The Helena independent., 1893-12-27
THAT WINDOW WILL GO.
The coua )soldss to Replace
Richard osfey's broken Glass
With i New One.
Resumption of Cash Payments to
City Employees to Be
Provided for.
Reasons why Insurance Companies Should
Bring Dowa the Rates In Hell
sas-0thsr business.

After over eighteen months time and
numerous vicisaitudes. Richard Jockeys
plate glass window In his sixth Avsnus
block, with it, big g1ign, will b taken down
and rsplaosd by a new glass At the expense
Of the city, This result was reached at last
nights meeting OF ths city council. and the
deciding votSEhich carried tho motion 70
ysplaos the broken Nlass was cast By John
G. Curtin. the opp1n5at of. Richard Locksy
70. mayor at the lschoh .last sprinx. II
was the Arst tine Mayor .CsSsin had been
oalisd on to bssak tie during his p sssns
term. The matter. after being up several
times before, was rssurrectsd at the first
meeting Of the council this month and
referred to the committee on judiciary and
the city attorney. This special oom.
mittes split in halves on the
subject, and two reports were
submitted last night. One report,
signed by Alderman Cox and City Attorney
MoIutire. reported that with oil the evl-
dsnce before them thsy were still In doub'
as to the breaking Of the window. Moth
ing had proved to thsm that any officer Of
the city broke tho window. or that II Was
broken by any person for whose acts the
city could be held legally or morally re-
sponsible. The other report signed by
Aldermen Morris and Lissnss, says that
from the information at hand and the cir
cumstances surrounding the case, thsy are
OF opinion that tho window was broke y
during the chase OF the rolics aftsr some
m n n
that ths chairman of the public buildings
committee. in conjunction with the build
ing inspector, replace tbs glass at the ex-
pense OF the city. The adverse report was
defeated BY = tic vote; yeas Z (P9st. How,
s!I, Collins. Co1. Aanioy; nn,ri hGTs T,sh.a, ana
Fuller, Morris, Hundley and Walker); tbs
mayor voting against ii and deciding tbs
lie, The report in favor of replacing the
window was adopted by yeas 2, nays7 (she
previous vots rsveraed), and Mayor Curtin
this time voting In favor OF the report. thus
settling the long controversy N favor OF
Mr.. Lockey.
The committee on ways and means. to
whom were referred the resolution provid-
ing for the resumption OF payment OF the
city's employees in cash fiom Jan. next,
the method in vogue prior 70 last August.
reported that they were OF opinion that
from the fl st OF the yaar tho wages OF en-
ployes who work on the streets should be
paid out of the street fund. and not ont of
the general fund as heretofore, alevy Of ono
mill having been made this year for that
purpose, which will produce sufficient
money. "Chapter "a, revised ordinances,
providing for tho payment OF the employees
of the city in cash." says the report, has
never been repealed, but is still In force.
although payment from sales OF bulk war
rants was stopped by resolution last Aug
ust. BY paying street employees out OF the
street fund as recommended. the only de-
parture necessary to provide for would be
the police depa' tment. engineers depart
expenses OF these departments. az at present
organized. do not exceed 81. 500 per month, 80
that no more than that amount Of warrants
would have to be sold each month to pay
those employees in money. The committee
are of opinion that the provisions OF chap
ter "a should be carried out or else the
ordinance should be re- ealed. All tho en-
ployes alike should be paid for their scr
vices in money or in city warrants. Past
experience has taught Us that this ordi-
nance has worked well realizing for the
men employed by the city their money; and
rssoinding an ordinan ce merely by reso-
luton does not strike us as good policy.
even II legal. The employees OF the fire de-
partment are now by o dinance paid out of
that fund. We recommend that the street
employees be paid ont of the stroet fund;
aud that commencing Jnn. next, the en-
ployes of the police department.. engineer
department and the mayors payroll be
paid in cash by the sale, each month. of
warrants sufficient for that pu pose; and
tnat the city treasurer be inst ucted to act
as herein Recommended" Tue report is
signed by Aldermen Hundley, Foller and
Burgard.
When the report was read Alderman How.
ell said he would favor It il they had any
guarantee as to what tho city would get for
that rnrt of the city's employees should
have their paw In cash and the Others not.
He believed in unyinR cash as long as the
cash lasted. He offered AN ordinauc ce pro-
vidinR for the creation OF contingent
fund.-" on which warrants for the salaries
of tho officers and tho wages of the en-"
ployes of the city shall be drawn. In order
to supply the necessasy funus for this pur-
pose, transfers are to be made Fl ON the fir Q
department fund. the street fund and tho
general fund to the contingent fund. AL
derman Howell moved that the ordinance
be reforrsd to the committee on auditing
and accounting, and that action on the
ton was adopted by yeas eight (Lissnef.
Post. Howell. Collins. Cox. Hanley. Wal
ker. kenck); navs six (ButRard. Flaherty,
Fuller. Morris. Hundley aud Hows).
The committee on water made a report on
tho question of pressure in tho northern
portion of the city. The report states that
owing to tho vast elevation IL was foun d
necessary In constl uctinR the new water
plant to divide the city into three systems.
high service. central and low level. The
high system carries q pressure of eighty
pounds to the square inch; the central
ninety pounds. and the low level forty-fve
,sunds. which is increased to 100 pounds
whenever q tie alarm is turned In +! ON
that district. In the central system. which
covers the business portion OF the oity. the
pressure can be ino essed to 10 pounds in
case of large fire bs tn ming on the relay
east side reservoir or high level aysteu,,
which is never allowed to oarrv less TIM II
2,5OO. 900 gallons. Tie committee como I'D q
with these remark: 1T is believed that the
insurance companies are not giving Helena
as low rate as they should in recognition
of ths splendid water system and tire de.
partment. The past viii show that tho in
surance companies dong business in Hell
ena havo been more than we'll taken care OF
bv this protection, and thste IL but little
doubt that Helena will receive fu ther
reduction on her insurance rating" Ac.
companying the report was part of oorre.
spondence between the Pacific Coast Insu =
ance union and L. ]. Steever, sui erintend-
ent OF tho water company, to the Same ef-
feet, and asking n reduction OF inturaucs
rating. The rcpo was adopted.
I ho committee on . dinences reported
against tho passage of tho ordinance re-
quirinH the street oar companies TO ALWAYS
have sumo experienced person in charge OF
their ca's when kept standing on thest eets.