Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-01-08
THE OLD AND NEW.
MAYOR AY6R TURNS OVER THE
GAVEl TO MAYOR BYRNE.

Rigid E:c0nCuy the first Incentive
Os the NcW COuucii-The SALARY
of Nar>hai ,ndcr consideration
! The standing Committees.
The old Ep!mcil met Monday even
Ing and finished up Tia, business oi
thcir term.
Aitrr an allowance 81 contingent
cNp'n>r bills t" date, the Committee
on Sewers WAS directed to repair tn,
sewer on the corner Of Seventh and
| Franklin street. The current expense
account OF Sj06.5l was passed. OF
his $l00.32 was for street work fol
December. This seems quite large but
the heavy rains Of last month played
havoc with the streets, alleys and side
walks.
The official bonds OF the newly elect
ed officers were received and referred
t. the Judiciary Committee.
The application OF Doanc for Il
license To sell malt liquors was referred
to the Committee ON Licenses. Re
ports were received from the Clerk
Marshal and Treasurer and referred to
| the Committee on Accounts.
\ vote Of thanks was rendered DIR.
Newell for his services aS Health Off
Ger. This is all he gets out of it OK
cepting vi per year.
Two ordinances were passed. One
fixes the bond of the City Treasurer
at $4,000. The other provides for Il
license of $40 Il year for nicklc-in-thc-
slot machines.
The new Council met Tuesday
evening at Z 30, Mayor Aver in the
CHAIR.
After calling the Council to order
and reading the minutes of the last
meeting, Mayor Aver appointed Coun-
Gilman Schoiield to escort Mayor
elect Byrne to the chair. After the
oath of office had been administered,
Mr.. Aver said:
In welcoming You to chair and sur
rendering you the gavel, | have but Il
few words to say. You are even better
acquainted with the affairs and needs
of the city than am, but you will
pardon me for making few remarks
addressed largely to the new members
of the Council.
urge upon you first, that you keep
i'll mind the real objects for which
cities are Incorporated. Where people
congregate and live in crowded COM
munitles they create an unnatural
condition, they contaminate each
other. They render each other more
liable to disease, to immoral habits, to
danger by numerous causes-danger
from fires, danger from falling build
ings, danger from teams, etc. TO over
come these unnatural conditions, and
to prevent the evils that would natur-
ally flow therefrom, municipal govern
ments are created and are given the
necessary powers-policc powers they
are called; to exercise these powers
and prevent the injuries that l have
spoken of should ut all times be up
pcrmost in your minds.
If were called upon to make any
criticism of the outgoing Council, it
would be that there has been Il ten
dency to make the chief duty of the
city to see how much money conld be
squeezed out of the taxpayers.
1t is your first duty, rs / have said,
to see to it that the city is kept healthy,
safe and peaceable; that the people
have suitable police and fire protec-
ton, wholesome water at reasonable
rates; that the sanitary condition be
well looked after; that the people be
furnished with the necessary public
light and safe streets and bridges
The condition of the finances of the
city are such that these must be fur
nished at the least possible cost to the
city.
You will remember that the city is
i'll debt two hundred thousand dollars,
represented by bonds upon which
twelve thousand dollars accrue each
year. Warrants outstanding against
general funds aggregate between sew
enty and eighty thousand dollars,
while accrued interest runs them to
over one hundred Thousand dollars,
while warrants on special street funds
aggregate as much more. Under ex-
listing conditions you cannot make
much Roadway i'll cutting down the
debt, but / urge you to keep the ut
most good faith with all classes of
creditors. Levy as much tax as you
think the public can stand, apportion
the levy to the several funds as you
shall deem just, and see to it that the
money levied for each fund is applied
to debts against that fund. / believe
that If you adhere to this rule the
holders of warrants against the general
fund will not object to your paying
the expenses of the city out of the re-
spective funds in cash during the conf
ing year.
am about to retire in favor of nv
successor, and bespeak for him cour-
tesy and kindness that | have received
from the outgoing Council. | have
been associated with him much in city
work and l assure you that you will
find him entitled to your highest es-
TEEN.
The only public work of any inn
portance now under way is the filling
in of the Westside bridge. This is
being done by the government. 1t is
the sense of the old Council that the
bridge should be filled clear across,
with gates or locks near the Westside.
Ii this should meet the views of the
new Council, ! would recommend that
the matter be taken hold of at once.
1t will require change in the plan of
the harbOr by the government, and
the preliminaries will take a long
time.
Mayor Byrnc's remarks were as fol-
lows:
Gentlemen of the City Council: Ny
remarks will be few on this occasion,
my predecessor having so amply COW
cred the ground of presenting the ex-
listing conditions. am sorry | cannot
congratulate you on the financial sit
uatiOn Of the city nor on the outlook