The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-23


iIc cemeteries This ear - 1o1s frcrn TIE
prccssss % essrszi lots 2iare. wiTnoat III
EcsaLx > single dollars exp~ssse uEscn tse
CITY. ard st tn% saUas tfzne furnish ire
satuaisS. wxlI Improved. and whose cars
ard sxTrara efse W1iE - As=ts~e1 = tas
fact - vslssiic ownership AMI rrsztnssfaE se,
private cemetery g = asrFartsz1- &ts1
ouy cry sssoIs5 no iaBger. ~ her fFtecfa0Fs
ecrztnse upon tire people tie extorftosss
S1nogaTsces AID uncertainties Of sne PIT
I reg - urge thar immediate Sfsps -
taken for ssc37fnS some suitable Tract o.
tracts ef lard. ~ purchase. fer cemetery
purposes upon such = plan. tSat a porSiea
OF TIE proceeds 81 Eot sales shall 10 70 ray
for fAe hand and ire other portions - de-
voted 90 sas Improvement and rsainteu-
WINGED thzs a. nao.serafe prices there would
- Esrh an earfy ard literal purchase oz
lots IN a public cemetery as 70 rrovt6s fo-
All financial requirements % the plan.
Old STREET GRADE TAXES
Ire report of John ". Pratt. Esa.. src-
cisa counsel fer The collection Of old street
grade assessments, shows that a great
deal OF work is lnyolvet IN the prosecution
and adjustment NJ these i0ng-negSscte1
ard much complicated matters
during the past year Sofnstning over
y.sa has bean recovered 81 cash. About
ffty eases have been prosecuted ard have
terminated IN SettfeuenD ard dismissal
ne City recovering nearly all that was
Due, Summons has been served on over
essf upon whom no service Rad been made
These Questions have recefve1 mich aften-
ton heretofore, and tire eases now re-
naming are the ones involving real con-
troversies Or serious defects IN about Iz5
Cases nothing had been done for six years.
and n sffstion 20 the prosecution OF these
eases the special counsel has about -
other CASES 10 keep alive and prosecute.
The improvements for which these taxes
we're levied were made under nev and
constantly changing legislation. whose
force and effect could not pa accurately
known. TIE decisions - The Supreme
tougf from tine 10 time have brought
forth new constructions which have led 10
. great deal Of complication In these mat
fers. without any fault Of present or for
Fner legal advisors Of the City. These
consequences have resulted from our for
mer mania Tor street grading. which was
prosecuted with very little regard for le-
sal or financial consequences
TIE report IN question. together with my
personal knowledge of the iabors of Mr.
Pratt and Of his law partner G. A Riddle
ESQ. who has ably assisted him. satisfy
me. not only that this service has been
ably and lndistriousiy performed hut that
the work Is % such magnitude that II could
not possibly be performed BY the members
q the clty's legal department without adj
dittonal force which would cost AT least
as much as Is now being paid to Mr.. Pratt
under his contract with the City
would moi Tpa ,v ,r he 'sea ~, aepdtns
Of these taxes so great a degree OF special
experience and qualification as are pos
SthoS1 ~ MI fgdi-
FRANCHISES.
In dealing with franchises other than
those OF steam railways the City cannot
be TOO careful. Most branches of public
service or supply are natural monopolies
in which competition is impraeffcable and
wasfesul. They can be regulated only BY
puolic ownership or public control. We
nave passed the date when monopoies in
public service can be given into private
hands. without compensation. TO be i'm
mediately capitalized for large sums Of
money. and whose values. instead of being
resource. become ia fact perpetual mort
cages upon the community at large Such
privileges should he subject 70 recall by
the people to whom they really belong. at
any time, upon reimbursement OF the
grantees for their actual OUTLAWS under
them.
cREMaToRY.
congratulate your Honorable Body
upon our city Jo-year monopoly for a
crematcry.
STREET RAILWAYS.
No strees railway franchise should be
granted In our City for a term exceeding
~ or = years, and even then should re-
serve 20 the City the right of recalling the
privilege upon payment of the value of
the improvements then existing under the
franchise. but without including. In any
manner, any value for the franchise itself
which Is at all times really the property of
the public. Although some of the City
employees are carried free by street rail-
ways. the city is required TO pay consider
able sums every month for car fare of
other employees who must necesss riiy use
me cars in the performance of their du-
ties.
TELEPHONES.
The same observations are applicable to
the telephone question. Although the City
has made important concessions TO the
month large Bill for the phones required
IN public service. Sudden changes bring
hardships g. those who have been accus-
n RAGS httF raF-
not hesitate for that reason. Speaking
generally. the public should derive all the
profit from the management OF public utli-
ties either in the form OF municipal reve-
nue. or In the form OF reduced rates and
improved service. IL this cannot be ac-
ccompiished short of municipal ownership.
coupled with civil service viii remove
many of the evils that now beset us.
OLD TAXES.
7 congratulate your Honorable Body
upon the requirement Of copies OF the de-
linquent City tax rolls OF 1ss3-4-5-s-7.
whose originals were burned In the fire Of
iSs. These records. together with the
waiver OF costs, penalty and par. of the
interest upon old taxes. should. before the
limit OF the waiver expires on the 30th Of
next November. bring tn a large proper
ton OF the City's delinquent taxes. and at
the same time lead 10 payments that VIII
solve many old controversies as 10 whether
certain taxes have been paid or not.
EIGHT HOUR LAW.
I congratulate your Honorable Body
upon the passage Of an ordinance for the
provision fixing eight hours a. a DAYS
labor upon all municipal work.
RELIEF EMPLOYMENT
The next opportunity for revising our
charter should not pass without the sub
mission TO the people M some enlightened
provision for furnishing relief employment
10 those who. under sudden misfortune
and without friends or relief of any kind
YfFsA Al An In
or crime. II Is 4 marvel that We have con-
s!dered many subjects so much. and this
one SO uStle. Individually we are humane
or cTtdeaTor 70 ~. bnt collectively We are
apparently inhumane and without con-
science I earnestly urge that a charter
amendment be framed and submitted 10
viii suggest such safeguards as viii pre-
vent the abuse az the charity and save the
city from any actual loss IN extending IL
FREE MARKET
beg 10 urge that further effort be made
toward the inaugura ton OF a Free Public
Market syrtcFn in our city NotvSfh-
standing the act of the last legislature
which was passed, - Il seems TO me. in
4 mistaken zeal for the farmer and re-
leases the latter from any restriction as
10 the time or place when he may sell
goods in the City. ! siili believe that the
advantages 81 the Public Market Plan ~
soon az they sre understood viii secure a
general resort 10 the market place and an
observance 81 market rules.
ROTATION OF LABORERS.
There has been. some demand Tor rota-
ton Of ordinary iaborers in the CITY ser
vice under civil service rules. was for
a tine impressed with the fairness ~ these
suggestions. but upon careful consideration
have become thoroughly c0nV inced that 10
would not only b. unfair bat unwize FOR
all tire interests concerned. not excepting
those Nho desire TO share in the rotation.
man at fair pay any attempt to divide
that employ ment between two. three or