The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1898-10-29
THERE SHALL NOT BE LIGHT.
Mayor Nolan vetoes the street Light

Ordinance.
On October 14th the city council
passed an ordinance authorizing tn,
mayor and recorder to contract will
The Dalles Electric Light, Telephon,
& Power Co., to furnish the city will
l5 arc lights, at slO.50 per light pei
month. The ordinance was submitted
to the mayor, and it has been returned
to the council with his disapproval a:
follows:
ITO the council Of Dalles city:
Especial ordinance No. 3l5 is here.
with returned without approval.
| Among a number-of reasons are these
two important ones:
"First, That the lights provided for
will not give satisfaction or do justice
to all parts of the city desiring lights.
"Second, That the fRances of the
city do not justify the council in max
ing the contract
TO any one having experience in
the council during the operation of the
former contract the first is demon
strated certainty and needs no argu-
ment. Inregard to the second reason,
IhGld that the duty is imposed on the
council by our charter to set aside
each year sufficient sum to retire at
the ir maturity the S57, 900 city bonds
issued in 1898, and if that duty were
not imposed by the charter, the
dictates of common honesty makes it
IMPERATIVE that such action be taken
"By statement complied by the
recorder at the request of the COM
mittee of the council, it was shown
that for the yeaf ending May or June,
1898. that the expenses exceeded the
revenue by about $50; add to this
81 900 for sinking fund and the de-
fciency becomes serious. If the
contract authorized by this ordinance
be consum maIed, it would become
operative about December 1898. at
least four months before any funds
could be derived from the extra tax
authorized and needed for another
purpose. At that time there would be
about s4,s90 in the general fund of the
city. In four months there would be
expended S630%sunder this contract.
The amount Of sinking fund should
then be about. 81, 800, and the same
proportional deficiency as last year
would be s2O in four months, making
an actual liabfiity.of the city In April,
1899, of about=s66 above its cash re-
sources. .-sl.,
''For the year succeeding that time,
you have an estimated deficiency Of
$50, the amount for the sinking fund
$1,000; to Offset which you would have
the amount to be realized in the IL
months from the extra tax the sum
of S1410, and the amount heretofore
for coal oil lamps, which at
s40O 1.-THE highest estimate for a year,
and four months would be $685., making
an almost certain. deficiency OF. over
$1,000 in April, 1900; and. this would
only create for the council condition
not as satisfactory as the present
condition.
SIN my opinion the council will be
doing an injustice to themselves and
their success if they make any con-
tracts for arc lights until the right is
granted to obtain an increased revenue
of at least two mills. l believe, arc
light are an ornament and advertise.
ment much to be desired, but 1 also
believe that the people who, want
them should pay for them and not en-
JOY them at the expense of. future
generations. There has never been
any provision made for the increased
expense to be incurred by arc lights,
and there never will be If interested
parties find 5councilmen willing to
Yield to public clamor by rushing from
a bad condition into one extremely
"orse.a. Il las a.: - 80.
"If+there is-a genuine desire for
these1ights, the people should mani
lest it by putting funds into the, hands
Of the councifto pay for them. -
Trusting that the foregoing will
have your careful consideration, it is
submitted.
M. T. NOLAN, Mayor.
DATED at Dalles city, Ore, Oct. 25.
1885," .:5e,4:, =.