The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-04
THE BONDS DEBATED.
Another Session Devoted to Con-
sideration of the Subject.
FINAL ACTION YET DEFERRED.
The Issue Of Bonds to Take Up Warrants
Voted For-Ouestion Of Sewers
and Lights In Allegiance.

Discussion upon the proposed issue of bonds
was renewed last night by the city council, and.
notwithstanding the bad weather. the chamber
of the house of delegates was well flied by the
public.
President Kloeber called Alderman Brewer to
the chair and took the floor to advocate that
bonds to the amount OF SCI, 600 be issued for
the purpose of funding outstanding warrants,
also So, COO for the completion of the sewer tun
mel aud sos, 900 for the construction OF lateral
sewers. He said he knew that was not in &C.
cordance with former recommendations, but it
did not seem wise to 60 so far into debt as to
leave a narrow margin with which to meet any
emergency. He did not approve, at this time,
the issuing of bonds for an electric lighting
plant
Alderman Jordan said the amount for sewers
would leave the city in a. bad fix as ever. He
thought the city would save money by owning
its electric plant As to the 500. 900 warrants,
they were bearing 10 per cent but ey were
illegal and those who bought them knew that
to De SO. 1t diin't seem to him necessary to
"break our necks" to redeem them. The hold
ers cannot claim a dollar of interest and it will
not hurt them to wait awhile; and then they
must axe what we choose to give them-evea
per cent, ii We Thank that just The city, ne
said, ought to have water, sewers anu light first
The amount pr posed for sewers was altogether
inadequate
Dr.. kloeber explained that the amount avail
able water, sewers and light Is entirely dis
tinct from that for distinctly municipal pur-
poses The per cent. for the one is entirely in
dependent of the per cent. for the other He
repeated that the iunding saved per cent, or
nearly $4,000 year. He made strong appeal
not to bond the city to the full constitutional
limit of indebtedness: on the other hand, it
was a shame to be paying 10 per cent when
per cent could be saved.
Comptroller Carson being called upon, once
more stated the financial! condition.
Alderman Ingram advocated purchase OF the
electric light plant BY investing 100000 they
could save $4,000 year, whereas 1t would take
100000 to save $31 900 If they only funded the
warrants.
Delegate Carlisle admitted that he did not
know how lar the warrants formed a valid
claim. He made a distinction between an
honest man who paid his debts and one who
was forced to yield by the highwayman. The
debts should be scrutinized before the council
asked the people to ratify them. He wanted to
know why the cormorauts who held the scrip
did not 60 to the courts and get judgment for
the amount they claimed.
Mr.. Donworth. in reply, said he would ask in.
diligence to give some information a citizen.
Just as an individual prospers who pays his
debts, 30 will city. He explained what hap
pened after the fire, when the city council
finding themselves without money. but face to
face with the necessity for q great expenditure
outran the constitutional limit. The state leg
islature had enacted two laws authorizing the
ratification by the voters OF any Indebtedness in
excess oil the limit. Mr.. Donworth's lucid ex-
PLANTATION was listened to with rapt attention.
He concluded by saying that the issue of war
rants had ceased last May.
Mr. Carson said the $2790O0 for salaries was
made up of Is per cent. for officials and 50 per
cent. for labor in the water department and on
the streets. The warrants were sold al 90 cents
and ho mi in NQs a tha
fire fund was for apparatus.
Mr.. Carlisle said the warrants were illegal;
What could not be collected In the courts was
not debt.
When the question was put Mr.. Carlisle
wanted to MAKE it that only judgments
against the city should be recognized in the
funding.
Mr.. Brace suggested that the people did not
have to vote ii there were judgments; he
wanted the question put, so that the people
could ans wer Tor themselves.
The motion to put the funding of $600, 900 war
rants was then carried; also Tor the issue of
$95. coo Tor the completion of the tunnel.
MIR. Brace moved to mako the amount for lat.
era sewers $3.50 600. and in reply to Mr.. Coryeil,
City Engineer Thomson read from his report to
show that in some parts OF the city the old
wooden sewers are in danger of collapse, and
two miles and a quarter need replacing.
Delegate Cook sale ii some arrangement were
not made for sewers on the south side the
waters OF Lake Washington would be con-
taminated
Delegate Drew warned the council that if
sewers are to be built by bonds a precedent will
be set forever, ana the city will have to spend
many hundreds OF thousands of dollars be-
fore long, and eventually two or three mil
lions He was In favor of public improvements,
but If the people of Queeu Anne hill want sew
ers so do the people OF the First ward He ad-
vocated the System OF sewer districts. He did
not believe the people were prepared to vote
bonds for such purpose
DR.. Jordan said the district system was
adopted in Tacoma, and We will have to come
to il.
Further consideration of the subject was post.
poned until next Friday night