The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-11-23
NOT ONE VALID REASON
The Effect On Our Credit Of The Howl
Against the Charter.
rHE TINE QUITE RIPE TO CHECK IT.
our Present Charter rsvbias she
Patronage OF RInEs-Ths Pri.ci-
pie 81 Home Rsie mesaeeA - A
Burden Instead Of Relief.

EDifOh fAkihA HkhALD w MT ria
son Is there for a change OF charters
The men who are bent on destroying the
old charter have not given one valid rea.
son for the experiment they wish our
citizens to try. Not one. Then why
make the change?
The disorpanizers tried to annul the
charter by an appeal to the courts. They
succeeded in knocking out an old, obso-
lete ordinance; and that 10 all.
William X. Hornblower, whom Presi-
dent Cleveland has lately appointed on
the supreme bench of the United States,
has pronounced our charter all right to
Wall street brokers, and our credit is
tirst-class, or, at least, was until the
howl was raised against the charter and
the city enjoined from collecting its
taxes, and now the city warrants are
twenty cents below par.
Judge J. X. Lewis, ex-chief justice oil
the supreme court Of Washington, has
time and again declared our charter ell
right, and every lawyer in the city has
likewise advised, save and except those
who have enlisted in causeless wal
against the city's chsrter--and they have
signally failed to ininre the charter be-
fore the courts. The old charter cannot
be amended by the legislature; the con.
stitution forbids; but the new charter
can aud has been by every legislature
since Its original passage. The last
amendment made in regard to the ele =
ton Of officers was contrary to the uni
versal experience Of large cities, and
they have, with one accord, taken the
election Of municipal officers out Of the
hands OF rings and reposed the power in
the municipal government. as it Is under
our old charter.
This city, by the present organic Law,
has all the powers incident 10 the char
tiers Of great cities and will never. what
ever its future growth, be under the
necessity Of organizing as q city Of the
third, second or first class.
To organize under the third class
would cost the city several thousands Of
dollars in printing alone. Every person
delinquent in his taxes, even for one dol.
lar, would have to pay the city attorney
s25 as part Of the costs in the superior
court II we reorgsnize. Think OF that!
Besides the city would be doing very
unbusiness like act to transfer their local
fiscal affairs to the county officials.
Under the new charte, the county
assessor levies the taxes for the city aud
the county treasurer collects them. The
county comm ssioners and the state
board Of equalization must equalize the
taxes for the city, and thus vital prin-
ciple Of home rule would be sacrificed
and in time would become so burden
some that the legislature would have to
repeal so odious q provision and restore
this power back to the citizens.
The assessment Of the city property is
rated at nearly one million, several hun
dred thousand dollars. The county
assessors real property valuation Of this
city is nearly one million Lessor $780,
OILS. The general tax Of the city is ten
mills, and when an intending investor
comes here he is at once favorably i'm
pressed with our financial standing. He
sees how high the valuation and how low
the taxes and stays here with his means
to develop the States Fair City and add
to its wealth and prosperity.
Reverse the picture and you have your
property rated a million dollars less and
the taxation, limited by the constitution,
will not run your city government. and
your warrants will 20 lower and lower in
the scale.
AS a plain business proposition q
change Of charters will retard and cripple
North Yakima's growth.
Another thing: The farmers Of the
Ahtsnum and Wide Hollow valleys are
already denouncing the Northern Pacific
railway for bIockading the streets lead.
ing from those great valleys to the city.
Under the old charter the city has the
right to remedy this a I'D all future evils
OF the kind by other railways with ito
power Of eminent domain. No such
relief can come through the new charter
but all such power must be derived from
the legislature. and this is a pretty hard
thing to do in the face OF a powerful rail,
way lobby.
Section q, chapter 2, Of the present
charter gives the city power to purchase
or condemn and enter upon and take any
lands within or without its territorial
limits for any legitimate municipal pur-
pose, aud section IL, same chapter, gives
the city power over the waters Of the
Natcheez and Yakima rivers for five
miles above the point from which the
water for municipal purposes is taken.
The new charter gives the cities of the
third class the same power. but only for
two miles above and below the city
limits.
This city will soon be called upon 70
suitably provide for the approaches from
the city proper to the state fair grounds
Under the old charter they have full
power to purchase or condemn any lands
outside the city's limits for avenues to
the grounds. Under the new charter the
city could not exercise this right of emf
nent domain.
/ care not whether Schmidt, the ex-
sewer contractor, the Northern Pacific
railway or the gentlemen who. for un-
known reasons, are seeking to break up
our present charter. are at the bottom oil
the scheme; IL Is manifestly contrary "a
the best interests Of the city. present and
prospective. and shall vote ssainst it.
When orce our existing charter Yiehts