The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-24
FIFTH AVENUE GRADING.
The Harrity Resolution Occasions .
Great Deal OF Comment Among
Taxpayers.
Aldermen Morris Reiterates The
Statement That He Did Not
Order the Work.
illustrations OF How the street Commits
sioncr Has Ignorod the Aldermen
who II Ksaponsiblo for Him.

Who II Hsaponsiblo for Him?
Republicans, democrats, independents.
md especially conservative business men,
who pay little attention to politics, read
yesterday. with q great denl Of interest, the
report Of that portion Of Tuesday evoning'a
city council proceedings, which included
Alderman Harrity'a resolution on the Fifth
avenue grading question. In order that
the position of all the parties concerned
may be fully understood that portion OF
the proceedings is printed, as follows;
Whereas, It is currently reported through
the medium Of the press and other wis6 that
the street commissions is employing Il
large force of men in prosecuting work on
different streets in tho city, without the
sanction or instruction of this council,
through it's proper committee, and in viola
ton OF the ordinance governing in such
matters.
Resolved. That it is the sense OF this
council that the street commissions Be
and he ID hereby instructed to forthwith
discontinue work on Fifth avenue and any
other street or streets whore the amount
involved is 800 or more, pending an inves-
tigation by this council as to the matters
cited herein.
alderman Hanley moved the adoption
Of the resolution. Alderman Weber
moved to lay it on the table. Alderman
Thompson wanted it laid over until Chair
man Morris, or the street and alley com
mittee, who had left the meeting, could be
present. Street Commissioner Kluge said
4s - 1--.t- I-l -IL Ls>, AAnk IL.
department had been saving q lot OF money
during the winter and should employ = lot
Of men all over town in the spring. Alder
men Fuller and Wilmer both declared they
had heard the directions given BY Chair
man Morris to the street commissioners
alderman Steele wanted to knoH what
right Chairman Morris had to instruct the
street commissions to do work costing
hundreds OF dollars without consulting the
council. Alderman Lissner took the same
view Of it, and thought it wrong TO handle
the public funds in that way. lie did not
blame the chairman Of the committee on
streets and alleys, Mayor Kleinschmidt
defended the action Of the street commits
sioner. Alderman Harrity said there was
no intention to keep the work from being
done. but it was desirable to have 1t come
through the proper channel, and by adver-
Using. In Difference to Alderman Morris
the council postponed the matter until ne
could be present." @%
Alderman Morris. asked yesterday to give
his statement in regard to the matter 10
controversy, said: II did not order the work
knew nothing about it until my attention
was called to it BY Alderman Lissner. ]
then went up there and was surprised to see
the extent Of the undertaking the street
commissioner had in hand. Fifth avenue
at that point did not require tho work the
o+raaE Oo,r,u - inciCnar 10 111DD TihnrA WAS 8
bad hole near tine old car barn that needec
filling, and then a little filling Of the holes
here and there, and that was all that waI
required. The work now being done is ut
terly useless, in my opinion, and will no
benefit the streets a particle. The only
reference l made to work on Fifth avenue
was in regard to the proposition whether j
was cheaper to haul rock from Highland
street to that point, or from the place
whore the rock breaker now is.
"Another thing. This is not the first
time Street Commissioners Hinge has dom
work unauthorized, SO far as l know. HI
started in to do IN expensive job on High
land street, and l had it stopped. He never
comes to me for orders, despite the fac
that in buying supplies he should do so
When this administration went in a resolu
ton was adopted that all supplies should b.
bought Only on orders iom the chairmer
of the various committees. I am the chair
man of the ordinance, street and alleys ant
judiciary committees, and have three ordel
books. I nave filled out but one order, anc
TINT for Engineer Reeder for some materia
he needed in making drawings for thu
judiciary committee. Tbs street commits
Aioner has bought a large amount of sup
plies and I have not given him any orderl
on which to procure them. Another illus
tratiou of the way in which the street com
missioner runs matters on his own judg
ment ia given in the rock breaker. Whe1
it was shut down in the fall it was decided
it would not De started up until ordered b,
the council. The street commissions hal
1t at work, but by what authority do no
know.
ST was compelled to leave the council las
evening before this matter came up,
stayed there until II O'Clock, and I thel
asked the mayo to excuse me, because
wanted to get home to one of my children
who has been dangerously i'll for more tina
a week. If / had authorized the work nov
being done by Street Commissioners Klug'
I should be indicted, because the law 0.
the matter of expenditures exceeding $40
is too explicit to allow for excuse in its vic
lation l believe in the city providing al
the work it can for the unemployed, but i
should be done in n Legitimate way and tn
money expended where it will result in til
greatest benefit to the taxpayers"
1t is the opinion of those familiar will
tho subject that the work the street com
missioner ia doing will COST anywhere from
$3, 600 to 81, ZOO, that it was not needed
does not benefit any one in proportion 3
the cost, and that tho same amount coul,
be more advantaRsously spent in othe
places in the same ward, or in other wards
Go To Parcllen s. Co. for your grass seed
fresh and clean.
Mysteries Of the Court of London. by g., W
M. Reynolds in eight volumes, at The bee Hive