The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-17
GRADE TAX CONTRACT
Interview With Lawyer Moore
on His Work.
AMOUNT STILL uNcoLLEcTED.
Labor snd Diaculty Attending Some 81
the Older Cases-susgsstions
e ths Council.

As the subject of collecting delinquent
grade taxes Is attracting considerable at
tention just now IL may be Of interest to
know what has been done under the con.
tract made by the old council with ]. T.
Ronald. He is now in i'll health and de-
sires to be released from his contract, but
recommended that it be continued with
Lawyers Moore and Relfe who were asso-
for some time borne the burden of the
work.
Mr.. Moore was asked by Posr-IsrELI-
GEScER reporter to relate the condition of
the delinquent districts.
Mr.. Ronald's contract, he replied, Gin
cludes the collection Of all street grade
taxes or assessments delinquent PRIOR to
January "a, 1890. These delinquinces date az
far back Is 1883, aud include about seventy
streets, that is, portions of streets graded
under about seventy different ordinances.
At the time Mr.. Ronald undertook the col
lection Of these taxes about seventy-tive
suits had been instituted for their collec-
ton. The first OF these was begun March
ortis In these cases were in the most chaotic
and confused state Imaginable. The
original papers had been taken from the
county clerks Office by the attorneys and
could not be found. The appearance
docket would show that certain orders had
been made by the court, but the journal
would fail to verify the same.
Through the courtesy of the lawyers on
the other side Of these cases, and by max
ing errand boys of ourselves and slaves of
our stenographers, we have managed to
get these cases in tolerably good shape,
and have succeeded in getting judgment
in not few of them. These cases were on
Mill, Jackson, Main, South Third, WASH
ington, Madison, South Fourth, Battery,
Jackson street extension and James
streets, all under the old grades. cannot
give you the exact number of these cases
disposed Of, as Mr.. Relic is conducting
them.
ION the other streets embraced in Mr..
Ronald's contract We have begun 2S5 suits,
dred and sixty-cight Of these suits are now
pending and are in different conditions.
A great many Of them are at issue and will
be disposed OF as soon as the council de-
cides whether or not they desire US to con-
tinue the work. Others are pending on
demurrers and motions.
The greatest difficulty we encounter is
the inability of the sheriff to make service
of summons on the defendants by reason
Of their being non-residents, or having no
fixed place of residence, although they may
live in the state. l apprehend that the
city council and the public generally do
not realize the amount of labor it requires
to look after $50 cases at once. Nor do
they understand the difficulties under
which we labor. We should have power
to settle or compromise case whenever,
upon q full investigation of the facts and
consideration of the law, we deem it adj
visable. We have not been authorized by
the city council I'd accept partial payments
on these taxes; but where poor man or
L. L. L.
such sums as they could save from their
weeks or months work we have issued
our personal receipt for the same and paid
it into the special fund on that street, thus
avoiding suit against them and the costs
thereof, which must necessarily fall SO
heavily upon their already heavily-bur.
dened shoulders
II am informed that the city council
has said that Mr.. Ronald has been negli-
gent in the collection of these taxes. If
they have said 80 they have done him an
injustice, and are the first of Mr.. Ronald's
clients to make the charge. Altogether
we have collected and paid into the treas
ury in round numbers $57, 500 after de-
which under his contract Mr.. Ronald is
entitled to.
"As to Mr.. Relfe and myself assuming
the collection Of these taxes have little to
say. Mr.. Ronald's physician informed
him several months since that he must
take q rest or, to use a slang expression,
pass in his checks In other words, Mr..
Ronald's health is such that he cannot
give his personal attention to these cases.
1--WE informed the city council that if
they thought Mr.. Ronald ought not to
turn this work back on the city at this
time, we would continue the cases for him
mot because we desire the Job, but
through friendship for Mr.. Ronald. If the
city council desires US to continue this
though we are not seeking the job. It in
terferes very seriously with our private
practice and is money out of our pockets"