Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1894-01-04
ALDERMEN AT WORK.
1894 Begun InduStriouSly by
City COunCil.-LiCenSeS
Reduced.
The Necessity of City Sewer
age Causes Preliminary
Action.
Immediate Assessment O1
LlOyd'S Stockholders
Asked For.

1ueEe was d EOOu attenuaDce dI tno
meeting of the city council, Tuesday,
and large amount of business trans
acted and several important matters dis
cussed. Present, Mayor Steel, Alder
men Blood, Fletcher, Lieber, Mason,
johnson and Wells; absent, Adams and
Porter.
The committee to whom was referred
the matter Of the water rent due the city
from the Northern Pacific company,
reported that they had called upon
Supt. Wilson and had made an agree
ment with him, subject to the approval
of the city council, us follows: That for
the water used by the company from
the time that pipes were lald to January
l, 1894, Sl75. After January !, 1894, the
company TO pay rental in accordance
with the city ordinance, except the
hydrants that are used tor watering
coaches. For these hydrants SIS per
year is to be charged. The company
wishes to own and maintain the water
pipes themselves, and does not claim or
expect any rebate. The original bill
against the company was S202.
Alderman Wells spoke at some length
in regard to this report. He did not
believe 10 leaving the bars down for
future differences and disagreements
The rental of Sl5 per year, he thought
amounted TO but little. Any ordinance
or resolution that is in the nature of a
contract, between the city aOd a corpor-
alton should have some limit. The city
| was entering into contract that gives
no limit whatever and that does not pre-.
vent the company from using the water
for every train that passes this station.
Sup.. Wilson, who appeaBd before the
council, stated that the matter was some-
| thing hard for him to settle as the pipes
had been put in several years ago, and
under what conditions he was not aware
as there were no records left, by his
predecessors. The road being in the
hands of receivers and, as they did not
accept any bills previous to the time
that they took hold of the road, it is
difficult to say whether they would pay
the bill or not. From the fact that his
predecessors never paid anything he did
not feel Ike paying anything either.
The company only used the water for his
private car aud for passenger trains.
The company had ample facilities at
Fargo and Mandan for watering stock
trans and used bus little water here for
that purpose, instead of the large amount
as claimed. The city should have pre-
sented their bills long ago when the
water rent was due. In speaking OF the
matter to Gen. Supt. Kimberly the lat
| ter had stated that at Missoula the COM
pany was charged no more than a private
citizen. Some s25 or $50 per year.
Alderman Wells stated that the city
had no intention of jumping on the rail-
road. The fact that previous manage.
ments had been neglectful IN their duty
relieves neither. The railroad company
is the last claim that grows out OF the
previous lax management.
The report was finally received and
amended so as to read that it was under
stood and agreed that the hydrants
called the "coach hydrants" shall not BE-
used for watering stock trains, and,
further, that this agreement shall be for
one year only.
THE LICENSE REDUCED.
Aldermen Blood and johnson, special
committee, recommended that the
licenses Of public resorts be reduced
from $50 per month to $50, for period
OF SIX months, commencing from the first
Of January, 1894. An amendment to the
ordinance relating to this matter was in
troduced and finally passed, but 1t re-
ceived some hard knocks from Alderman
Wells before it got through. He stated
that he could not see how the city coun-
Gil was justified in giving to one class of
business men here rebate on their
taxes. Did not see why every other tax
payer should not come before the coun-
Gil and plead his poverty and hard times
as an excuse for rebating taxes all along
the line. He thought that, besides the
right and wrong OF the action, the tax
payers OF this city, who will be the real
sufferers, will condemn the action OF the
council il taken now. There is not only
. principle involved in this question but
a matter Of revenue. The men who pay
the license here contribute but 10 a very
small degree to the revenues OF the city.
They are not large contributors to the
clty's revenues in any other way. The