The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-29
THEY HAVE ENOUGH.
Taxpayers Oppose Further In
crease of City Debt.
VIEWS OF CEDAR RIVER SCHEME.
Alderman Sweeney Defines HIS POSI-
ton and Citizens Tell Why They
WIZ Vote Down Warrants

fion % the Cedar river water system
draxs near. ard the scheme - more Tttiy
discussed. the opposition % ~ J. becoming
strengthened and crystalllzed- As the p"o-
Die look squarely al the burdens they are
already carrying they are considering ser
fouglv whether the additional burden
which they are asked 10 assume j. Eeces-
sarv and the general conclusion they are
reaching 81 that Il Is not. The Post-iniel-
Ilgencer vas saFed the trouble OF s@nailB
out as representative yesterday 70 ot'-li
further expression Of opinions 81 Fll4N"hs
on the subject for they voluntarily came
forward and expressed IN clear ana ioFeI-
bic terms the opinion that they nan al
ready doae enough for postcrIty ~ run
Ming into debt. ard that sc D. time Iof tHs
present generation ia Seattle 70 TAKE care
at itself This IL no party question, as the
communications printed 5elo" "lh snow
Isut IL r. question for taxpayers. ~ per
cent % whom have been unable 60 pay tHe
taxes already imposed. much less bear an
addition TO them. Those who ~iSh 20 vote
on this momentOus question VIII hot De
qualified 70 do 50 unless they register ~
The city clerks office today. The boohs
close al midnight. 20 be prepared foF the
election on December t.
one OF the strongest opponents 10 inc or
rfinance In the council is Alderman SWse-
nev. IN fact. hc Is the only one wac mas
consistently voted against IL throughout
tits opinion Of the subject IS expressed II
.ae following interview:
Sweeney oppo-s's abe Ordinance
When the first ordnance vas presenter
10 the council, providing for the Ccdar
river water supply Alderman Sweeney
was the only member VINO voted against
H. and he has been consistent IN his op-
position since then. He has given the
matter a great deal Of study and feels sure
Of his position. lie said hc did not want
TO talk ABOUT the propositions submitted ~
the seattle Power Company. as they were
SIN "a thc hands of the council commit
Tee But as 10 tie pan provided tor me
municipal ownership II the system, Dr.
Sweeney has some decided views. lie said:
'eThe plan hyp8thecates. mortgages ana
pledges our present water plant as .secur-
It's for The payment OF warrants fhat VIII
b. drawn on the Cedar river water supply
fund OF Seattle which fund IS created by
taking II per cent. Of the revenues OF the
present plant. and any additions that may
hereafter belong 10 the city. with the eN-
ceptlon that We may use water Tor munic-
ipal purposes without charge. IL provides
thai the fund may receive any additional
moneys that the counsi may by ordinance
transfer to II. r. provides that the moneys
paid into that fund shall be solely applied
t. that purpose for which the fund shall
h. created. and II n contract IS let, the
city irrevocahly binds Itself not 10 SELL
lease or dispose or in any manner It's Wa
ter works system until the warrants are all
paid in fun with interest II may not sell
lease or dispose Of its water plant In any
manner whereby there shall be any loss 10
tho warrant holders. II also binds itself
irrevocably not % reduce water rates dur
ing the time the warrants shall DE out
standing against the fund These war
rants are 20 be ISSUED as the work OF con-
struction is proceeded with. with Interest
ma cen tn NJ H. "a
OF the contract. 50 it would seem that we
do not have 10 pay anything until the &C
ceptance Of the work, md the interest viii
not begin until the work - accepted. The
warrants that are 70 be issued 20 the con-
tractor as the work progresses will Ger
tainly be q claim on the new system and
on the present system. and VIII have to be
met. ! have Just outlined the ordinance
with a view OF bringing out the main fea-
lures.
oniy Water supply Provided.
81 wan. TO say that # the promoters Of
this proposition intended that the people
should vote In favor of a power plant. or
light plant. or the use in any way OF the
energy that would be- derived from any
surplus water the city might have. the or
dnance does not permit them % vote on
any proposition hut that Of acquiring the
Cedar river water system as an addition
90 tho existing water works and the use Of
the water FOR municipal purposes. As /
understand 70. Il tbe city wanted 20 20 into
The lighting business or power hrs mess
With any surplus water q might have II
would have to get The consent or tho peo-
PIE. and as no permission has been secured
from the people. 0r vii be secured hv tho
election NJ Deccmbor IL for thc use 81 the
water FOR any purpose other than for wa
ter PURPOSES, vs. roul8 pc en l1frrd ana
prohibited from using the water for light
N.rs
that business. lrRsmuch as the lighting.
water and sewerage business docs nor he
long strictly t0 municipal affairs Before
the city can enter into au obligation "a 20
that class ~ business Il must receive the
assent - the voters.
Concerning fhe necessity Tor thts plan
We have used up 'sr powers to incur debt
Tor water purposes. either iuder the char
ter or state laws. Therefore any a4ht
above our present feht far water r,l~r,ss.s
would be taken as evidence that we were
frNi1g q aN 5d the c1uSt tutfonat prahL
hit'on by Issuing A promise Go paw. which
even Y y IS D1f classified ns n debit would
stand as = cl2bn un1a tire honor ana ir,.
feertY - thc renp}F - uuf~r-- tll4 f.
TIE Spokane s'En permitted Gle conn
ristten of "a water works plant which vas
tH'n ocampleie, in aC'oritura with On.
Plan which is BOW proposed here Tn.
vas declared Vti1 ~ the elrr.fua -a,lrt
probably on different errtr4s from thas.
which wou'A arise s. tAIS rr0n,Si.tDr
Fhoult Pas uu3er consideration We haY.
nov complete sv@tea. Wa, tre eNrertf -
thnt wc nced cne mare ruwr We hav.
saiiir.rnt Ter 'Hr present need io rne So .n
fer iBue. hut ir thc summer ws eu.-ht ?.
havo one more pump Car fea~ ~ a.-.f,r,
81 thcse now go use ana ais, -,r1uso a.
che Increased nye3 far water DURING -.
heated months Th.s r8nfn w.l1 1,, rr,.,S
fAfF toms BEFORE the Cedar rivrr waite