The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-02
THE CITY'S AFFAIRS.
Actual Additional Cost I'm
posed by the Charter.
WHERE THE INCREASE COMES
Comparison Of Past with Proposed Ex.
pense-Tscoma's Payroil-Meet-
inss to BE Held Today.

ssThere has been an outcry raised against
the freebolders' charter on account OF the
great additional expense it is alleged to
have brought upon the city," said Judge
Orange Jacobs yesterday. who as Chairman
of the charter commission, is familiar with
its provisions There is an apparent
plausibility about this allegation that has
no foundation in fact. II you will examine
the matter you will find that the cost OF
governing the city under the freehoiders
charter is mainly caused by necessities.
which forced the adoption OF scheme OF
municipal government to meet them. AS
an illustration. under the new charter the
engineers department of the government
will not cost the city over $500
year. Under the old system 1t
cost from $4,000 to $4,000 year.
The engineering expenses were struggled
through into the charges for local street
improvements. and they we're simply enor-
nous. Under the new charter the city pays
for these engineering expenses, and they
are made openly and above board. Every
body can see what they amount to and
what they are for. They are now 10 be
paid for out OF the general fund, and are
subject to public auditing.
1.-The increase in the police department
was very necessary, in order to preserve
order. peace and the rights of property in
the city. This increase would have been
Just as necessary under the old charter as
under the new.
1.-The increase of expense in the fire de-
partment. too would have been just as i'm
perative IL the old charter had been con-
tinued. The public clamor was as just and
prudent as it was emphatic.
1T Is true that there has been an in
crease in salaries and in the creation OF
new offices, but if these additional officers
created by the freeholders charter
promptly and efficiently discharge their
duties, the saving TO the CITY will be much
greater than any increase and the expense
resulting from their additional salaries.
Heretofore, everything has been per-
mitted TO run at loose ends. The object
of the charter was to bring about an ad-
ministration of the city's affairs on business
principles. II it succeeds in doing so, it
will have succeeded in saving consider
ably larger sum OF money to the city from
year to year than the cost will amount to.
THE want of prompt action on the part
of the law officers OF the city government,
$250,000, and judgments are almost daily
being recorded against the city for the
want OF proper diligence on their part as
well as Of the officers charged with enforce
ment of the collection of assessments
for local improvements. The officers whose
duty it was to collect these taxes have, I
presume. good excuse for not doing so,
and some justification is found In the alb
If he eonk
mains that the city is today responsible for
over quarter of million OF dollars which
is included in its stated Indebtedness, aris-
ing, first, from reckless policy of street
improvements often on the petition of in
terested parties, who were the first to refuse
to pay assessments arising therefrom; and,
second, from the order of the city council
ordering these street Improvements
when the cost Of the same
would amount to from 20 to 60 per cent. of
the value of the property in the district to
be improved. The new city government
proposes to stop this rec kless extravaganza
in improvements. and IL the city council
acts wisely it will never order the improve
ment of any street In the city where the
cost will amount to over 20 per cent. of the
value OF the property within the district to
be improved.
This is simply my opinion of policy
and expediency of the action to be adopted
by the council. In my judgment, to i'm
prove street where the assessment for
such improvement would be 60 per cent. of
the property to be improved, simply
amounts to confscation, and no city coun-
Gil ought to authorize it,"
The city's current expenses is a topic of
general interest and as every taxpayer
will be called upon to contribute his pro-
portion, the necessity for each increase and
its extent is closely criticised.
The past shortage of income will be pro.
vided for by the proposed bond issue, but
there are still left the two sources of fur
Their liability caused by current expenses
and by delinquency on street assessments.
As TO the latter, Comptroller Ferris is of
opinion that the city should not lose more
than $4,000 or $4,000. represented by i'm
provements made so far back that the plea
set mp by property owners that 'due dill
gence" had not been observed might be
successfully maintained.
Ii is an onerous task to attempt to dis
criminate between expenses due TO the
charter and 10 necessities existing indie
pendent of it, and entails laborlous investi-
CATION OF back accounts, but an approx
mate calculation can be made. 1t will be
convenient TO divide the current expenses
into two parts, one showing those claimed
to be necessary under any charter, and
those apparently the direct result OF the
one now operating. The authorities used
as reference are the estimate made by the
comptroller and submitted 10 the council
November 70, and the annual report of
Mayor Moran to May so, 1890. The comp
trolier divides the salary roll into four
parts for convenience. and those will be
followed in the ensuing comparison.
The estimate OF the salaries for the fire
department. is S9s.72o.
Last year the salaries were according To
the ire chiefs report: Volunteer de.
partment (June i TO October 20, 1891
Chief. Si2l.5o: engineer, $685.. 50; drivers.
SliSi.SS; extra service. Sl3674I; total.
s40566i. Paid department October 26 TO
May SO 1890 inciusivel-Chief, $9i5. so; as,
sistant, $3.50: engine No. /, S. 90. .0s :engine
No. ., IS, 500. IS; engine No. 5. Sl3s. IS; en-.
CINE No. 4, 81 SS0S5; hook and ladder.
$S59o7S; chemical. 81 57s04: superinten-
tea; Are alarms, (hve monIh>) Sl00; IN aster
riechanlc Tone monthly SIS; total, SIG.
10. This gives q grand total of So. :
sl77s.
AT the same rate OF pay for the paid de-
partmen' the expenses for twelve months
would have been s41.3i0. 10 which NAV be
added the fireboai crew. $4,000. To this
must be added another hook and ladder
company, $3.50, a. together So. 40 leaving
al estimated increase of SSS 451. 1t is for