The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-31
had three order books, and have given but
Gus order, and that was 10 City Engineer

ma buFeG 0Tn1E pOpkAt anu uMSb given pHt
ous order, ard that was 70 City Engineer
Haodsr.n
Street Commissioner Kluge has brought
or. dollars worth OF supplies, on
his " voltti0n, Or Mt least In defiance OF
the resolution Of the city conacil. In add
authority Of tho city council or that Of thu
streets and allay comnaittss. The work
or Fifth avsnns Ii an ilnstratten OF this,
SAYS Alderman Morris, and he ought
to know because hs IN the man
who should give the order. The
Highland street work is anothsr. tho Allen
street naother, and 80 on dsvn through the
list. But Klure waA n veto gettsr. the mayor
gave him fnll sway in consequences, aud the
conncilman and Taxpayers had to take their
medicine. The details Of the Eadministfa-
ton of tho street department. are at hand
and will be given to the public in the next
few days.
The mayor also appointed the present
city clerk. In many respects Mr.. Craven
has made q good officer, bnt his oktice, hHs
been administered Q n the same plan as that
of the marshal II atreSt commissioner
he ms done about 40 he pleased. Section
!, article .. OF the city ordinances provides
among other things, that ons OF the duties
of the oity attorney il ITO prosecute and
defend all suits by or against the city or
any ct its officers on account OF their OIL
cial acts" Had the mayor attended to his
uubltb lie WOul0 nave ulFHCLcu tu0 CITY AZ
torney, when he fAlIod to do 80, to defend
the damage suit against Building Inspector
MoNally. His failure to do 10 cost this
taxpayers of Helena $3.50 for attorney fees.
Ths case goes to the supreme court, and
with this precedent there is no reason why
the city should not be called upon to pay
MnNslly's attorney fees in the supreme
court.
For city treasurer the convention last
night r~snominAted tho present oh1cial,
Jas. b. Walker. Mr.. Walker has hundreds
OF personal friends in Helena. who wish
him we'll, but whom he j. in public Office
they put their personal feelings to ons side
and consider him from the Standpoint of a
public official. As such, they have weighed
him in the balance and founa him wanting.
kection 2, article 4. of the city ordinances
says: Fl ltho city treaxursr) shall cancel
each warrant on his register a. ths same i
taken up or paid, and report all whrranta
cancelled quarterly to the city o~oxnoil, and
deliver such warrants to the city clerk
for the action Of the city council"
The law is very plain. but inquiry at the
office Of the city clerk on Monday last
ELECTED the information that the city treas
urer had not delivered to him the cancelled
warrants for the past quarter.
Section 5 ef the same article 10 as fol
lows: 'As treasurer and collector he shall
at tho end Of each quarter Of tbs fscal
year, and oftener il required, prepare and
deliver to tho city clerk : full n complete
report for the quarter, stating the amount
Of receipts and expenditures Of his office
and exhibiting all account and vouchers
for settlement with the CITY council" City
Clerk Craven. asked only three days ago il
Treasurer Walker had flsd tbs quarterly
reports required by law, said he had not
The discovery that these reports had 10
ports were asked for in order to determine
the amount Of outstanding warrants. The
Office Of city treasurer is one that Gomez
nearer tho people than any other, and tn
question arises. if an incumbent disregard4
the law in one respect. doss he not in some
other? There are other features concern
office that will be discussed. and in TIT
meantime the taxpayers can ask Themselves
the question: Why has not the city treas
urer filed the quarterly reports required b,
law? n%&D"% #"s ~