The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-06-11
BOGGs PAID THE WARRANTS.
Il acoma's City Attorney says They Need
Not Be Redeemed Again.

Tacoma. June 1e.-Specszl--If any enc Is
looking for tumble and confused gnzrl
OF legal and financial questions. IN the
center OF which Is securely tied nearly
$1,000 OF q city's money. he need so no
farther than the city OF Tacoma. The
worst feature os the situation 10 that.
90 use the words OF City Attorney John
Paul J0dson- who ID certainly in posi-
ton 20 know:
The employees OF the city. excepting one
department., have not been paid their SAL
aries for the past seven months Their
credit Is exhausted. Our business men
cannot longer carry them on promises.
Some OF our mos; efficient men are oblig-
ed to leave the service TO provide means
10 support their families"
In the course OF an interview, Mr.. judi
son said: The city authorities realize
that some action must be taken u relation
70 the outstanding warrants, but We must
walt until the warranesifttng committee
reports the facts for our consideration.
But With our employees the necessities are
such. that IL would be criminal 20 defer
acton for their relief. until we determine
the great financial problem confronting US.
They must live and the city Is bound 10
provide for them"
City Attorney Judson's statement above
quoted Is made in the course OF an opinion
rendered In response 10 a request from
Mayor Fawcett relative to the standing
OF the general fund warrants, which were
deposited in the banks by City Treasurer
George w. Boggs. These amount 10 near
IL. IL not quite 5000 and It Is even pos
sihls that the total amount of warrants
purchased by Boggs with city money may
reach s49o.0og
Mr. Jadson comes out natfooted and
plainly says that the city has once paid
the warrants deposited by Boggs. and can
never be made 10 pay them again In
other words. the city attorney takes the
ground that Treasurer Boggs act IN pur-
chasing the warrants over the counter IN
hts Office, or reseemIng them out Of the
order Of their issue and subsequently de-
posting them as cash. has the effect OF
extnvuishlng them and utterly destroy
ing their value in the eyes OF the law.
Two interesting points are apparent IN
the Judson opinion. One Is that. In fgEr-
ing on warrants issued during the Huson
administration. in order 20 ascertain
whether they were issued within the con-
s,itutional limit IN view OF the supreme
court decision in she Thurston county
case. the warrsnt-Siftlng committee should
not count as an asset Of the city the cred
It's appearing on the books OF the banks
since broken, when they were made by
deposits OF warrants by Treasurer Boggs.
n the committee follows out this advice.
thousands OF dollars OF warrants held 20
re valid under the decision mentioned win
be declared invalid.
An amusing point OF the controversy IS
that City Attorney Judson. IN taking the
position re does relative 10 the Boggs
warrants. follows out the opinion held by
James wiekersham when he filed the
same Office under Mayor Orr. Judge
wiekersham held that the Roggs warrants
were void and utterly valueIesS. and did
not take them into account IN figuring the
city's Obligations. This policy and the
view 81 the question back OF IL were bitter
fy condemned by the people, who. while
claiming % the Republicans. did nos hest
tate % oppose the reelection OF Mayor
Orr after ne had been nominated by a
Republican convention. because they OBJ
tected 70 City Attorney wickersham's
course ia cfice. Thew fought Orr on ac-
count 81 hss city attorney. SIR. Jndson
eut-W Eckerxharns Wtcker.ham. and from
a sislntsressed paint % view ne result Is
amusing because ~ the high hopes that
wers Asid out for MSvor FSwcett's admin
tStration when ne was sniucted into office
Nearly three months have passed since
Mayer Fawcett took office. The peTplex-
ing problems that confront ire city are APP
psrently no nearer solution than they
were when Mayor orr left the office for
Mayer Fawcstt 20 occupy t. II Is almost
certain that me warrant sitting commit
tee. On which The public relies 70 inform
X which warrants are valid and HONEST
claims aEafns5tr he city, and which are not
viii disagree On vital points. The report OF
the committee win De factor in ths elss-
ton tfst IS % - called 70 validate the
warrants sna = authorize the issuance %
bonds 81 ms city q - exchanged Tor the
8 saa09 outstanding general furd BrAr-
rants. In the meantime the cf;y's inter
ess goes en- and her employees work win
cat receiving pay. THE sentiment 90
TIE people q Tacoma Is strongly
IN favor % paying every honest asst tlfe
city owes. and Y trey are asked 20 vote
hsrhs % raw these claims TREY viii 10
authorized ~ 4 nearly unanimous vote.