The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-19
NOT A DULL SESSION
The Aldermen Pass Away a Couple of
Hours Pleasantly.
REBATE ON TAXES ORDERED
In the Matter OF Suburban Street
Grading and the Charges There
for. More or Less Discussion
10 lndulged-City Affairs.
REBATE ON TAXES ORDERED

Even with Its chief attraction absent
travelling with the football team, the
| city council managed to furnish consid-
| cradle entertainment at its meeting last
| evening. There were two kicks which
| furnished food for talk and difference
| OF opinion. Both kicks arose in the ju-
dietary committees report, which was
| as follows: I'VE recommend that war
| rants be drawn on the emergency fund
In favor of the following named per-
sons In the following named amounts.
because OF taxes Illegally assessed Pc
| ter, Mcintyre, $3.50 taxes, on lot 4,
block 8, Faucets addition, not in the
city limits; John Tremewan, s407 on
north 40 feet of lot IL. block 6. Smith &
| kessler's addition, not in city limits !;
| Nicholas Powers, s2s.22. on lots in
| Transit addition. and lot 8 in block s,
SIT lots being $10.62. property not being
In city. and the amount on the other
Dot being $3.50 in excess of the proper
amount under assessment of county
assessor; Mrs. Jane Osier. $500, proper
ty being outside of city limits; Mrs. c.
w. Barger, $40, in excess of proper
levy; Ed Bluett and p. ]. Leyden.
$4925, being amount of penalty and ex-
pense OF sale of premises redeemed by
them from Lee Davenport, said prem
ises having been irregularly assessed to
unknown owner and said parties hav-
ih6 fCucci1cu ny payment Oh $lUS.Zo To
said Davenport, amount paid to city,
with legal interest thereon, being $50
I'VE recommend that council resolu
ton NO. 70, levying a special tax and
assessments to defray the cost of the
sanitary sewer from Covert street to
Lee avenue be passed and lawfully
published.
I'VE recommend that the recommen-
dations relative to special assessments
contained In the report of the street
and alley committee be adopted.
I'VE recommend that the resolution
OF Alderman Pascoe, forbidding the
city treasurer of the city of Butte to
pay or cancel or recognize the warrant
numbered 1904, payable TO the order
OF j. j. Anderson, signed by the mayor
OF the city, for $500, and forbidding said
treasurer to recognize said warrant or
to apply any funds of the city of Butte
to the payment of the same or any
part thereof until the further order of
the council, do not pass.
Concerning G. b. No. 40, relating TO
the franchise asked by the Silver Bow
Messenger and Delivery company, we
ask for further time"
Alderman Vivion moved that the re-
port be segregated, which was second
ed by Byrne and carried. All of the re-
port was then adopted except two Sec
lions. The first of these two was the
section approving the report of the
mittee had favored in regard to street
work and grading that had been done
the past fall, that rs per cent. of the
cost be assessed to the abutting prop
erty and the balance of % per cent be
paid by the city as a whole 1t has been
the custom in Butte for years to have
the property benefited pay the entire
cost of grading. improvements, ETC. 1t
was natural that an objection should be
made by the people who have paid the
entire cost of the improvements in
front OF their own property to be taxed
now TO pay 25 per cent of the improve
ments made for the benefit of others.
A great dead of the grading which
has been done this fall was on the Vol
unteer addition, northwest of town
which Ii is proposed to plat in the
spring and put on the market The
grading was done in order that the
street railroad company could get up
there, as required by ordinance. The
fact that Mayor Thompson is himself
financially interested. to large extent
in this addition. is understood to cut
no figure. Doubtless the street railway
company would have been compelled to
build its lines up to the Volunteer ad-
dition and doubtless 25 per cent. of the
cost Of the grading and improvements
would have been taxed up to the city
at large. even IL Mayor Thompson did
not own a dollars worth of interest in
booming the new addition. Still 1t is
not surprising that considerable COM
ment should have been excited and that
some OF the people who had paid the
entire amount of their own Improve
ments should kick against paying part
of the cost of the improvements Of the
mayor and others in the Volunteer ad-
dition.
vivion reminded the city attorney
that. at the previous meeting, he had
been instructed to prepare a written
opinion on the way in which street
grading assessments should be made.
Mr.. Hamilton said he had not prepared
written opinion, but was ready 10
give an Grad opinion. He considered II
safest to assess only rs per cent to the
property benefited. The new code Is
CONNECTING in the matter. In one place
the law says that the entire cost of
such improvements must be taxed up
10 the AUDITING property. In another
place II says that the entire cost may
be charged up to the property Specially
benefited. In third place IL says that
rs per cent. shall be charged to the
property and rs per cent to the city.
The city attorney considered that the
property owner would not be likely 10
would doubtless fight IL the entire
amount was assessed
Il don't think IL is just" said vivion.
for some TO pay the entire cost of op-
ening streets and alleys right in the
city where Ii is a general benefit. and
then go clear over to the big butte in
an addition in which some one is inter-
ested and compel the entire city to help
pay for improvements which benefit
none but those who own the lots of the
addition. Let us. in justice treat all
alike III we can Let us try to make |
them pay all the cost of their improve
ments. and IL we can't do that then |
We will make them pay rs per cent. I |
admit that signed the report as chair |
man OF the street and alley committee, |
out L have looked into the thing since |
that and concluded that IL is not fair |
and just / shall vote against the re- |
port"
On motion of Schatzlein that portion \
OF the judiciary report was not adopted |
and the report Of the street and alley |
was referred back to the |
street and alley committee.
The other little breeze OF the even /
ing was over the Anderson warrant /
There was no talking on this subject |