The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-05
BOARDING IN JAIL
Quite a Little Wrangle Over the Pris-
oners' Feed Bill.
SEVERAL VIEWS EXPRESSED
Then the Councllmen Express
Opinions Regarding Licenses
Snow on Sidewalks and
How to Remove IL.

Special Correspondence OF the Standard.
Livingston. Dec. AT the regular
monthly meeting of the city council,
held Monday evening, considerable
time was taken up in the discussion OF
matters OF more or less moment. The
presentation by Sheriff Young of his
bill for boarding city prisoners in the
county Jail provoked general discus
sion. The bill covered a period OF six
months and was for s111.6O. the rate
charged being 80 cents per day for
each city prisoner.
Alderman Thompson vigorously OPP
posed the allowance OF the bill on the
ground that Ii was excessive, his con-
tention being that the sheriff had no
right to charge so cents per capita per
day for the board of city prisoners
when the law only allowed him 60
cents per day for the board of county
prisoners He said the bill had been
presented several times before and
thrown out: that IL the sheriff had any
idea the bill was legal. he would bring
suit to collect instead of showing IL be-
fore the council at every meeting. and
that for his part he didn't care how
soon suit was commenced. THE price
charged" said the alderman, lis more
than the legal rate and l want to state
right here as a member OF this council,
1 am opposed to the practice that has
obtained with the county commissions
ers of allowing county officers to get
their hands into the public treasury"
Alderman Mayne confined himself to
the expression of the opinion that he
didn't think 1t was right, whether 1t
was legal or not, for the sheriff to
charge the city any more for the board
of city prisoners than he charged the
county for the board of county pris-
oners.
Alderman Gordon said he didn't
want to see the city get into a law suit
over the matter; that as the city had
no contract with either the county
commissioners or the sheriff for the
board of city prisoners the present bill
should he paid. and then have an un-
Outstanding with the sheriff as TO the
price to be charged in the future.
City Attorney Wilson told the coun-
Gil that the bill was just charge
against the city; that the city couldn't
compel the sheriff TO board city pris-
oners; that the sheriff didn't have to
keep city prisoners in the county jail.
anyway, unless by contract with the
county commissioners, and that in his
charge to the city the sheriff need not
be governed by the law regulating the
price to be charged for county pris-
oners.
After Alderman Thompson had taken
issue with the city attorney as to the
bill being a just charge against the
city. Alderman Krieger, who had re-
Trained from expressing any opinion on
the subject. ended the discussion by
moving that the bill be laid over until
an adjourned meeting to be held one
week later. The motion prevailed.
The question of compelling property
owners to keep the sidewalks free
from snow and ice then came up. The
city attorney said that the ordinance
now in existence was a dead letter, as
1t was so worded that 1t could not be
enforced. He thought another ordi-
nance should be passed and that the
walks along the principal streets
should be kept free from snow.
Alderman Thompson said he had
been scattered around Livingston for
10 or IL years and IL had been his ex-
perience that property owners as rule
kept their sidewalks comparatively
free from snow and ice; that during all
of this time no accident had ever hap
pened to anyone because there was a
little snow on some of the walks, and
that he was opposed to subjecting good
citizens to a fine and otherwise har-
RAISING them If they didn't happen to
clean their sidewalks often enough TO
suit the within of some capricious indi-
vidual.
City Treasurer GARNER called the
councils attention TO the fact that a
number of persons had declined to pay
their license. among them being three
draymen. The treasurer stated that no
license had been paid by the Livings-
ton Bottling works for the past two
years. as the proprietors claimed that
being manufacturers they were exempt
from license. The treasurer also called
the councils attention to the inequali-
ties OF the present license ordinance
and the Inconsistencies that II con-
tanned with reference to the general IL
cense law of the new codes.
Alderman Thompson created consld-
cradle amusement by stating that he
was mot in favor OF collecting a IL
cense from persons engaged In regular.
legitimate business" but believed that
saloons and other necessary evils
should be taxed plenty" He said the
proper thing to do would be to pass
new license ordinance. making a sweep
ing reduction and fixing the amount
at one-hak OF the county license. One
of the aldermen raised the question as
to the constitutionality Of the new rev.
enue law. and the council concluded
not to take any action in the premises
until the test case brought in Butte
was decided.