Bismarck weekly tribune., 1888-02-03

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TRIBUNE from points east of Illinois should be
sent to him.
Do WE WANT THE NEW CHARTER?
Will it be best for Bismarck to remain
longer under its present city charter or
adopt the new law? That is the question
now agitating the public mind. Unques-
tionably the general incorporation act
contains many admirable features which
the present special charter under which
Bismarck is acting does not contain, but
do the good points Offset the bad ones?
Or, granting that they do, another ques-
ton arises. Will the present condition
of the city's finances justify the adoption,
at this time, of measure that will in
crease the running expenses and reduce
the revenue? Undoubtedly for city of
say 10000 people, prospering and
anxious to extend it's public inn
provements, unhampered by the clamor
of drones, this new city charter is just
the thing. 1t has been adopted by Grand
Forks, Fargo, Aberdeen, Watertown and
few other cities, but it is possible that
the special charters under which they
were acting were not as good as that of
Bismarck. The counties in which these
cities are located have voted for prohibi-
%;o, op1 kI,,e ~,,o of kl,o n, oo% ;,,opork,r&
provisions in the new charter-of es-
pecial interest to us-is of no interest
whatever to them.
Under special act of the legislature
all monies received for licensing the sale
of liquors in Bismarck amounting
to about $500 annually-are paid into
the city treasury, while the new charter
in question provides that one-third of
this money shall be paid into the county
general fund. Thus the city would be
deprived of $2,5O0 received from this
source annually.
The new incorporation act also pro-
vides for city assessor, and while this
would incur additional expense it is not
improbable that it would prove more
satisfactory than the present mode of as
sessment.
The most important provision in the
new charter and the one calculated to
have the most influence in commencing
the law to the people is that doing away
with the present system of double taxa
tion-that is the collection of taxes and
the sale of property for delinquent taxes
by both the city and county treasurers.
Under the new incorporation law the city
assessment is given to the county treas
urer, who collects all the taxes and pays
over to the city monthly it's proportion
of monies thus paid. This does away
with the present cumbersome machine
which causes not only unnecessary
trouble, but often times serious litigation
and loss of property. Taxes should be
paid at but one place and one receipt
ought to be sufficient for one years taxes
Under the present system person must
pay the city tax to the city treasurer and
the county tax to the county treasurer,
failing to do which subjects his property
to sale for delinquent taxes and the ulti-
mate issuance-if not redeemed of tax
deed. However, it is not necessary to
adopt the new charter to get rid of this
nuisance; only few cities in the terri
tory are cursed with such system and
all will join in a request to the next leg
islature to repeal the law and it will be
done. There can be no opposition. OF
course the adoption of the new charter
at this time would bring about this re-
form this year. To wait for legislative
enactment would require another year.
Under our present city charter the sal
ary of the mayor is restricted to $25 per
annum, and the compensation of each
alderman to SIS per annum, or a total ex-
pense of $65 per annum.
Under the new incorporation law the
salaries of the mayor and council are
fixed by the council. No restriction is
placed on the amount that may be paid
the mayor and the only restriction on the
aldermen is that they shall receive not
more than 50 each for each meeting
of the city council actually attended.
While it is possible that a city council
might not exercise it's right to "play the
limit" in the matter of salaries, yet they
would be perfectly justified under this
law in SO doing. The new law also gives
the mayor and council authority to create
quite number of new offices from time
to time, such as the appointment of COM
missioners Of local improvements, whose
duty it shall be to view premises and
assess the damages OF benefits which
may be occasioned by street improve
ments, etc.
The powers Of the city justice are en-
larged under the new law, and trial by
jury is granted in certain cases.
The chief of police and police officers