5295_01

5295-01 White, Mayor Harry Mayor's Messages, 1890-1891

1 volume 3010

Gentleman of the Council In assuming the duties per- taining to the office of Mayor I deem it my duty to call your attention to certain matters which in my opinion demand your immediate and careful consideration It is a well known fact that grave doubts exist as to the legality of the bonds proposed to be issued by virtue of the late Municipal election a made case for the purpose of testing the validity of these bonds has been submitted to the Superior Court and is now pending in the Supreme Court three distinct propositions have arisen in connection with the issue of these bonds First- Did the preposition submitted to the people receive the necessary 3/5 vote? Second- The Constitution having provided that an indebtedness to the extent of five per cent of the taxable property of the city as shown by the last assessment roll could, with the assent of three fifths of the voters be contracted for water, lights and sewer purposes, the constitution being mandatory does it not follow that this power must be exercised separately with reference to each questionof indebtedness (except what the entire indebtedness for all purposes shall not exceed ten per cent of the taxable property) and in such a manner as will result in placing the money arising from the sale of these bonds in the treasury of the city as a specila fund. to be sacredly applied to the purpose for which the same was voted. ThirdThe question is as submitted contained two distinct propositions viz: water and sewerage, and the voter was compelled to vote either for or against both, no matter how great his aversion to issuing bonds for sewerage purposes, he could not express it without voting against the water proposition. No matter how great might be his desire for water, it could only be gratified by voting for the sewerage proposition. In submitting propositions to the people which require the expenditure of money for internal improvements two propositions for distinct amounts and for different objects ought not to be so blended in one proposition that the water cannot express his assent to one and his dissent from the other. the propositions should be kept so separate and distinct that the opinion of the voter may be freely

2 expressed as to each. the case is the Supreme Court will decide what is the affirmative vote required to be cast in favor of bonds to render them legal in that respect, but in regard to the two last propositions ther is no room for doubt, but that the proposed issue of bonds wold be open to both objections and woudl therefore be invalid. The slightest doube as to their validity would render their sale impossible. I would recommend that a special election be called and the following propostions be submitted to the voters of the City. First- Shall the City issue bonds for the purpose of finding the present indebtedness Second- Shall the City issue bonds for the purpose of paying for the Yesler Corner Third- Shall the City issue bonds for the purpose of paying for the Rinehart Corner FourthShall the City issue bonds for water purposes Fifth shall the City issue bonds for sewer purposes These propositions should be separate submitted and the amount to be voted for each carefully determined. It is not necessary for me to endeavor to impress upon your minds the inperative necessity if taking speedy measures to increase our water supply. the people are entitled to and must have a sufficent supply of water at the earliest possible Time. their Convenience the protection of their property and the presentation of their health demand it and our duty requires us to supply it Much has been said about the advisibility of going to Cedar River for the source of supply. Cedar River may have all the advantages claimed for it by its advocates. Its water may be pure and the cost of supplying a certain number of gallons might be less from this than from any other source. All this and more may be true, yet the vital question of the hour remains and from what source can we secure an immediate and sufficient supply. The answer is from Lake Washington It would be well for us to consider this Cedar

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River proposition in connection with our permanent future water supply, and in the construction of a distributing system this source of supply should be kept in view I recommend now, however that a pump or pumps having a daily capacity of 10,000,000 gallons be ordered at once, that a brick pumping station be put in near the present works on Lake Washington, that the suction pipes be extended to where the water has greater depth: that a thirty inch main be extended from the pumping station to the reservior and that a committee be appointed consisting of these members of the council, Beuizette Williams and three citizens , and that said committee proceed at once to ascertainwhat portions of the City stand in the most pressing need of a better water supply; decide on the location and size of additional lines of pipe, and make any further recommendations which said committee may believe will contribute to the end in view. Your attention is also called to the condition of a portion of the streets in the burnt district. I places these streets are almost impassable and should at once be cleaned up and repaired. In places the sidewalks on these streets are in a very bad condition and many needed repairs should be made as soon as possible. the streets in front of new buildings should be cleaned off as soon as possible after work on them ceases. The condition of these streets is an injury to the public as well as to the persons occupying buildings and doing business on them. The attention of the council is also called to the fact that in the near future the city will need a yard in which to store sewer and water pipes and any other supplies. An impounding yard is also badly needed and I recommend that steps be taken to secure a suitable location for these yards on the tide flat and that yards of the kind indicated be filled up and that the competent person be places in charge of the same. That portion of the tide flats bounded by the Railroad Avenue "Y" would in my opinion be a suitable location for a yard of this character, if it can be secured. Owing to the rapid growth of the City since the present saloon limits were established and the many changes that have taken place, I recommend that these limits be re-established so as to divide as

4 nearly as possible the residence portion from the business district and that these limits when established be strictly adhered. Your attention is called to the question of providing additional sewerage facilities, especially in the vicinity of Lake Union. I would recommend that a committe be appointed by the Council to confer with a committee of an equal number of citizens from the neighborhood of Lake Union and that said committee after fully investigatin the subject report to the Council whether the sewerage from that portion of the City can be disposed of without using Lake Union for that purpose. As this is an important matter to the people directly interested. I reommend that it receive immediate attention. In view of the fact that the new charter provides for the sale of street franchises I am of the opinion that is will be for the best interest of the city to refrain from granting any franchises until the new charter shall have been submitted to a vote of the people. The city has already lost a large sun on money that it was justly entitled to by failing to require a consideratin for the great number of valuable franhises already granted. In order to secure if possible a satisfactory asjustment of matters connected with railroad avenue, I would ecommend that the council appoint a committee to act with one to be elected by the Chamber of Commerce and that said committee be requested to secure definate proposition from each of the raods interested and also to recommend what in the judgemant of said committee woudl be the best plan fror the council to adopt in order to advance the best intersts of the city while acting legally and fairly with the right of all interested raods. I believe that it would be a good plan and one that would have a tendency to keep the credit of the city at a high standard to never allow the expenditures to reachthe amount permitted by the organis act. We can in this way preserve a margin with which to meet any unforseen contingency that may arise inthe future. Some plan should be speedily devised to obviate the necessity of paying laborers in depreciated City Scrip, the discount on which reduces the wages of a class of men who are not financially able to bear the reduction The laborer is worthy of his time and ought to be paid in cash, or its euqivalent.