The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-06
PROPOSED NEW LAWS.
Contest Over Reorganization Of
the City Council
PAYMENT FOR STREET GRADES.
Fear Propositions Co.fronsins the Cean-
eii-Ths Mayors Pian for Beard
81 Pebble work.

! continued With any great activity or Ger
tainty anfn the city coa-eil has dsci3esi
| whesher il will or viii not submit 20 the
! people = proposition % modify the exist
irg council There are at present four
propositions avaiIable- That which 10 be-
/ lieved 10 De naosf IN accord with popu. ~
1 sentiment Is 10 abolish the two existing
/ houses and EJECT an entirely new council
/ Of one house. with two members from each
ward. Another IS 20 have the same body,
/ but 70 continue the present Eve hold-over
/ aldermen in Office until the end OF the
I term for which they were originally
| elected. namely. until fss6 The third -
/ 20 hare one house Of n3ns members. In
Guiding the i've hold-oyeE aldermen. ard
the fourth is 70 continue the two houses as
80 present. Either Of these txo latter
propositions would probably De favored
/ By the Democrats generally, but the Re
publIcans favor the entire reorganization.
which has also the support OF the indie
pendent Democrats. This subject will
probably be debated by the council during
the week, and the further amendment OF
the charter win se based npon the deter
mination arrived at IS 20 the constitution
Of the city council
During the week John w. Pratt will
make an effort TO secure acceptance Of an
amendment 10 the method Of collecting
street grade assessments which will meet
the objections both TO the mode OF inn
mediate payment and TO the method of
payment by bonds. His objection is
chiefly 70 the arbitrary sale Of property on
the city hall steps for such large amounts
as street grade assessments usually reach,
without due process of law. further
objection he makes is that immediate
payment affords too short time and the
ten-year bond system too long time. and
that in neither case Is the property owner
gwen an option of immediate or deferred
payments. The call bond system is OBJ
jeetionable, as foreign investors W Ill not
make an investment which requires them
to constantly watch the changing official
newspapers at the penalty by failure of
being deprived of their interest The
terms Of his proposition are as follows:
THE treasurer shall give ten days notice
in the official newspaper land shall mali
copy Of snch notice TO the owner of the
property assessed when the postoffice ad-
dress Of such owner is known. but the fail
uTe TO mail the same shall not be fatal
when publication thereof Is madeI that
such roll has been certified TO him Tor COL
lection, and that unless payment is made
within thirty days from the date OF such
notice such assessment shall become de-
iinqlent and shall bear interest at the rate
OF 10 per cent. per annum until paid, and
II not paid before such assessment shall
have become delinquent penalty of 5 per
cent shall be added. liz any property
owner whose property Is 30 assessed fail TO
pay at least one-iifth of such assessment
and penalty together with accrued inter-
ar ~ nf IF ali
quency the city treasurer shall notify the
corporation counsel, who snail thereupon
proceed TO collect the assessment, with
interest. penalty and costs, by suit
and foreclosure Of lien in accordance with
law Ii, however. within a year of the
date OF delinquency payment OF one
nth OF the assessment and penalty be
made together with interest at the rate OF
I'D per cent per annum to date OF payment
from date OF delinquency. the city treas
urer need not notify the corporation coun-
sci, buttf twelve months eiapse without
further payment of oue-ifth of the assess
meat and penalty together with interest 10
date OF payment, then the city treasurer
snail notify the corporation counsel, who
shall proceed to enforce collection by suit
and foreclosure OF lien in accordance With
law, provided, that any property owner fall
ing to pay the full amount of assessment, be-
fore the date o! delinquency, the penalty
OF per cent. shall be Immediately added,
and shall become part of the principal and
bear interest at the rate OF 10 per cent.
until the assessment, penalty, interest
and costs are all paid"
The object of keeping the interest at 10
per cent, although warrants would only
bear per cent. is to put upon the delin-
quent property owner the additional cost
of collection which the deferred payments
Involve. The plan may possibly supersede
the ten year bond system, but it does not
interfere with it. and that system now
sanctioned by state law, remains unim-
paired.
One minor but very important amend
ment proposed is 10 abolish the provision
that the mayor shal, not be eligible TO any
other municipal office until two years after
the expiration of his term. The object of
that provision was to take from the mayor
the temptation TO use the machinery of
government 10 aid his own reelection.
and II IS not easy TO understand why so
excellent provision should be abrogated.
Mayor Ronald proposes to reconstitute
the board Of public works by making il
consist OF the mayor, comptroller, super
intehdept OF water works, superintendent
OF streets and superintendent of buildings.
va NHpah Hut more IMAM three shall be OF
the same political faith. One objection to
the plan Is the inclusion of the comm
irosier. Ii would seem unwise 10 mix np
the auditing department with the pur.
chasing department The better pian
would seem to lee TO increase the powers
of the comptroller, but keep HIM abso-
lutely tree from all duty, except that of
checking the accounts of other depart
ments aud being at all times familiar with
the financial condition Of the CITY. In
stead Of the comptroller. the citv engineer
would seem 10 be the better choice. by
Mayor k3na!d's plan he is made a subor.
dInaie of those sho. in the nature OF
things, should rather be subordinate 10
him. The three superintendents should
be practical officials acting under the par
iial direction of the city engineer. whose
publications are more of professional
snd advisory nature
There has been a surprising lack OF in
teTest on the part Of citizens generally.
AMI very fes suggestions from others than
the members OF the committee and Of
she Western Central Labor Union have
been ssrp~entAt