The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-03-01
A Statement by Austin E. GriffithS
By Austin E. Criffiths

By Austin E. Criffiths
IT is with an earnest desire to be of
service in a practical, efficient way
that am seeking the office of mayor.
l want to see this great city of ours
free from the petty quarrels and the
constant turmoil which have ragged
within it in past years.
| want it to be free of the strife
which attaches to a city too busy with
a moral problem or a police problem
to give attention to the problems of
scientific efficiency in city administra-
ton.
In the years that have gone by. have given tho
subject Of city government much study
From time to time ! have gone to other cities to
study their ways and means OF handling prob
lens. | have been in the council and | have been
chief OF police.
II has been my good fortune 70 have had my
work in both these Offices praised BY the public
press OF the city well by private individuals
Neither taxation. public morals any other
important issue has my record been assailcd until
Mr.. Gill. with wanton disregard for the facts. has
seen TT TO hur cpithct and abuse upon and mine
From the issue Of decent city, MIR Gill fimches
lie says the issue is taxation. say it is both.
But let US accept the taxation issue.
challenge Mr. Gill. or the newspaper or news
papers supporting him, point to any act in my
Official life which makes unworthy OF support on
a taxation issue.
On the other hand, | repeat that when
Mr.. Gill was in the council, he piled up
enormous debts upon this city which we
are still paying, and the proof of 1t is con-
tained in the editorial words of the Post
Intelligencer itself in the issue of Feb
ruary 27 1914.
The Post-IntelIigencer thus summar-
lied ellis taxation record III the council
and as mayor:
"Mr. ellis administration 10as nefi-
cienf. incompetent, and ertraUagant-so
reckless and costly that the tax ley be-
came the highest IN the city's history.
THE TAXPAYERS ARE TODAT
PAYING THE BILLS"
The facts are exactly as the Post-lntel-
liqencer said they were. Whenever Gill
dominated the council and the mayors
office, the taxes DID grow year by year.
When entered the council in 1911, the city was
choking with street assessments up to %ooooo
year That was a heritage from Mr. ellis old ward
regime
got over s27ooooo pending and future street
improvements reduced in interest from to o per
cent. and had the time OF payment extehoeu from
five to ten years.
The general fund then paying several hun
drcd thousand dollars year for all sorts OF street
improvements It used for this purpose like com
mon loot by the ward councilmen | got the new
council stop this practice.
In 1911, sought to reduce the budget by So7o'-
600 The plain record in the case is on file at the
city hall and in the issues Of the daily papers OF
that day.
/ voted against raising the mayors salary. l
voted against raising nearly every salary which was
above the 500 mark But voted TO increase wages
in all proper cases where wages were under 500
per month.
tried each year to reduce the budget without
Gripping the city. voted against the tax budgets
when they were too large
As chief I dropped the expensive police cavalry.
I asked for no increase in the budget for l9l5 My
predecessor asked increase OF Sl5OOpO MY
SUCCESSOR CIR. LANG) ASKED AN IN
CREASE OF $235OOO.
But to cap the climax, Mr. Gill says voted for
the present dam site
The facts that voted against it,
voted against going ahead on this project with