A Million Dollars in Doubt: Tacoma's Council Moves to Legalize Its Own Debt

Tacoma, July 1. — Special. — The history of the secret meeting of the council Saturday has come to light. It was called, as published in the Post-Intelligencer, for the purpose of talking over the proposition of calling a special election to validate the city's indebtedness. When, however, the council got down to business in conferring with the heads of departments, a snag was struck. The council wanted to have elected at the validation election fifteen freeholders to frame a new charter; the mayor and heads of city departments opposed. The Populist councilmen were especially urgent to incorporate the freeholders' election into the validation election, their object being to abolish the board of public works, and to do away with several other salaried offices.

The council has prepared a statement showing the exact condition of city finances, explaining how the indebtedness, which aggregates nearly $1,000,000, was incurred, and explaining that there is a doubt as to its validity, because of a difference of opinion as to the manner prescribed by charter for calculating the assessment on which the per cent limit of indebtedness is fixed. This statement was read at the secret meeting by Councilman Norton. It was proposed to have the document signed by all the members of the council, by the mayor and by all other city officials, and presented to the people preparatory to the call for the election, which will probably be held in August. When the council began talking of holding a freeholders' election at the same time the city officials demurred to signing the statement if anything other than validation was to be voted on at the election. The reasons given were that the two issues should be kept distinct and apart, so that the voters might not be confused.

No decision was reached at the secret meeting, and the matter has gone over to the special meeting Friday.