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

nesc with citizens ana Officers OF o1aSr
cities OF the first class il the State. \
state convention 20 ccnSs1Sr measures or
rEtrenchment ard remedial Hesitation VAS.
under initiation OF Seattlss Officers. ar
ranged for and held At tie City OF Tacoma
ID the latter part Of December. As re-
suit OF the discussions and reconne0da-
tons Of these meetings. many suggestions
in the direction o. economy have heen
made and number of bills for the relief
of tire CITY were drawn BY city Officers
and by citizens and submitted 10 The iegiS-
iature Just adjourned. some Of which. we
are glad 10 say. have been enacted into
laws
PUBLIC ExTRAvAGANCE
There is a general tendency in public
services TO ask for better equipment and 10
expect better pay than IN like lines or pri-
waite service
Public funds are voted and expended too
lightly. as a general rule. Esprit de corps.
on the one hand. and Importantly OF those
furnishing service or material on the other.
conSpire TO extravaganza. waste and over
payment In public service. About the best
eauippage in our City IS the patrol wason
In which hw-breakers are carried 10 thu
police station. Strict economy in public
a1airS - A lost art.
forget his zeal and economy after while.
when the opportunity Is all on one SIDE.
The taxpayers who pay the bills are con-
when the public money Is being expended.
The economies recommended by tha COM
mitteeS OF last year have not. so Tar, been
tent
When 1t comes to the application OF an
economy. the trouble really begins. With
employees. with citizens whose interest or
convenience will De affected. and with
members Of your Honorable Body. in your
representation OF the several wards Of the
City, the feeling Is akin 10 that of the man
who was asked 10 suggest the part OF the
human anatomy that would be the most
eligible loca ton for a boil. and who
other fellow" So IL Is with retrenchment.
| solicit your careful consideration az
the various retrencnmenr recommendations
contained IN this MESSAGE.
TAX RATE AND REVENUE.
In view Of the general decline in property
values a serious decrease In assessed yalu--
ations may be expected. This will mean
at best an Increase in our already high tax
rates. and unless We can develop other
sources OF revenue and materially curtau
our municipal outlays, our tax rate Will
go TO an alarming point. We may Just as
well arouse ourselves TO this unpleasant
truth and before We have gone on under
the present scale or expenditure and eX-
hausted the reserve which We have in the
form OF delinquent taxes, We shall take ia
years 70 keep on cash basis and meet our
municipal expenses without seeking 10
raise as large an amount from property
tax as heretofore. and after We have done
all this nothing but a further development
of other revenues will keep our tax levy
from going beyond the point which has
city many an intending manufacturer and
investor. II We begin now, we can meet
this grave problem successfully. III We
delay, we cannot do IL. The interest of ey-
cry property owner. of every tenant and
of every laborer and employe In the city
demands not only that the tax rate should
SO no higher. but that IL should be ma
Comparisons with other years or other
cities will not excuse our inaction. The
general welfare can only be preserved BY
RtsIt
A large curtaiiment should be made in the
fire department, where little has been
made for long time. A further cur
taiiment should be made in the police de-
partment, and a graduation of salaries
might be devised Tor both departments.
which would result in economy, in better
recognition OF long and meritortous ser
vice. without reducing salaries of expe-
rienced membefo of either department..
The wages paid to city laborers are man
our system of license is entirely made
quate. Many yocations which should be
licensed are omitted altogether and with
your Honorable Body, beg TO express the
conviction that. during the past year. such
license rates as have been fixed have in
most cases been altogether too low. IL We
continue the policy of throwing all the
cost OF business protection, OF business
wear and tear, and OF the preservation of
public order upon non-productiye prop
erty, while productive business goes al
most free, the business of the sheriffs Of
fice will flourish and permanent residents
will be sacrificed 10 transient traders.
/ beg TO suggest the conviction that a
number of vicious ordinances upon license
subjects are in force In our city laws. Id
cense rates are placed upon the peddlng
of dry goods. drugs and other articles
which are prohibitive while the dealers in
such articles are unlicensed. creating mo-
nopoly on the one hand and no revenue on
the other. Transient sellers of inferior
goods still seem to flourish in the sale Of
large stocks in our city,. The ordinance
for the regulation OF bill posting would
seem TO have been framed for the sole pur-
pose of creating and continuing a monop-
oily in the hands of one or two concerns
that might be able to pay the license.
CEDAR RIVER WATER.
The project of greatest Importance to
our City IS the extension of our water sys-
tenn to source of gravity supply at Cedar
river, by which. at a cost of about one and
a quarter million dollars, twenty-five mil
lion gallons per day or pure mountain
year ago proceedings were instituted for
the condemnation OF necessary rights OF
way and grounds for diversion and stor-
age at and between Cedar River and Swan
Lake, according to the general route and
plans recommended In 1889 by the City's
special engineer. Benezette Williams, Esd,
and based upon his preliminary surveys.
A study of the situation convinces the
City Engineer, and he has convinced other
City officers that the Williams plan" for
diversion OF Cedar River can be modified
ton by discarding the feature OF high
dam in Cedar River and by substituting
for the V-shaped fiume between Cedar
River and Swan Lake, as provided In the
Williams plan" a 5T-inch covered stave
pipe line under low pressure. These
changes. together with the preliminary
character OF the first surveys. made neces-
sary relocation of almost the entire pipe
line between Cedar River and Swan Lake.
During the favorable weather Of the sum-
mer this work was carried on by the city
ans q vi GO "a nd
The City Is now in possession of full and
accurate data for determining the neces-
sary diverting and storage grounds, rights
of way and the probable cost of construc-
ton between the Lake and the River.
Early IN the year several pieces of ground
on Rock Creek and Cedar River, which
were considered 10 be of strategic impor-
lance were purchased by the City. 1t has,
until very recently. been considered very
inexpedIent TO open negotiations for
money or TO ask for bids for construction
on account of the financial depression and
disturbance incident TO the late national
campaign and election.
/ congratulate your Honorable Body
upon the vigor with which you are prepar-
ing TO prosecute this work and upon your
manifest purpose to protect as well as
possible the public and private interests
of those who shall be concerned in it's
construction or enjoyment
In view OF the fact that so large an
amount of money VIII be required for this
work. that the only sact4rfty-offered is the
revenue OF our water system;
That the bonds cannot be sold for less
than par. That the interest cannot exceed
per cent: That no warrants can be issued
until the completion of the extension and
that no interest ~ 10 accrue thereon until
such completion, beg TO suggest that we
be not TOO sangutne OF the success of any
work. II has been approved by the people
Uy emphatic vote. 1t Is project whose
accomplishment Is worthy the ambition Of
any administration. and I am very
AM n "A nall