The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-02
WISH TO SEE WARRANT
HOLDERS SATISFIED.
DAlfgent Efforts of City 0mcers 10
Collect Outsta ndinx street
Grade Taxes.

a correspondent in the United States Tn-
weston, writing from Manchester \. H..
states some pertinent truths as to the
street grade warrants outstanding IN this
clty and the dliigent efforts that are being
inaoe 20 secure judgments against the de-
hnauent property owners and thus change
the warrants into cash.
The correspondent Of the Investor simply
signs b, bat that he is a man OF good
business judgment is evidenced from the
tone OF his letter, which Is as follows:
When / went to Seattle about three
months ago ! had the impression, as many
otaer Eastern persons have. that the city
officials and the grade tax deiinquenis
were making a concerted effort 10 keep
the Eastern warrant holders out OF their
money. / am pleased TO be able TO say
that ] found this was not the case but on
the contrary. the city has employed the
services OF an attorney 10 see especially
to the collection Of these delinquent gra lie
taxes. This special attorney has accom-
p.lshed quite gratifying results for the
city. End therefore for the warrant hold
ers, having collected in cash about Si3 800.
ana taken judgments TO the amount Of
about $li5,D1 more
Il had occasion 10 meet Mr.. w II.
Parry. the city comptroller. and also the
members Of the finance and adjudication
committees, as we'll as several other ofYi-
Gals they are without exception / think
deslroas Of bringing these old street grade
matters 10 settlement. but on account of
the depressed condition OF affairs which
Seattle has enjoyed with ali the rest
OF the country. they have been almost pow
erless 10 do anything until the last year.
After looking into these matters quite
thoroughly. think the officers of the city
deserve credit for standing up as we'll as
they have against their own people whose
Votes placed them fn office: while | most
assurediy believe II is the right thing 10
do. ! can readily see that they are In a
position where II is very hard 10 do IT, and
my experience with them forces me TO be-
Eeve that they want TO see the warrant
holders satisfied and this menace 10 the
City'a credit put out OF the way.
People East generally think that those
owing. and fighting against paying. their
grade taxes are very mean people. / wish
TO say a few words In their defense, not
that I think that they ought not pay their
taxes. bur to give the readers Of this ar
ticie a. better understanding as 10 why they
DO not. After the big fire of 1879 the city
grew so rapidly that labor was very high,
and when there was a house 10 be built,
or a street 10 be graded. the party let
ting the contract did not dwell so much
on what are the lowest figures" as On
what is khe shortest possible time In
which II can he completed" in other
y ords money was no object while time
WAS everything and public contracts were
rushed through at a terrible rate. and at
prices which, now that the people are hav-
ing "A chance 10 think. appear outrageous.
MIN has ever striven 10 save his uron-
erty from confiscation and that Is the
word that expresses what ID means to pay
the grade tax on many OF the lots In Sc
attic today"