Taxpayers vs. County Hall: The Municipal League's 1895 Revolt

A poorly attended meeting of the Municipal League was held last evening in the chamber of commerce. Four resolutions were adopted, and a petition to the county commissioners asked for economy in county affairs. E. O. Graves presided and M. J. Clarke acted as secretary.

The first resolution passed was read by Judge J. J. McGilvra and condemned the action of the county commissioners in employing private counsel to attend to a portion of the duties of the prosecuting attorney, and urged legal proceedings to prevent the execution of the contract.

J. J. McGilvra presented another resolution, which was adopted, in which the action of the late board of county commissioners in raising the penalty of the bond required of the county treasurer-elect and their acceptance of the bond from the present incumbent was condemned.

Mr. McGilvra introduced still another resolution approving the conduct of Prosecuting Attorney A. W. Hastie in regard to the employment of special counsel, which was also adopted.

A petition signed by 200 taxpayers was read and adopted. It sets forth that times are hard and taxes high and it is difficult to get money to pay them, and calls upon the county officials to reduce expenses. A committee of six, consisting of J. M. Colman, Dexter Horton, A. A. Denny, J. J. McGilvra, T. N. Haller and John H. Kinnear, was appointed to deliver it to the county commissioners.

On motion of William G. Armstrong, seconded by T. N. Haller, Judge Thomas Burke, E. F. Blaine and William H. White were appointed a committee to see if impeachment proceedings could not be brought against Fred Gasch for malfeasance in office. The matter of the confirmation of Andrew Jackson as a member of the board of public works was brought up by Dr. G. A. Weed, but as Dexter Horton, William G. Armstrong and others claimed that he was not a practical engineer, no action was taken.

J. J. McGilvra, Dr. Weed and John Schram were appointed a committee to ascertain if there was any legislation pending before the legislature for the simplification and cheapening of governments of cities the size of Seattle. The committee was instructed to report at a meeting to be held in two weeks from last night.

The question of the illegal issue of school warrants was debated at length and the merits of the proposed law now pending before the legislature were discussed.