Whatcom's Mayor Reads the City Its Ledger—and Says the Spending Stops Now

WHATCOM, Jan. 2.—Special.—The principal feature of the first meeting of the new council last evening was the business-like address of Mayor Black, setting before the council in the clearest possible manner the present condition of the city and embodying his views as to the policy the council should pursue in managing its affairs. If Mayor Black were not also president of the Board of Trade one might expect to hear some members of that body 'git up in meetin' and inveigh against him for having the temerity to publicly state so many wholesome truths, and not unlikely a committee might be appointed to wait upon him to remonstrate with him and if possible fathom his deep and dark designs. Concerning the financial condition of the city the mayor says: 'We have a bonded indebtedness of $147,000, an indebtedness of warrants of $77,100.99, and a defaulted interest indebtedness of $15,030, all of this interest-bearing. Up to date it has been steadily increasing. In 1893 the amount spent by the city reached the sum of $95,127.22; in 1894 the city defaulted in its interest on the bonded indebtedness, and had that interest been paid the amount expended during the year would have reached the sum of $120,763.47. Gentlemen, a continuation of this means ruin. It must stop, and stop at once. We are here for that purpose and we will act. We must and will do these things: First—Restore the credit of this city at home. Second—Restore the credit of this city abroad. Third—Reduce our expenditures to a business basis and to a point within our income.'

This is the kind of talk that has been needed in the council room for a long time. They are cold facts, perhaps, but the mayor has shown that he knows how to warm them up and serve them in proper shape. And as evidence that he proposes to act as well as talk, he told the council, as already reported in the Post-Intelligencer, that he has arranged to have all warrants issued by the new administration cashed at at least two of the banks at 95 cents on the dollar, instead of being hawked about at 75 cents, and also that he is in correspondence with the bondholders and expects soon to be able to lay before the council 'a plan to remove from the city the stain of being defaulters in interest.' He advises that expenditures for other than interest charges be limited to $2,000 a month and urges the council to 'pass a resolution that no bills be allowed unless the material or labor for which they are rendered be first ordered by the council in open session.' He recommends that some provision for lighting the city be made before the expiration of the present contract and that the expenditure for that purpose be not permitted to exceed $350 a month. He commends the efficiency of the fire department and urges that an effort be made to effect an amicable settlement with the holders of special fire improvement warrants aggregating $170,000, which he believes are not a legal liability, though 'to a certain extent the honor of the city is involved.'

Referring to the excess of indebtedness above the legal limit, the mayor says: 'Should we be able to realize upon all of the city tax rolls and the license fund within the year we could pay the current interest, expense charges and defaulted interest, and reduce the floating indebtedness of this city to $5,000, and be within the limit of indebtedness authorized by law for cities of this class. With this state of affairs known to our citizens,' says the mayor, 'they have elected us to re-establish the city's credit. We will not betray the confidence our fellow citizens have shown in us. We will restore the credit of this city at home and abroad and demonstrate that the vigor and economy with which our municipal affairs are managed are a drawing card to the prospective investor and home seeker. To do this we must and will act together as one man for the best interests of the city. The entire population are with us. They will assist us and we will succeed.'

It is believed that most of the members of the new council are in entire accord with the mayor and that they will accomplish what they have set out to do. The policy indicated is so different from the ostrich idea that has hitherto prevailed and has made many citizens supersensitive on the subject of the city's finances, that it merits special and commendatory mention. The first step in the line of retrenchment taken by the new council is in combining the offices of superintendent of water works and street commissioner, and abolishing for the time being the office of auditor and engineer. A. E. Jones was elected water superintendent and street commissioner last evening at a salary of $75 a month.