The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-05
THE CHARTER TRAINERS.
- . i
The Principal Part Of the Document
Is Now Prepared for Sec :
ond Reading. "
- IL {
The Labor Delegates Want a
Schedule of Laborers' Wages
Included.
Also n Provision Prohibiting the Employ
ment of Young Ciiidren-Bo;h
Defeated.

Defeated.
The charter commission has exhausted
the Nashville charger, having adopted pref
ty nearly every clause in it. Yesterday the
duties and powers of the board of public
works were laid down and passed upon.
The board will have absolute control OF the
police force and fire department., and the
appointment of ALI subordinate officers,
such as fire marshal, building inspector,
inspector of weights and measures, city enc
eineer, street commissioner and about ali
the other appointments. The city clerk Of
the council will also be clerk OF the board.
No provision is made about a city marshal,
and il is probable that this title will be
doneaway with. The board will vest the
direct control of the police in n person to
be appointed by them, who may be known
either as chief Of police or police c%aotalu;;
The duties and requirements Of the board
will be many and the council committees
will be relieved Of the work now entrusted
to them. Council committees will be ap-
pointed Just the same, but their duties Will
be to receive and recommend the adoptlon
or rejection of propositions submitted hy
tuO UOHTUs va R@S~S~~S~
with the work without any bitches or wran-
giles. ..
After the board of puolic works was dis
posed Of, Mr.. Boucher suggested that under
the head Of miscellaneous provisions Il
clause should be incorporated prohibiting
the employing of children under IA years
of age.
'Do you mean on public workT' asked
MI. Chessman.
II mean on any kind of work. replied
the impetuous Mr.. Boucher.
1t was the general opinion of the commits
sion that they did not have n jurisdiction
to recommend such a law. That would be
a question for general legislation and ono
which should be provided for by a general
state law, and it was not for a municipal
corporation to say who shall or shall not
employ whom they please; but the council
could regulate by ordinance that no such
children be employed on public work. Out
swell then, I want to see this charter
fixed SO that the city council can fix the
scale OF wages that contractors and AL
others shall pay to laborers employed on
public works was Mr.. Boucher's next sug-
gestion. Mr.. Stedman said the state laws
charter provision inc the legislature would
never enact such a law. IF We let a con-
tract for a certain price we expect to seethe
work done. 1t is not our place to know or
dictate to a contractor what he shall pay his
mem" -.
'sBut they do it in Butte interrupted Mr..
Lorey. The city council fixed by ordin-
ance what wages laborers on public work
shall receive per day" .
THAT may be so,'' continued Mr.. Sted-
man, and was probably brought about by
the numerical strength of the labor or
carnations there, out that does not make
II right, and no court would sustain such an
,~3;nc~oo Wa rnirhk friat nc upl1 Law ont n
schedule of prices at which merchants
should sell their goods. " is class leglsla-
ton and unconstitutional" 9Th
sit occurs to me that you seem to be will
ing to provide for everything but the bone
and sinew of your city" was Mr.: Bouchsr's
dropped. the gentleman being assured that
the matters he suggested should more
properly be placed before the legislature.
This little discussion being dropped some
other matters were taken up. MIR. Chess
man moved the adoption of section one OF
street tax. I'VE want now," said he. ito
reach the non-taxpayinR community b
section provides that every a~ble-bodied
male %inhabitant shall forfeit and pay S.
for street tax, or in lieu of this shall per-
form one days labor on the streets. Are
fusal will leave the person liuble to convlc'
ton for a misdemeanor and may be fined
not to exceed IS. T29
Under the head of taxes a section wa
adopted providing for the levy, assessment
and collection of taxes to be nducte sln
the same manner as is provided by law fol
the levy, assessment and collection of state
and county taxes. .a5N
Mr.. Stedman and other members of the
commission advocated a change in the time
for the collection of taxes. Mr.. Stedman
says experience has demonstrated thai
money is always tight about the first Of
January and collections hard to make ane
the average business man could more
easily pay half of his taxes in July. A mum
Der of objections were raised on this point
advanced by Messrs. Chessman and Theme
who thought the present system the best
one and the matter was left as it nov
stands. The meeting then adjourned unit
two O'Clock to-day.
The charter is rapidly progressing bu
the biggest part % OF 1.-THE thG WORK imnr has beer bee,
police regulations, mourning indebtedness
and miscellaneous provisions are to be pre-
pared yet. All the work passed upon will
be revised and it is probable that some i'm
portant changes will be made that will ne
cessitate going over a great part of thu
unanimously in favor of having the mayo
a member Of the board of public works
one of the principal objections being tina
, he will also be the presiding officer of tn
city council, which is to pass anon the worl
of the board. In this way the mayor coul
a WELD a power and influence that it is no
contemplated to give to the board of publ
works. 1t is very likely that a change viii
be effected in the makeup of the boird.
Special Funds to Loan.
am prepared to receive a limited mum
Der of applications for loans on CENTRAL
located improved real estate at 8 per cen
interest, in sums of $1,000 and upwards fo
a term OF years.
Must be strictly first-class.
Fl. b. PALMER,
Room IL, Merchants National Bank Built
ing.
g Through Sleeper to st. Louis.
Commencing Sunday, February |, 1879
a through Pullman palace sleeper will |
r run from Salt Lake City and Ogden to S
Louis via Denver and Kansas City over IL
a Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific railway
FliL: 40. NJ (h-o :.l -