The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-01-30
PLENTY OF
BUSINESS DONE
The City Council Indulges In u Loaa
and Important Special
Session,
SOME FINANCIAL MATTERS
A Good Aaay Interesting Speeches Ssre
Made by Legislators kho ralksd
aad Argued Questions ior
Three Hours.
SOME FINANCIAL MATTERS

A special meeting OF the common couh. L
eli was held yesterday afternoon al tho
council chambers. Al the members werc
present. The call Tor the meeting was
read by the clerk, Il announced the fol-
lowing program:
10 consider aud act upon an ordinance |
entitled AN ordinance creating tho SOW |
eral funds OF tho city OF Astoria, and pro- |
willing the payment OF warrants" read
twice. January 18th,
To hear and act upon the report OF
the committee on Ways and means on ca
tinrates Of expenditures for the ensuing
year. and levy such taxes as may hcl
requisite and necessary for municipal
purposes.
To hear and act upon the committee on
ways and means. IN relation thereto, and
TO authorize the purchase by such COM
mittee OF necessary supplies for the
oisico Of the auditor and police judge
10 authorize the committee on ways
and means TO eater into contract with
| the Evening News for the city advertls-
Z ing. and with j. s, Dellingcr for other
city printing. In accordance with the
! awards made at the last meeting OF the
( council
4 To hear and act upon tho report OF the
/ committee ON streets and public ways.
, as to the north half OF the crossing OF
I Thlrty-first street and Franklin avenue,
I and TO authorize. II desired, said commits
| tee TO contract for the repair OF the same.
! The ordinance creating special funds
I which had been rcad twice ON the 18th
/ inst. was, on motion, put on Its third
( reading and final passagS When the
/ vote was taken on the third reading Il
/ was lost. seven voting against and two
Z for the motion. Among those voting
I against the passage was Welch, who Inn
Z me.liately after the vote rose and said;
/ II have right according TO pariia-
I mentary rules to ask for a vote 10 re-
! consider the motion by which this ordt-
/ nance was lost | make this motion In
! order to try and get the thing passed as
/ II should he. A stranger coming into
i this city now has 10 he told that our war
I rants are worth 10 cents on the dollar.
+ The passage OF this ordinance will imme-
( dlately make them worth 30 cents. Il
Z guarantee that. One OF the papers has
! come out this morning casting slurs at
/ this ordinance when Il met with salts
! faction before. Gentlemen. are YOU nnan-
clers going TO submit to thlsf Every
bank In the city has pledged themselves
to pay s5 cents on the dollar as soon as
! this thing Is passed"
Thompson: why don't you bring these
pledges In here and let us see them
welch: Gentlemen. are you going to-
stand thise II Is as sure to bring your
credit up to 81 cents as l stand on this
floor. These bankers will give 96 cents
"a soon as outstanding warrants aro
paid"
Bergman: What's the difference
whether we pay interest on old war
rants or new ones to take their placer
Welch: People are loaning their mon
ey now. that's the difference Men don't
keep cash laying round. they are only
too glad to get show to 40 and lend Il
and II they know they are going 10 get
their warrants paid within two years
they would sooner put their money into
warrants than anything else"
Bergman: "wnl you send for these
bankers who will all pay IS cents as soon
as this ordinance passes7''
wech: mo. str. | will not send for
them sir II amt my business TO send
for them sir ! viii mention one Of them. |
sir: Mr. Higgins. and Mr. Gordon. two
OF as fine gentlemen as there Is in tho
town sir"
Bergman: Yes. very nice gentlemen.
indeed
welch: "Financiering Is not Just for a
man to get cut in the street and talking.
In my judgment His honor here can
sit down on you all with your 'generait
agoing to pass this ordinance. you will be
sued within thirty days. When men who
have got money to loan know that they |
will get II back with 10 per cent In two
years they will flock TO buy warrants.
Men that have got warrants at present
don't know whether they VIII be paid in
IS months or u years. / don't want TO
hit a fireman In this town. don't want
to hit a policeman. II you pass this or
dlnance / promise TO bring in a relief bill
making up to the officers everything they
lose by the new arrangement. ! never
did in my life lnJure worklngman. II
this thing don't work right | win rescind
IT, II ain't your special funds that
counts. It's your general fund. Gen
tlemen, hoping with these few remarks
you will pass this ordinance and recon-
slider your action. take my seat. hop
ing that we are all working for the well
fare OF the city"
Parker: II am In favor OF reconsider
Ing the motion. II the ordinance passes
the committee on ways ard means will
recommend a four mill levy. II II IL
lost. we will recommend an mill levy.
That's n fact. I'd like TO have some OF
you fellows take out your pencils to this
business The city has n total indebted
ness OF 1880 with floating indebted
ness OF about sI0rD The Interest on this
for three and half years at 3 per cent
will be $4,000
Thompson. 'T'lI admit there are some
good things In this ordinance But we
have been asked TO vote on II before we
knew anything about the result OF tho
ways and means committees work.
There is only one way to raise the price
Of city warrants You must make a new
levy and sell bonds What Mr.. Welch
says about warrants going TO 80 cents as
soon as We pass this ordinance Is all
nonsense II is rot There will be just
as many warrants outstanding tomor-
row as there are today"
Parker: II VIII show Mr. Thompson
how the price Will rise so quickly. I'm
der present arrangements a mans inter-
est on warrants lies idle for three and
half years or more Our four mill levy
will bring us in $4,000 We have allowed
5000 for interest on warrants and BIOO
for interest on bonds. That leaves s47, 600
with which to take up old warrants. Two
years from now all the old warrants will
be redeemed and the warrants we issue
this year will be then payable. Instead
Of putting up 1000 now in cash we put
It out to pay up old warrants, and we ]
thereby make good paper"
Bergman: II would like to find out how &
much delinquent taxes are coming to the !
city"
Parker; I'VE collected fifteen hundred 4
dollars last year. and may collect the 3
same amount this year That will even I
up the amount we fall shy on this years I
&
Welch: Give us trial / pledge my I
word to reconsider the thing and make II {
right II 1t don't 40. And II II don't give (
the officers dollar for dollar, l will in !
troduce a relief BILL" =
Parker: u will 20 further We will s
give the officers everything they lose ana I
make up their deficit in cash. The city n
Is going to save $4,000 this year. by our a
scheme, anyhow" c
Welch: Gentlemen and friends, there n
Is something wrong about our finances.
Every man, woman and child in the city
$ paying A75 interest on Indebtedness. q
say, pass. this measure and you viii ,
never regret II as sure as I-staiff on this {.
ioor." h
Young: "The proper thing to do in a Il
arfo e. IL