Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-06-20
City Council Finds That Levy OF 10
Mills Will Not See the City
Through,
ORDINANCES TO Be REVISED
City Marshal and Others Appointed to Re-
wise and Compile Ordinances Arrange
ments Made to Pay Interest
Coupons This Year.

was present, those in attendance being
Canuto Alarid, Sol. Spiegelberg, John
Patterson, Eugenio Sena and r. L. Ba-
ca. Considerable important business
was transacted, and interesting discus
sions took place.
There was not a dissenting vote upon
any measure, although some were con-
sidered adopted without a vote for or
against.
A resolution was passed, to be sent
to the congressional delegate of the ter
ritory, he to present !. to the secretary
Of the interior. The resolution asks that
the president make a present to the
city of the Fort Marcy reservation, as
an act of congress allows him to do.
The petition Is similar to the one sent
months ago to President Mckinley. The
mayor said that the secretary of the old
council had informed him that the first
petition had not been sent. Mr.. Baca
answered that not only the first petit
ton had been sent, but that a second
answered that not only the first but
a second was sent, and hat he had let
ters from the presidents secretary &C
knowledging the receipt Of the petitions
and stating that they had been referred
to the secretary of the interior. MI. Ba-
ca also said that Delegate Perea had a
talk with the assistant secretary of the
interior, and had promised to push the
matter. The council decided that the
letters Mr.. Baca had received should be
made a part Of the petition.
A communication was read from City
Attorney r. C. Gortner asking whether
the city has certified to the board Of
county commissioners the amount re-
quired for levy for general city pur-
poses, the law allowing the city to levy
10 mills for city purposes and an extra
levy for interest on bonds. The mayor
was authorized to make a levy Of 10
mills for general purposes, and an extra
levy for the interest account. Last year
the whole levy was only 10 mills.
Treasurer Charles A. Scheurich re-
ported that there is $546.0 90 in the treas
ury.
Mr.. Baca offered a resolution propos-
ing not to pay any interest coupons ex-
cept those falling due this year until
money Is collected for the purpose Of
paying the interest coupons Of other
years out Of levies made for the fiscal
year in which said coupons fell due.
The light committee reported sub
stantially like the report published in
the New Mexican a week or so ago. It
had been informed that the company,
when it received the franchise for its
work, also received a contract to fur
nish forty water plugs at $4,000 a year.
This contract is part of the franchise
and part of the collateral offered for the
money that was secured to build the
plant. An agreement also existed be-
tween the old council and the light COM
pany for ten to thirty 80 candle-power
lights for 1888 a light per month.
Mr.. Spiegelberg explained the report,
and stated that the water company had
practically never received any pay from
the city for the light 1t furnished, and
the water had been paid for with Bate
man bonds, on which neither principal
nor interest has thus far been paid. I'm
der those circumstances, Mr.. Spiegel-
berg said that the taxpayers have no
right to kick or complain, and that the
council is powerless to abridge the orig
inal contract. If anything is to be done,
then let the kicking taxpayers take the
matter in hand. said the councilman.
A dispute arose as to whether the wa
ter company had ever been paid for
electric lights. Mr.. Baca said it had
not, but the company had regularly pre-
sented a bill Of $3.50 every three months
for plug rent and sprinkling, and that
the old council always authorized the
paying of $500 on those bills; that the
electric lights that burned in the city
during the session of the legislature had
not been paid for by the city council,
but from other sources.
Mr.. Spiegelberg insisted that his re-
port and all complaints about the wa
ter company be spread on the minutes,
so that should the bondholders sue the
city there would be the records to show
that complaints had been made that the
company was not keeping its contract.
The mayor was appointed a commit
tee to interview Captain Day and to
reach some agreement with him on the
light and water questions, and to report
to the council at its next meeting.
Mayor Sloan then appointed the fol-
lowing standing committees:
Finance-Baca, Patterson, Spiegel-
berg.
Streets and bridges-Patterson, Ala
rid, =. Sena.
Fire-Spiegelberg, Lopez, Alarid.
Public Works-Baca, Patterson, Lo-
peg.
Health-Patterson, Baca, e. sena.
Ordinance and icenses-Baca, Alarid,
Spiegelberg.
Sewers-Patterson, Baca, d. sena.
Police-Patterson, Baca, Lopez. J.
Upon motion Of Mr. Patterson, 1t was
resolved to revise the ordinances and
compile them in a more convenient form
than the present book Of ordinances. It
was understood that those working on
the ordinances should be compensated
for their labor. Attention was called
to the fact that the law will not allow
a councilman to be paid for work done
for the city. Only the members Of the
committee, not councilmen, will there
fore probably be paid. The mayor ap-