The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-11-16
REORGANIZATION FOLLY.
Business Men Condemn Il as Foolish
Expensive and DANGEROUS.
NIGER IN SOMEBODY'S WOoDPILE.
The City IL Being Jobbed and the
Taxpayers o"'rased-visai Priv
tseges meaaced Special Conces.
sions I'm Somebody's WAY.

The HERALD presents this week the
opinions of few business men Of the
city concerning reorganization fiction. It
could have filled every column with sim.
liar expressions in opposition to the move
ment promulgated by few individuals
who have private axe 10 grind and are
willing to sacrifice the chief glory Of The
city in order to obtain the advantage they
covet. Several interviews are omitted
this week by reason of lack of space.
They will appear later. We sincerely be.
lieve that seventy per cent OF the tax pay
ing population Of the city are uncompro-
misiBgly opposed to exchanging the city's
birth'right for mess Of pottage. Beyond
doubt the movement was beSotten in in
fanny, delivered by dishonor, nursed by
avarice,-a 1t is equally certain that 1t
will soon be rocked in the cradle OF the
deep.
Col. l.. s. Hewlett: II am opposed to
reorganization. have not been conyinc-
ed of the need Of it. / understand that
the council is now correcting the error by
which we might have lost every dollar OF
tax assessed for the present year. There
appears to be no remedy for the error OF
past years. A new charter would not en-
able lis to collect taxes for 1892. We
have secured in special way certain
rights which We cannot now afford TO
tamper with. Should We be given o
charter under the general provision for
municipal government we would lose
these privileges. for time at least, with q
very serious question as to whether or not
we may again acquire them. They are of
vital interest to this city--pecularly 80,
for our conditions are different from those
OF other cities Of the state. Under the
general law we would be subject to the
within OF every legislator who desired to
change some provision to favor local in
terest. 1t would thus. be constant change
and disorder, whereas we are now subject
to changes in the general revenue laws
only, which are easily made as they occur.
A charter under the general law for cities
OF our class could not be made to suit our
conditions. l am sure it would be mis-.
take to undo that with which we have
been specially provided and, in lieu Of it,
accept that which has been provided for
cities wholly unlike ours. To sacrifice
our magnificent water rights would be
worse than folly. That alone is sufficient
reason to oppose reorganization. But
cannot see the necessity for 1t on any
ground. The taxes for '93 will be collected.
The mistake should not occur again. In
all probability it will not. Reorganiza.
ton would be expensive. What advant-
age would it give US? What advantage
would compensate US for those we would
surely lose?"
Captain j. T. Kingsbury, city council
man: "Our special charter is good
probably the best city charter in the state.
Like Salt Lake City, we must have a
special charter. Our conditions are I'm.
like those in conformity with which the
general laws relating to municipal gov
eminent have been framed. A charter
for city where irrigation is unnecessary
would not do for North Yakima. In view
OF that fact, the conditions and privileges
conceded in our present charter are spec
ial-and every special right acquired
under it is vitality important, both socially
and commercially. These special conces-
sions are just what we would lose should
We surrender our present charter. We
could not collect back tax il we had a
new charter. We, as city council, cor
rected the defect in the ordinance. 1t is
now in accord with the general revenue
laws OF the state, as the supreme court
decreed it must be. We can collect every
dollar of taxes for 1893. Did we have a
general charter we would be harrassed
continually with changes-changes that
might be very serious with us, ruinous in
an irrepairable degree. We would have
to change every time the general law
affecting city charters of our class was
changed, and that would be every time
the legislature meets. Added to this, we
would lose those special rights which we
now value so highly. The only change
to which we are now subjected is that in
the general revenue laws. Reorganiza-
ton would be expensive. Before we
could complete the task it would cost
three or four thousand dollars. do not
want to be party to such protiigacy. 1t
is wholly unnecessary and our taxes are
high enough as they are. We have an
election next May anyway, and to begin
now would be 30 keep our city in con-
slant and troublesome turmoil for months
unnecessarily. This talk about our char
ter is all folderol. 'Twould be better to
suffer the ills that We have than to fly to
those we know not Of"
Thomas F. Maher: "Show me a man
who wants reorganization and will show
you a man who wants to rob this city.
Show me man who is in favor of new
charter and will show you man who
is interested in the success of Richard
Schmidt, the Seattle contractor who con-
structed some OF our sewers. Show me
man who is working for reorganization
and | will show you man who is work
ing Tor fee. Show me a man who
wants to give away the special privileges
under our present charter and / will
show you fool or knave. Show me
man who wants to reorganize and will
show you man who doesn't know the
value of his present rights under the ex-
listing charter. Show me a man who lis
tens to. the reorganizers' child.li like argu-
ment, if such may call it, and I'll show
you a man who is not entitled to citizen
ship. We are tired of this mock cry.