Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-06
The City Bond Question.

RurTE, June 2.-[To the Editor OF the
MINER. This occurs to me as an appro.
nriate time to make some explanation to
the people, OF the specific nature OF the re.
mort of the Ways and Means Committee Of
fine City Council, which your enterprising
gave to the public verbatim yester.
day morning. The various items Of ex.
nanditures recited in that report are aggre.
Gated in totals from the estimates OF Mr.,
Sargent and the gentlemen OF the Finance
committee. The nature OF these items eau
not be perfectly understood by the public
pithout a brief synopsis OF their character,
First the increase ofsalary appointments
IS due solely to the provisions OF the rein.
| corporatioa act. By it new offices are Great.
ed and salaries areprOyldedfOr %OttiCerst hat
h.. va heretofore received no compensation,
| The important feature OF this statement,
however. as applicable to the question Of
| he issue of city bonds, are contained in
tine Finance Committees estimates. A
brief review shows us that the following
items relate to the mostimpOrtant charac.
ter OF permanent improvements:
| Salary OF Street Commissioner. S 1000
Salary OF Assistant StreetCom-
missioner. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." LOO
Salaries OF city abOrers............ 1850
Sseeet and alley estimate........... II, 200
Fire Department flor improve
ments)...... ..-~-..w... 1900
Police Department (fOr improve
ments). ....... ...."~".... Eats
$25, 255
Aside from this, Ii | remember correctly,
some $4,000 Of the Incidental items are
FOR nermanent improvements. This makes
The sum S27, Deducting this from
fine total expenditures projected and we
have left for fixed expenses S37 $50. From
his must be taken the indebtedness of our
predecessors, 50, 500, sleaving total Of al.
fixed expenses S34,9oO. .,
make these figures to disabusa any i'm.
pressions going abroad that an issue Of
bonds is called for by the City Council for
the purpose of paying running expenses.
This is not the fact. What wedesire money
for. Mr.. Editor, is to make improve
ments that will elevate Butte above
the level of a mining camp, and
give her an equal show in the race Tor met
, ropolitan supremacy. Our people certainly
cannot be so short-sighted as to refuse the
six pence that will bring the shilling back
Good water, good sewerage, good hre pro-
1 teCGlOn anu CEeultdDjO SClCSp1 "h" "Hto
Will enhance the value OF every holdlng,and
secure the Investment OF foreign capita,
, without which we are stranded upon the
+, rock OF our own imbecility. Do we want
substantial buildings? Do we need good
hotel accommodations? Do we desire to
: sees the value of our real estate doubled:
: Do we want our commercial
Z and financial interests strengthened,
and our individual prosperity permanent
: ly assured? There is not d child IN the
I community, that HIS learned IL pratA5
. that would not answer all of these qvs'
lions with an emphatic yes!
To accomplish these things money must
. be raised, and at once. The city OF Hel'
t ena has issued $15O,OOO OF city bonds Tor
sewerage alone. We ann reach this sum-
: but we can, and must, issue to the illI ex'
tent allowed by law - $50, O0O-and we
r trust to the wisdom OF future territorial
legislation to keep US beyond this pol4t.
Respectfully,
O WILLIAM E. PE1TES.