The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-13
CITY FINANCES NO NEED FOR
ALARM.

CITY FINANCES NO NEED FOR
ALARM.
very determined effort is being made
by parties who have an interest in pro-
noting public discomfort, to make an
alarm concerning the financial condition
of the city. The public is being told
daily that the city is heels over head in
debt, that it is squandering money at a
ruinous rate, that the expenses under the
new city charter are vastly beyond the
municipal resources, and that nothing
short of municipal revolution will
save us from bankruptcy, and train Of
collateral evils. The fact that the city
has very considerable outstanding debt
in the form of overdue tinle.checks and
and give credit to these alarming though
very absurd reports.
As matter of fact the financial condi-
ton of the city instead of being serious, as
is alleged, is in a general sense extremely
good, and there is not the slightest danger
of any financial crisis if the city shall
proceed, as it is in the way of doing, to
principles. 1t is not true that the city is
in debt to all extent that need
excite serious apprehension. 1t is
not true that large sums of
money, or any money, for that matter, is
being squandered or spent e1travagantly
or uselessly. 1t is not true that the cost of
the city government under the new char
ter is running away from its resources. In
short, the whole charge as it is presented
from day to day through the columns of
the Telegraph is false and absurd to the
last degree.
The cost of maintaining the city govern
ment is very much larger than formerly,
due to the expansion of the city and to
the necessity of more thorough and COM
prehensive government. We have now
two policemen where We had one
a year ago. We have now an
efficient fire department where be-
fore we had practically none at all.
The cost of creating and maintaining
the streets is vastly larger than it used to
be. Street lighting, formerly small item
of cost, is now a very large one. There are
more officers to be paid and more Office
rent to be paid for city uses than formerly.
| 1t is an unquestionable fact that the whole
| expense of municipal administration has
| increased in very large proportion--but so
also has the population, the business and
the property of Seattle increased. Some
what of the larger expense is due to thor
oughness and efficiency where formerly
81
In the main it is a natural, inevitable and
| entirely proper consequence of the recent
development of Seattle in population, in
volume of business and in property.
The great fire made an opportunity
| for Seattle 10 correct important errors in
| the original town plat. Streets were
widened, and new spaces opened for public
use at very large cost. Streets formerly
but little used were planked and made
| available for heavier traffic. Many miles of
new street have been opened. Sewers have
! been built in many new localities. The
/ city has become the owner of its own water
! system by purchase. From practically
nothing the fire department has been
amply provided with engines, appliances.
horses. and an efficient working organiza-
ton supplied in place of no organization
! at all. \ fire boat has been built and
| equipped and is now ready for service;
and If 1t were necessary many more i'm
! portant items of legitimate expenditure
| might be enumerated.
1t is unquestionably true (and nobody
/ knows this better than those who are now
/ trying TO make an alarm) that many of
| these things cost a great deal more than
they should. Until very recently Seattle
has suffered from an utterly rotten and
| corrupt government. Under the 'tOld
| System" for which so much admiration
is expressed in certain quaters, there
was practically no check upon the
license of very small but all-powerful
faction in the city government, and the re-
suit was that the city paid too much for
certain street supplies, too much for its fire
apparatus, too much for its fireboat. and
too much for many other things. All this.
not TO mention many other facts of uu-
nicipal procedure, was ACCOMPLISHED
| through combination of cunning. greed
! and dishonor permitted to riot without
check under no-system method of citv
! government.
| But it is useless now 10 bewail the mis-
takes of the past. They have cost the tax
/ payers of Seattle large amount of money.
But it is too late now TO correct them, and
there is nothing 10 be done but 10 suffer
the losses with the best grace possible, and
TO make use of the experience as lesson
for future guidance. Perhaps the most
important application of this lesson Just
now would be TO consider by whom and for
what purposes the present city government
Is being slandered, and by whom and for
what purposes is ii proposed that the new
scheme OF city governments should be
thrown over before il has had fair trial.
l The total outstanding Indebtedness Of