Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-05-12

each ordinance, debt of s4O, 900, or an
aggregate debt of sS0,DO0. Under the act
of the legislature entitled "An act to
authorize cities and towns to borrow
money for municipal purposes and to
issue negotiable bonds therefor" the law
distinctly provides that whenever the
council OF any such city or town shall
deem it advisable that such city or
town shall, for strictly munich
pal purposes, f,Sate an Indebtedness, =
the council shall provide therefor by
ordinance" But io,vvsrins noney and
issaing nesutiabAf honds therefor is an entirely
distinct and separate proposition, that
throughout the act is never placed in
the conjunctive, but always in the alferna-
tive: that is, the law says of those cities
contemplating a0ryv'ofng money on negotiable
binds: Whenever the council of any
snch city or town shall, for
strictly municipal purposes, borrow
money and issue its negotiable bonds
therefor, the council shall pro-
vide therefor by ordinance" Or, the
exact words o. the part of the section
here referred 10 are: ''Whenever the
council OF any such city or town shall
deem it advisable that such city or town
OF which they are such officers shall, for
strictly municipal purposes, create an in
litbst'rsss or h'yvv10 mety and issue its neso.ia-
Ne ha,fds therefor in an amount which.
taken together with the existing indebt-
edness of such city or town, exceeds the
amount specified in the preceding section,
the council shall provide therefor by
ordinance. which ordinance shall state
TIE amount of sheh Indebtedness 50 desired to b.
created, or TIE amosfnt of money so desired 10 Ae
dnv0sred. AS THE CASE MAY BE, and the
same shall be submitted for the ratifica
ton or rejection 20 the qualified electors
ct such city or town at special election"
There is no doubt that under section 8,
of ordinance No. 20, and all OF ordinance
No. IS, should they by any possibility
hold, it would be the duty OF the council
to run the city in debt to the amount of
$50, 900 aggregate. The wording of the
law is: ''Sec. 4. If three-tifths of the
legal ballots cast on said question at in-
curing sneA Indebtedness I've in favor of
Indebtedness, yes,' the council OF such
city or town nsMsf incur suci. Indebtedness
in due and legal 10 M if three -ffths of
the legal ballots cast on said question of
issaing bonds be in favor of Bonds, yes,'
said city or town shall be deemed to be
authorized to borrow the amount of
money SO voted for, and issue its negotia-
bic bonds therefor, and it shall ie tie duty
OF the council of such city or town
so to do" The people do not. We think,
want debt of $4,000, including out
standing Indebtedness.
The law further requires that the ordi-
nance providing for the issuing of bonds
be printed on the back Of the bonds. The
question naturally arises, which ordi-
nance, under the present condition of
affairs, will be printed on the back of the
bonds, ordinance No. IS, purporting to
authorize the creation of az, Indebtedness, or
ordinance No. rs, providing for 6o,7vsp1ng
nsan<y and iss1ans negotiable binds therefor?
Evidently the matter WAS not well con-
sidered before taking action, and the
people have right to ask the council to
pause before going further.
In the meanwhile. the council can be
enforcing the collection of delinquent
assessments.