The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-19
THE CITY'S AFFAIRS.
Legal Proceedings Unwise In
Some Street Grade Cases.
CITY TAXES ARE NOW PAYABLE.
Excellent Arrangements Contemplated
by the Board of Public Works
to Facilitate Business.

Taxpayers who are delaying to pay their
taxes, expecting to get in on the eleventh
hour and avoid the penalty on delinquent
taxes, are likely to be disappointed unless
they come in soon. OF the 1894 900 taxes
TO be collected by March 1, only about $780,
600 have been paid thus far. There only
remains about six weeks until March 1,
when taxes become delinquent. There are
but three books in the city treasurer's Of
fee, and only one clerk can work on a
book at a time. IL takes about fifteen MIN
utes TO make receipt, so it can be seen
that there are physical limitations to the
number that can be accommodated in the
time that remains. The books are now
idle much of the time and taxpayers can
be waited on promptly, but as March L
approaches they will have to stand in line
for hours if they are able to get their re-
ceipts at all.
AUDITING BILLS.
The board of aldermen, through Mr..
Frank Pontius, one of the most astute
members of the upper house, has con-
spicuously commended itself to the APP
proyal of the public by its action upon
certain accounts for which an appropria-
ton was asked 1t seems unfortunate
expenses which would be of great advan-
tage to the city and rushes though enorm-
Gus bills after very periunctory examina-
ton.
Ii is not so much a matter of conse-
nuence whether the bills objected &c by
Mr.. Pontius are allowable or not, but it is
of great importance that they shall be
properly audited. Mr.. Pontlus' objection
that many of the bills had not been
audited by the department upon whose
account they were incurred, Is the main
point. Hitherto it has been nobody's
business to attend to this.
1t should be the duty of the comptrol-
ler's office or of the board ofpublic works.
There is no reason why, under the excel
lent provisions of the charter, there should
not be as thorough an audit of the city
bills as there is in railroad Office, where
the accounts are even more complicated.
The trouble is that there is too much
routine for the insufficient clerical force !;
not too much for safety.
When the departments have cleared off
the mass of extraordinary work through
accumulated business the systematic audit
ing of accounts can be insured without
difficulty.
COLLECTING GRADE TAXES.
The attention of the council will have
to be directed to the necessity of doing
something about the collection of street
grade taxes. Time is slipping by and
nothing is being done. Several members
of the council have the notion that legal
proceedings are necessary. In some cases
they will be; in others they will be not
only unjust but unwise. What is needed
is authority by the city treasurer to deal
with delinquents as business men would
do. A lady called at the treasurer's office
a short time ago and with tears in her eyes
begged for an extension of time without
being sued Her little home is all she
has. She has been assessed $500 or
$500 for Improvements, but she
is quite unable to pay all at once. She
runs clearinghouse, and can pay from
$50 to $50 a month. but is in constant
dread of legal proceedings. If accounts
were opened by the treasurer thousands of
dollars would be paid in a very short
time. There are many delinquents situated
much as she is, and it would be almost in
famous TO pile upon them the costs OF legal
proceedings in addition TO penalty of
per cent. and interest at 10 per cent.
In other cases the assessments are flag
rantly unjust and inequitable These the
city treasurer should be empowered to
adjust, subject To tue approval of the coun-
ell, and these taxes could then be collected
without trouble. If the members of the
council would devote one hour to the con-
sideration of this subject they would insure
relieve many oppressed taxpayers, and
earn the lasting approval OF the public.
wATERwoEKs ACCOUNTS.
Superintendent Chalk hsa inaugurated a
most praiseworthy system. His depart
ment, based upon the practice of COM
nonsense business principle. is the only
thoroughly organized department of the
city government. He is opening COM
plete set OF books for construction work,
and the taxpayers will now for the first
time be able 10 ascertain just what the
work costs, what money is received and
what amount becomes due at any time.
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
The board of public works is gradually
adopting an excellent system as it has
grasped the work of the department. The
commissioners become committees of one
each, to whom are usually delegated special
lines OF duty. Major Rinehart. for in
stance. attends specially to electric light
ing; Mr.. Cochrane inquiries into the mer-
its of general petitions, and Mr.. Hebron
looks after street work and the water svs-
TEN. The present arrangement as to daily
meetings, at which all matters are dis
cussed, Will probably be modined after a
time, and special days set apart for certain
lines of work, so that all the heads of sub
ordinate departments need not be
or three hours. 1t was good enough ar
rangement until the new system had be-
come regulated, but it is not necessary
now To have the superintendent of water
works, city engineer, superintendent of
streets, superintendent of sewers and
superintendent of public buildings absent
from their posts from 5 till o'clock every
day IN order to.attend the meetings OF the
board. The probability is that street work
Will be considered one day. sewers an
other. water supply another and so on.
In cases of emergency instructions will be
| given the secretary (who. by the way, is
maniieSting exceptional ntneSs for his re-
Sponsible position) To deliver to the de-
partnent heads when they report at the
office each morning for directions.
The method of bookkeeping by the
board of works is weIl-nigh perfected. II
had been started, but the ordinance Gre
atnE the board purchasing agent for the
city has neceSsitatrd more elaborate svs-
TEN. II the task of auditing all bills is re-
quired OF the hoard, additional clerical
help viii be absolutely necessary
Suspected Thieves.
James Carroll ana Thomas Hand were