The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-31
PUT IN PLAIN WORDS
Residents Of Granite County Write an
Interesting Letter.
ON THE QUESTION OF RENTS
Colonel Morse's Friends Place
Their Side of the Burning
Dispute Before the
Public.
ON THE QUESTION OF RENTS
To the Editor Of tho Standard:

To the Editor Of tho Standard:
In the Helena Herald OF the cath instant we're
two communications IN relation TO senate bill No.
T. one signed by Delegation OF CitiZt rs Commit
tee OF Fifty" and the Other by Ningted j..
Brown, formerly county attorney OF Granite
county. The communications are 30 unfair and
unjust to The Undersigned, eN-commis, ioneTs or
Granite county, that they cannot permit them
TO 20 unanswered.
The facts are these: When the county OF
Granite was organized, the UNDERSIGNED were
appointed commissioners, ana Il was necessary
for them to pTOYide offices and court room Tor
the use OF the county. Although Mr. Nor % had
served as commissioner OF Deer Lodge county
for six years. neither one of the unders gned
were convel SAINT with the laws which prevents
a commissioner from cquiring any calm eN-
cept for salary, against a county whose accounts
he audits. In ignorance of the law, Mr. Morse
rented 10 tho county building for "a court room
and county Offices, Tor 800 month. Tor period
OF five years, aud Mr.. cain, "A hardware dealer,
furnished tne county with stoves, desks and
other furniture for the use of the county While
the court, presided over by Hon. Theodore
Brantly, cancelled warrants issued for the pay
ment OF these obligations, neither he, nor any
other person, within the knowledge OF the un-
dersigned, have charged, before the communi-
cations referred TO appeared, that the rent of
the building was excessive, or that Mr.. Cain
charged, or 1he commissioners allowed him, a
sum that was eXhOrbitant or unjust for the
goods he furnished the county.
Even II the law referred TO had been known
TO the commissioners, II Is doubtful II any other
arrangement could have been made To accom-
modate the county as TO "A building, and If any
one, other than cOmmls sioner should have
furnished the Stoves, etc, the commissioners
would then have been compelled TO purchase
them outside the county, rs Mr.. Can and Mr..
FTeyschlag were ths only ones IN tho county
dealing IL hose articles. Mr.. Morse did not
desire TO rent his building To the county. lie
was occupy in the lower part of It rs n feet
store. befO e lac 50 occupied IL he had been re-
cciylng $50 a month rent for lt, and the hail IL
the second story Was bringing him "A rental OF
from Sll0 TO $780, "A month. 1he building Is
30Xl03 feet, two stores high besides tho base
Nh..NN La I NJ l.s4,N
building costing $1,000 ana the lot 5000 In adj
dillon. To fit up the building for tho court
house a vault was put IN and partitions con
stTucted and windows changed, so that 60 re-
store the building anu make II tt Tor It's former
uses II will cost at least 500. In the renting OF
this building, or IN fitting &c mp there was no
COLLISION by the commissioners to take adyan-
tage OF In county, ANA until recently there has
been no such charge made. The county has re-
coved "a hui ding without charge without lis
costing u cent Tor rent whl,e Mr.. Morse owned
Il, because the law prohibits "A county commits
sioner from acquiring calm against Tho
coanty Mr. Morse only consented To rent his
building because it was best tina at the county
Offices and he court room should be in one
building, and there was no other building In
PhiapsOurg containing hal ft for a court room,
amt the county could not cree. court house un-
IA tho county seat mad been permanently fixed
by vote OF the people
Mr.. Morse, ON entering into q contract with
the county. showed thc lease TO Judge Duriee
who found no objection To Il, saying il was .
good lease. lie did not raise the point that a
against county.
The "Delrgaiion Of Citizens Committee Of
Fifty say that the lease at It's close gives Mr..
Morse $1,000 OF tic property of Granite county.
and pretcndS 10 give a copy Of the icJse 10 the
effect that ".he stoves. furniture aud fixtures in
the building on said premises or alta surd n sreto
are hereby exp es-ly reserved 10 thH pa.ty ul
the first part The trre aaimus al the com
municdton may be unuuls ool when u Is
known that there Is no such language ia tic
lease.
Mr. Brown. in his communication. says:
Large sums az money were expended for =
Jail, which Is conicsScdy IS great q swind.e as
was ever perpetratcd On . county, Inc iail
was built by Charles Mui of Helena. ana com
petent experts a Mr. Montgomery Of iullc. AS
well rs Mr.. Mutily. have reported that i is the
best six-cel 1aA ever set up IN Montana FOR tho
price p I'D. aud Fred Bowen OF PM ipsburg pro-
nounceS II built according To contract.
The county building WAS rcuted and furnished
nine months be fore any CONTROVERSY came up lu
regard TO tho Nalldi'y or the warrants issue IN
payment therefor \ controversy had arisen
between the commissioners ana Mi. Brown.
Mr.. Brown refused To occupy a room m the
county building, and persisted IN occupying his
old Office. The commissioners tho Jrht that the
county ought not 10 pay foT an office IN addition
10 the rent they were already paying when
there was good room tnat he could occupy.
Mr.. Brown rent - paid until tie building
rented by the county WAS ready, and then the
commissioners refused TO pay his rent further.
He presented hAl against the county for rent
81 his ON e typewriter, book cases, etc. which
the commissioners declined 10 al ow. and he
brought suit 10 compel payment Judge Brant-
ly decided against him and compelled d m 10
pay back $40, ~ a penalty for falling TO sustain
ms calm When on the stand. under oath. Mr..
Brown made The statement that had the COM
mlssioners allowed hi> blll n would n yer have
raised any question IS 10 payments made 10 Mr..
Morse OF Nr. Cam
In passing upon the claims Of Mr.. Morse
an MIR. cain. JIagc Tantly stated that
neither tie rent for ne hui ding nor
TIE cost Of the s.UYes. etc, furnished,
was excessive. ana that he would pass upon
the bIs iayorably ana not the law absolute. "
make tncm void because county commissioners