The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-27
SNAPPED BY A KODAK
/ he Outlines Of Government Transac-
lions Vlvidly Portrayed.
CONTRACTS AND THE CODES
How 1t Is BARELY Possible for Of
flee Holders to Enrich Their
Pockets "A Valuable
Lesson In Law.


Mountain a day or two ago, signed
Index" and treating primarily or
THE Revolving Doors" contained
paragraph which attracted good deal
of attention. The communication was
as follows:
while the action of the city council
last evening in ordering the revolving
doors removed from the school build
ings meets with general approval.
there are people in Butte mean enough
to intimate that IL the doors had been
manufactured bya certain lumber COM
pany in Butte, instead of in st. Paul.
there would have been no kick.
'In this connection / would like to
ask why 1T is that no mention has ever
been made of the fact that one of the
members of the school board has
placed himself in a very awkward po-
sition to say the least. The law plain
ly states that no member of the school
board shall be interested directly or IN
directly in any contract or In furnisn-
ing supplies to the schools of the dis
trict and the offense is made punish
able by fine and imprisonment Yet
one of the members of the board Is also
the member of a firm which has sup
piled thousands of dollars worth OF ma
terial to the district during the past
two years"
The Standard has already called att
tention to the fact that by law no
member of the school board can be
interested in any contract or in furnish
ing supplies to the schools. Section lsoz
of the political code says:
"It shall be unlawful for any trus-
| tees to have any pecuniary interest,
| either directly or indirectly, in any
erection of school houses, or for warm
R,..- ,fs-l.f ir-
| ing the same, or be in any manner
connected with the furnishing of sup
plies for the maintenance of the
| schools, or to receive or to accept any
| compensation or reward for services
rendered as trustees"
While criticising school trustees for
being interested financially in the fur
nishing of certain supplies, II should
| be remarked that a similar law applies
| to the city council and to the board of
county commissioners. Section 4S06 of
| the new code says:
THE mayor, or any member of the
council, or any city or town officer, or
any relative or employe thereof, must
| not be directly or Indirectly interested
in the profits of any contract entered
into by the council while he is or was
in office"
Tha seems pretty explicit, yet IT is a
fact that aldermen are occasionally in
terested in work done for the cities and
supplies furnished for the city. Under
the terms of that section the Montana
Lumber & Manufacturing company has
no right to furnish lumber to the city
of Butte for sidewalks, because Mayor
Thompson is manager OF the company
and the principal stakeholder in 1t. The
law plainly says: THE mayor mus
not be directly or indirectly interested
in the profits of any contract entered
into by the council while he is in Of
fee" Yet Mayor Thompson is un'
doubtedly interested in the profits o.
his lumber contract with the city, par
| ticularly since one of the first acts o.
the new administration was to boos
up the price of lumber to the city s
| per 1000, and to reject the lowest bio
for lumber and accept the highest bio
of the company in which the mayo
was interested. Even had the mayor
bid been the lowest the council undo
the law, had no right to let him tn
| contract for furnishing lumber. or an.
other contract.
IT Is also worthy of note that a gooc
deal of repairing and improving ha
been done about the city hall. TIL
city council chamber has just beel
newly kalsomined and decorated. Tn
work was done by the Charles Schatz
lein Paint company, of which firm bot
Alderman Schatzlein and Alderman
Heilig are members. Most of the deco
| rative work on the council chambe
was done by Alderman Schatzlein per
sonally.
1t is not remembered that in an,
| council proceedings a contract was lie
| for renovating the council chamber
1t is also extremely unlikely that Aid
errnen Schatzlein and Heilig donate
| this work to the city of Butte. 1t
therefore to be concluded that Alder
| men Schatzlein and Heilig were di
rectly interested in the profits of thi
) job.
"All contracts for work or for SUP
, | plies or material for which must b
| paid a sum exceeding $50. must be le
to the lowest responsible bidder. unde
such regulations as the council ma
, | prescribe"
Whether the kalsomining and deco
rating of the council chamber cos
more or less than $50 is not known.
probably cost more. In either event
is contrary to the intent and spirit {
the law for aldermen to do the wor
themselves or be in any way intereste
in having II done. IL Is just as flleg;
as II was for the mayor to refuse
J. franchise for extending the street ca
lines until the street car compan
signed an agreement to extend It's line
through Mayor Thompson's addition I
Butte.
Is IL possible that the reform admir-
istration is beginning to care more II
r. private than for public benefit?
i ALPORT'S ESTATE.
|