF the opinion, wholly de- |
void OF personal interest, that it Is pre- |
mature for the city To take the project |
in hand now. Ii Is certain 10 cost |
more than 81 000.00 and say II only |
cost that amount. we have sewerage |
10 improve, streets To grade and city |
hall 10 build An increased taxation |
Ii bound 20 interfere with the city's |
growth more or less. Take. for in |
stance, firm coming in here to loan |
money where per cent. Is considered |
q good retnrn. II the taxes are per |
ecnt--and they are 3 per cent. now
such firm could not do business, but |
would be obliged to seek another field |
and so on with other pursuits that |
lcould be mentisned. Some may claim |
that the income derived from water |
rent and that saved on hydrants would |
pay the interest on the bonds, but |
they overlook very important fact |
New extensions will be continually |
maie-in fact must be made to meet |
the demand As the city grows, and |
this VIII consume most 81 the revenue
referred 20. Where, then, Is the in
terest TO come fromg IL must come |
from the pockets of the taxpayers.
Thos. W. Prosch--I think il mad |
visahle, particularly In view OF the |
large debt which the school district is |
contracting They will run the city In |
debt amounting to 500 900, aud the |
special road funds at least $50, 600 |
more. Now II you add 10 these debts |
another million We may, 10 draw Ii |
mildly. be very much embarrassed to
meet our interest account.
Prosecuting Attorney Ronald-As
an "usf hand opinion. | should say,
unhesitatingiy, that il would be very
unwise for the city 20 incur the debt
AT this time. shall oppose ii.
Mr.. J. Il. Mcnoagall, manager OF the |
house OF Toklas, Singerman & Co.
The city at present has an assessed |
valuation OF $iU.ooo. 600 in round num-
hers. and the taxes already paid on
this Is over "a per cent. let Us say,
however. that the percentage does not |
exceed = per cent, for the sake OF |
keeping figures below the minimum,
and The sum paid yearly by property |
holders in the city is $2oh.0no. Now
the question arises, Is the city able 10 |
place bonds for 81 so, 0oe-ihe esti- |
mated 81 10000 Is given in the city |
engineers report i sure TO swell To |
these igures-on the assessed vaius- |
ton OF city properly The interest |
on the bonds viii at the lowest amount |
10 10000 annually. and supposins /
only half the bonds arc issued 10 pro-
vide the necessary capital Tor conduct |
ing operations, IL will take two years |
20 complete the work. In the mean /
time $4,000 per year, or 500 COO in two
years, viii have been paid without /
any benefit being derived hy the city.
| Why set buy the Spring Hill com
panf's works, as we understand the /
charter gives the city the privilege Of /
4 y -.