SEAHODM18910720

395 House of Delegates of the City of Seattle

july 20/91 The House of Delegates of the City of Seattle meets this 20 ^th day of July 1891 at 7 ³⁰ PM pursuant to adjournment. President R.W. Jones in the chair, at roll call the following officers are present Bagley Barnes Barton Cowder Davis Furry Kittinger Krug Lansing Morford Shipley Willis M President

The following proceedings are had Journal of the last meeting read + approved

The following message was read from the Mayor [?] [?] to the Finance Com

Office of the Mayor Seattle July 20^th 1891

To The Honorable, The City Council of Seattle

Gentlemen, I learn that you are in doubt-whether to approve of certain items of expense I sent in to your honorable body as having been incurred in [?] cases of extreme distress or in Sunday papers out of the city as your hesitation raises a question of Public policy I submit that so long as necessitions cases are referred to me by you I shall take such steps as in my judgement seen to meet the adjournment of each case and such as were best promote the city imminent.

I have not sought and do not desire the responsibilities.

396 Journal of the Proceedings of the

July 20/91 It is not a pleasant task to have to turn away a starving woman from the door; to refuse a helpless cripple or blind man the right to earn a crust, nor is it good policy to keep an invalid or pauper in the city when a few dollars would send either away to homes or friends. Witherto the entire burden of this city has fallen upon a small band of noble women who have done splendid work at a sacrifice of personal comfort and with such [?] as entitle them to the gratitude of the community.

As the city goes the number of indigent and afflected will increase and if a system cannot now be adopted at least a policy can be inaugurated. The county is not found by law to care for these who have not been useful for six months. The cases are differant

County ruling is for citizens who reside here. Who are presumed to have been taxpayers and whose care is hereby a charge upon their home county The city principal burdens are [?] where it is descreable to get rid of.

It would not be fair to the farmers who do not benefit by increased population as city property owners do to make them bear the expense of caring for the citys poor

Seattle has comparatively a very Rightpauper class but it forms one of the inevitable incidents of united [?] growth.

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