The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-29

FRAY the cost Of the Cedar river sys-
ten viii never Be assented 10 b. the
people II his advice should prevail
and the water renE be reduced, that e.
feesuaIfy kills the Cedar river scheme.
The taxpayers Of this city have been
called upon so often 20 vote bonds that
there are very few Of them wh0 have
not vowed never 20 vote again In favor
Of an issue. It vas only by dint OF the
most earnest pleading that the last is
sue received enough votes TO become
legal. The taxpayers are thoroughly
lmbued with the idea that they have
enough taxes 20 pay nov. We regret
to End man in Or. crichton's position
talking as he does about the owners
OF thousands Of acres OF valuable
land" who do not pay enough taxes.
Raising the percentage OF taxes is not
the way to reach those he seems TO be
after II is a notorious fact that the
burden Of taxation Is borne by the
email property owner. For every cent
OF additional taxation that would be
put upon unimproved outside land.
there would be cents put upon the
humble home 0l the man who is strug-
Cling to pay OF his mortgage and keep
roof over his head. Dr.. Criehton
shows himself to be utterly unae-
quainted with the true conditions In
this city, and utterly unfamiliar with
the statistics relating TO taxation when
ne makes such a proposition as that
now before the people. II has an lad
oaptandum" ring about it; 1t is so re-
plete with cheap philosophy about the
rich land owner and the poor man who
has to pay for water, that IL suggests a
suspicion OF desire to tickle the ear
OF the unthinking.
The city of Portland does not offer
generally a good example for Seattle,
but In the matter OF the water works
IL can teach some excellent lessons.
The system is run on strictly business
principles. Although owned by the
city, IL is assumed that the system is TO
be self-supporting. 10 pay ali OF its run
ming expenses, pay the interest on its
capital, earn surplus with which to
renew WORKOUT machinery. and have
a profit which is TO be laid aside to re-
duee the debt, and eventually, of
course, reduce the rates This Is the
only way to run any business property
belonging 10 a city. II is the failure to
do this which has led well-meaning
eouncilmen into a laundering policy.
They have. for instance. accepted unin-
auiringly the statistics relating TO the
operation OF electric lighting works in
other cities. and have assured the tax
payers that 1t was much cheaper for the
city TO own Its own plant. After get
ting it established the unhappy tax
payers OF those cities have discovered
that through false methods, such as
those suggested by Or. CTichton, there
has been an entire omission from the
expense account OF any provision for
interest, wear and tear. and redemp-
ton. And the deficiency has 10 be made
UP out of taxation. Would Mr.. erich
ton approve OF that method also. when
we have an electric lighting plant?
We should be sorry TO have to come
TO the conclusion that either Mr. erich
ton wants TO kill the Cedar river
scheme. or that he does not know what
be IS talking about, bat we see 10 other
way TO account for his extraordinary
proposition. In the ordinance providing
for the Cedar river system II is express
~ stipulated that the water rate shall
never be reduced SO that the amount Of
a. per cent of the receipts shall be less
than the receipts at the time OF the
passage OF the ordinance. This IS the
guarantee given by the people that its
obligations to the contractor for the
work on the system shall be met.
II the interest Is 10 be met by a levy
on the whole city the fund for the sys-
TEN must become a general debt. That
IS impossible, because the city is now
already past the constitutional limit.
Even If IL we're not. such a debt could
not be created without submitting the
question to the people again. The sole
purpose for making the water system
pay its way toward adoption OF the
Cedar river system was 20 enable the
work 10 be done and avoid The constitu-
tional prohibition.
The bonded debt of the city is al
ready S3.54o.0oo. and in round figures
the interest on this annually is SIT
coo The tax levy fer interest alone Is
about $50 mills. and Il Dr Crichton's
plan Is adopted At woGld be at least s
mills more.
The scheme Is imnvacticable on ae-
count % the legal conditions: and even
without them. il would Be preposterous
AS business proposition.
THE rHOoF OF THE PUDDING.