The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-24
STREET GRADE CASES
Judge Jacobs Views on Keep
ing the Records.
THE PROPOSED RE-AssEssmENr
New Evidence Found Which strength
ems the City's Position-The Plan
Adopted With New work.

The structures Of the Posr-IsTELLIGEScER on
the manner in which the records OF the city
nave been kept. before the present officers came
us are fully warranted" said Judge Jacobs yes
te.oay. "The case of South Twelfth street,
wnicn Is commented on. is only one of many.
fortunately, the omissions are not always of
so important character but that is the result
OF lucky accident.
III seems to me to be the duty of the city's le-
ga. adviser to see that the records kept in le
gsi shape. One of the first things that did sf-
.e. entering upon my office was TO see that the
city ofhcials understood their duty, so far as le
gh formalities were concerned. / have
required of the city clerk that
ne shall keep separate envelope
for every street grade. In this must be placed
tne petition, If there is one; followed in their
oroer by the joint resolution and proof of publi-
cation. Ibis ID very important because the
Charter provides that until proof of that publ
cation is made nothing further can be done.
linen comes the ordinance, with proof of publi-
cation. The assessment roll must then be
approved in joint session, of which due notice
ana proof OF publication must be given. There
Is also . minute kept in these envelopes of the
acton Of the city council at each stage.
II would not have blamed Clerk Miller much
II ne had failed to realize the importance of all
these formalities, or if they had not been car
ried out in legal FORM
10 you CONSIDER tnat former city attorneys
were derelct in falling to assure themselves that
the provisions of the old charter were complied
wiri?"
Il hardly know what was expected of the city
attorneys, and therefore cannot criticise their
actions / only know-and the taxpayers are
now fully aware OF it-that it is very unfortu-
nate there was not one man in the council or in
the city offices who took sufficient interest in
the citys affairs to that all these thinge were
done"
"Does the decision of the supreme court affect
the whole of South Twelfth street?'
mot necessarily; was unable to get the evil
dence required for the court in Wilson's case
because everything was in such utter confusion
and nobody seemed to know anything, but now
l have succeeded in getting much, If not all, of
the necessary evidence and the city has q very
much stronger case.
SIT has been a difficult task to get the records
into shape, but l think there is no doubt the
city will be able to hold its own in most of the
street grade cases.
"If the bill prepared for the last legislature
had passed, the city would have been spared
much litigation. 1t provided for a re-assessment
where the property-owners were dissatisfied
with any OF the proceedings. could not afford
to spend week or two in Olympia at my own
cost and the city authorities did not seem suff-
GENTLY interested to press the matter.
81 know that private letters were written to
members of the legislature urging them to see
to Its passage, but it allowed to drift off and
got lodged in a bank unnoticed."