The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-08-04
The City Employees Take City
Paper for Their Last Months
Salaries.
Twas Note Ehaver's Schema
to Force Sales at Heavy
Discount.
An Effort win Bo Made to Make Hush
Warrants Keceivsble for Taxes
aud Licenses

Owing TO the uncalled for Interference Of
the people who scared of tho would be bid
ders for city warrants on Tuesday the en-
ployos received their pay In script and
found difficulty In disposinR OF IL yesterday
except ut a heavy eisconnt. which vas
evidently what the money brokers wanted.
While some of the city employees who did
not need the money At once simply pst
their warrents in their pockets and efused
to stand the xorbitsnt discount asked. shs
situation bore rather hard on another class,
particularly the men who worked on the
street. These men need what little thev
earned to keep their families, and the
action Of the people who are trying to hat
the credit of the city made them loge very
materially by having their warrants
scalped. Under the present circumstances
it has besn suQgested that the
city council pass an order making
the warrants of the city issued in payment
OF salaries Of employees receivable in pay
ment OF CITY taxes and LICENSES. This
would make these warrants good At their
face value in payment Of merchandise
bought at tho stores in Helena, and over
throw the purposes Of the people who pro-
vented the sale OF the warrants on Tuesday.
The matter will come up st the council
meeting Tuesday.
The street pay roll for last month WAS
between 81. 400 and II, 500. and ths amount
was divided among no loss than sixty men,
making not quite $25 TO u man. The high
est price known to have been offered for
these warrants yesterday was 80 cents On
the dollar. At this rate OF discount the
men who secured few days work on the
street had to surrender large part of their
labor to the shavsts Of warrants.
The hs,ds Of oil she city departments
have been made aware by Mayor Curtin of
the condition OF affairs. and have In
| formed those working under them that
they ust take their chances of being raid
in warra- Is until money loosens up or the
people who are engaged In discrediting the
city cease from their effofts, and allow
those who ate willing TO buy warrants to do
| so. The city o dinancs which fixes the
salaries of the city emnloyes says: Tho
compensation Of the officers and employees
of the city shall be paid monthly by war
rants drawn upon the city trsasury, ex-
cept as Otherwise provided" A subsequers 4
ordinance which wIs passed to save th >
employees OF the CITY from the heavy
discount to which their warrants were sub
jected, provided: when there are not SUI
uCleDt luDaS III tUo bToHsuEy OL tue CITY 70
| pay the salaries Of officers and wages Of
other employees of the city for the currents
month, the city treasurer may sell TO the
| highest bidder for cash warrants for a sum
sufficient for that puf pose as nearly Gs may
be. after ADVERTISING the same in one or
more daily papers published in this city for
not less than five days previous TO such
| salr."
| Thus tho CITY stood the discount, which
rarely exceeded two per cent. Under the
present condition of the money market the
city would have to stand a larger discount.
bnt was willing to do SO. The action OF
the men who are engaged in try ing TO in
jure the credit Of the city made il impos-
sible for the city TO dispose of its warrants
OH tuesday at any discount. So the sm-
ployes Of the city had TO take warrants.
| They may have TO do go next month again.
Hence the mayor impressed on heads Of
departments the necessity OF letting all
undei stand that they take those chances;
that if the city can sell the warrants the
sa arics will be taid in cash, otherwise they
will have to take warrants.