City Treasury Nearing Empty, Controller Warns
Controller L. Q. Jackson reveals Tacoma's coffers are so low the city may soon struggle to pay for basic services, forcing a halt to promotional spending.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
City Controller L. Q. Jackson shocked the council last night by revealing there is less than $20,000 in the treasury to cover expenses for the next eight months. He warned that at the present rate, the city would soon lack funds even for horse feed. When an ordinance to appropriate $500 to advertise Tacoma at the St. Louis World’s Fair was brought forward, Jackson stated he would refuse to sign any warrants for the purpose. Councilman Mortenis joined the opposition, arguing public funds could be spent more wisely. The ordinance was referred to the judiciary committee, and the council authorized a search for expert accountants to audit city ledgers from 1898 to 1901.
“At the present rate, there will not be enough available in the treasury at the end of a few months to buy horse feed.”
Budgetary austerity and the tension between economic boosterism and basic municipal upkeep remain central themes in Tacoma's civic discourse, echoing contemporary debates over how the city prioritizes limited funds.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.