The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-14
THE MAYORS VETO.
His Objections to New Saloon
Limit Ordinance.
ONLY ONE SALOON IN ADIsTRlcT
Council Invited to New Westminster
Tho Fire Commission.

All the members were present ae the
meeting of the house of delegates last
night Mayor Ronald's veto of the ordi-
nance extending the saloon limits was
read and ordered spread At large on the
journal. It is as follows:
herewith return without my approval house
OF delegates bill No %, entitled IAN ordinance
governing the trafic In intoxicating ana matt
liquor within the city OF Seattle"
My objections to this ordinance are entirely
upon the ground Of wisdom and policy.
This is the FIRST time that have presumed to
question the wisdom Of the combined Judgment
OF the council concerning q matter OF policy
alone, and / do 1t now with the greatest reluc-
lance and only after being admontsheo by
member OF the council that BY reason OF my
having more time for investigation and better
opportunities for learning the true and exact
status and conditions existing concerning
measure, 1t was therefore my duty to act Win
the greatest caution and wisdom possible.
With this view of the matter and to the end
that the right thing may be done "with justice
towards all and malice towards none" nave
devoted much time to . thorough canvass OF
the subject matter and feel constrained, there
fore, to disapprove the ordinance and lay the
facts which acsuate me before the counsel, with
the reminder that II the council, in their wis.,
dom. shall conceive that wrong 10 being done by
this department II II yet within your power to
prevent IL by declaring the same TO be law not
with standing my disapprovaL.
This ordinance. among other things, attempts
TO extend the limits within which the sale Of
liquors may be permitted in the city. The
ordinance now in force limits the sale to strip
seventy-ive feet wide along the south side of
Pike street. This ordinance proposes 10 extend
these limits by commencing at point seventy.
five feet south of Pike and seventy-fvs
feet east Of Third street, running thence
sou;herly, on . line parallel with Third streets
and seventy-fvs feet essterly thsrefrom, to q
point sixty feet south of Union street, thence
westerly on line parallel with Union street
and sixty feet southerly therefrom to Third
street, thence northerly on Third street to Union
street, thence westerly on Union street to Sec
ond street. thence southeriy on Second street.
etc.
1t will DO seen that the limits as proposed to
be extended include no property south OF Union
street excepting . tract seventy-fve T5) feet
facing on Union street and sixty Toy feet facing
on Third street. This is evidently for the pur-
pose OF permitting the sale OF intoxicating
liquors in what il known a. the Plummer
house These lines also cut into said Plummer
house, because said building extends 10 feet on
Union street and 120 feet on Third street. be-
lieve that it is unwise to permit any farther
encroachment of the liquor limits upon Third
street. 1t 10 one of the finest avenues in our
city. The lack OF such places for driving or for
promenading or for pleasure is sorely feltin our
city. This street Is fronted on both aides with
some Of our handsomest and most costly resi-
dences, the homes OF many OF our heaviest tax.
payers 1t 10 pre-eminsntly what might be
called ''the church street" Of the city. On It
are situated Eve churches. Along this thor.
oughfare must necessarily travel the bulk OF
the congregations attending church each Sun.
dav tha h.el D~AN tnh, Div.
mouth church, the First Presbyterian church,
the First Methodist church and the Catholic
church. From actual count by the police
department. 5i6 adult women and 237 children
passed this corner between the hours Of 1890
and O'Clock Sunday, the 18th inst.
Since this ordinance has been in my hands,
more than 5000 OF our citizens have either di.
recty or indirectly and through messages and
resolutions protested most earnestly against
this extension, while only four persons have
asked for its approval, three of these being in.
terested, ana the fourth an attorney employed
to represent said parties.
The traffic In intoxicating liquor 10 recognized
to be OF such nature that, unlike other COM
mcrcisl business, permit or license must DO
obtained from legal authority before IL can be
carried on. 1t should not, therefore, when
ayoidable, be permitted to encr0ach upon the
area OF residences or even OF other commercial
business. We all recognize the necessary and
unavoidable existence in q city circumstanced
as Seattle Is of many evils and vices. 1t Is the
part of wisdom and good government to keep
them confined to the smallest possible limits
consistent with the public welfare. Such has
been aud 10 the policy, as understand it. Of
your present administration.
1t has been urged upon me that this place was
in existence before the churches and many OF
the residences, whose owners now demonstrate,
were built; but this argument should not pre-
vail to prevent the building Of costly residences,
even If such should sncroach upon the liquor
limits.
This 10 within few feet Of the Armory, the
great public resort OF all our people for amuse-
ment 1t 10 but one block from the university,
and on the direct route of travel OF most OF the
students to that institution, both male and fc-
male: and for this reason IL likewise opposed by
the faculty.
Tho peculiar sinuosity Of this ordinance In
this locality partakes at one and the same time
alike OF the nature OF gerrymanderipg, class
legislation and special legislation.
1t is claimed that the building 10 TO be used A
q hotel. None is yet opened in il, and even If it
were doubt the equitable right of the council
TO utterly ignore the earnest voice and protest
OF SO many OF our people in order to grant a spe-
cial privilege TO one. / am informed BY the
grantor OF these premises that the grantee thu
present owner, gave his word OF honor that he
would never ask or allow that liquors be sold on
The other provisions of this ordinance ara
wholesome
Ny disapproval 10 solely because believe this
extension unwise and unjust to . large part of
our people.
The following report from J. ". Pratt
regarding the collection OF delinquent
grade tax assessments for August as read
and ordered filed:
Gentlemen: submit my monthly report of col
lections OF delnc uent grade assessments, a. fol.
lows:
= .hc OF
siaNou j, I'D
w los IS
Manner -...-....-.............-. "a G.
florence OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 81 -
BARCLAY ,..-.-....---... 46 10
siktn. ...---....-.-.. 1s1 %
LAKE avenue extension. INSTRUMENTATION. - 90
NFcAon 81 N
Lake aVenue extension. ..--.---.......-.. 10 IS
LAKE avenue extensiou. IA TO
SIKH (paFtl a