The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-18
TIE COMMISSIONERS STATE
MENT.

The Inter MOunt0zn responsiveness
the Commissioner statement. 1t is
we'll. If the Commissioners and
other advocates of the loan can de-
rive any comfort from a contempla-
ton of the figures in the statement
they will be pardoned should they
paste it in their hats. But men who
have coolly and dispassiOnately
weighed the proposition which the
statement is supposed to urge can see
in it only evid ences OF Loose and in
complete figuring. This is apparent
to anyone who will take the trouble
to 60 over the Commissioners figures.
IN the first place they say they have
paid in cash the sum of $25.47S thus
far on the building. They further
say the entire cost Of the building, in
Guiding the cost of furnishing and
equiping both the court house
and Jail will be $132,55O
Now by subtracting $25,478,
the amount paid, from the
estimat d Cost, $132, $50, we find it
will require the sum of $107, O72 to
cover the entire cost of the structure
as estimated by the Commissioners.
To meet this they ask for 500, 900.
But a few thousand dollars moe or
less cut a small figure where such a
large sum is involved.
There is anOthe: matter to be looked
into. Say the $1O0,0 600 be granted.
There are due on contracts $37, O72.
When this amount Is paid the Com
missioners will have but $62. 92S with
which to complete the building.
Now we understand the lowest bid
they have had to finish it was for
$4,000. If this be so then the Com
missioners are again short in their
calculations $16,G72, which added to
the $7,O72 named above make the
sum Of $23, IA as the aggre-
gate shortage. The furnishing
OF the building and the laying of the
heating apparatus will involve a cost
of at least $4,000 more. This will
bring the whole amount up to $33, IA
for which no provision is made.
AS to the specious arguments of
the commissioners in favor of the
loan the MINER has already met aud
refuted them. The cost for two extra
guards should not be counted. We
ara informed that only two are en-
ployed at the present time. It will
require the same number if the new
Jail be built. Again as to the con-
tracts. The commissioners say ''they
have uniformly made the contracts to
the lowest bidder after inviting COM
petition" This is unquestionably
true as regards some of the material,
but what about the steel cells which
are contracted for at a cost
of $l7,460 SO. Was competition
invited in this instance? We simply
ask for information.
And then again a little light should
be thrown upon the nature of these
contracts entered into between the
Commissioners and parties from
which materials are expected. We
have been told by the Inter Mountain
that the parties can recover from the
county the amount Of the contracts.
From a glimpse at the contracts we
find that the lumber is not to be de-
livered until called for by the archi-
tect or contractor and that the Jail
cells are not to be paid for until the
Jail itself be cOmpleted-a very safe
contract for the county. While we
would not advocate any action upon
the part of the county by which
second parties would sustain loss,
we hold the county is protected
from loss by the wording of the con-
tracts. The materials, it seems, are
to be delivered only when called for.
The Commissioners, undoubtedly,
were aware they should not, if they
could, enter into contracts calling for
the payment of over So 1900 when
there were but about 81, 900 in the
contingent fund to meet such CON
tracts, and that they would have to
depend upon the assent of the people
to raise the money. Hence it would
the contracts were drawn i'm.
pliedly subject to such assent. If We
are wrong in this assumption we de
sire to be corrected, for we have nc
desire to make misstatements or tt
place the Commissioners in a FALSE
light. Take it all in all the Commits
sioners' statement, when thoroughly
sifted, is one that will not enhance
their reputation for business acumen