The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-16
BUTTE News.
TALKED AND DISPUTED
Council Gets Into a Wrangle
Over Mulholland's Bill.
NO AGREEMENT REACHED
a Motion to Disallow and Bill to
Allow Both Voted Down i The Coun-
Gil Postponed Final Action Until
Next Saturday Night.


The flowers which the new ianitor
PLACED. on each aldermans desk before
the council meeting last night seemed
to have the contrary If a soothing ana
harmonizing effect. The aldermen
talked and disputed for three hours or
various matters and finally only agreed
10 disagree on the chief topic Of dis-
pute-the bill of Chief of Police Null
holland. a motion to disallow the blil
was voted down, and bill 10 allow /.
met the same fate So the council post
poned final disposition of the matter
until next Saturday night.
This bill of Chief Mulholland was for
no per cent commission for all fines lac
had collected for the city from disso-
aute women and from gamblers Inc
collections amounted to $500 and MIR.
Mulholland's bill was for 1872. Of the
$500 collected 1920 was from gamblers,
The finance committee, in its majority
report allowed the bill. but a MINOR
ity report was received from Alderman
Macarthur. in which he refused t. con-
cur in the Mulholland bill because ne
considered il wrong.
Il don't think the bill is right or
Just said Macarthur. The chief OF
police is paid $3.50 per month in full for
all services to the city. Why shouil he
charge the city an additional commits
sion of 10 per cent for doing his dn-
ties2 a man working on the streets for
the city gets So a day and no more. or
these collections 500 were from the
gambling houses, which are running
contrary TO the state law. There mas
been talk that some policemen and 9TH
ers have been getting a graft from the
gamblers. This money collected for the
city from the gamblers is nothing but
a graft. 1t is nothing but hush money
and the city has no right to receive pay
for permitting a violation of the state
law The city is criminal when II
does that The tax of SIS a month on
gamblers as a guaranty OF immunity on
the citys part is picayunish. as well as
criminal The state law prohibits
gambling. Instead of collecting hush
money or a graft, the chief of police
should prosecute for gambling
Alderman Bowman raised the point
of order that Macarthur was unduly
using the word 'grafting; that there
as nothing in the bill under considera-
Tion which mentions grating. The bill
was read and the mayor decided the
point well taken. Macarthur Appealed
from the mayors decision, but the APP
peal was not sustained. Macarthur then
resumed:
For four months the inspector Of
weights and measures has collected the
fines from the bad lands. He was paid
500 a month and received no commits
sion Why should these collections he
now turned over TO another official and
he be given commission
why should the chief of police be al
lowed to collect from gamblers any
more than from drunkse" asked Alder
man knowlton
There is a good deal of expense at
tached to the collection of these fines,
said Alderman Bowman. There is
often hack hire to pay and other
things"
Il notice that every month there are
bills from the chief of police for hack
hire which are allowed by the finance
committee. \ laborer on the streets Is
just as much entitled To extra pay for
his work as is the chief of police. /
notice he puts in bin to the county
every month for $50. Altogether he gets
$40 a month. besides his hack bins.
That's too big a graft"
Il am opposed 10 this percentage
business" said Alderman Paseoe. i
believe il has caused much crime in
this town. | believe the taxpayers
would rather pay more taxes and let
the fines of women go. Let them pay
in police court when they do wrong.
II want to know where the authority
comes from TO collect fines from "A gam
bling house" said Bausman. 1T is Il
queer way to do business when there is
a law against gambling. Who gave the
chief Of police authority to do this.
Everybody knows that gambling il
running wide open. There's something
wrong. Why is il not stopped
AS fer that matter" said Paseoe
The city is not as much 10 blame Al
the county. II is a state law and tn,
county officers should enforce il.
II think we are getting very far from
the question: said Heilig.
We are drifting a little, but let i
drift, said the mayor. Let's have Tn
discussion out
II am satisfied that the city II bette
off financially 10 pay this percentage.
said DaVey. The collections wouldn
he as great unless the chief We're pal,
for collecting them; but that's a comics
sion on the part Of the chief that h
would do his duty better If paid It'll
more for it
is il part Of his duty - collect this
asked Bausman. "A year ago the coun
ell decided il was not part of his duty.
Alderman Page, after some furthe
discussion. offered an amendment |
allow the chief the percentage for col
lecting fines from women, but not col
lecting from gamblers. This Was de
feated by to 5, as follows. Ayes
Bowman, Davey, Dorais. Heilig, Ijubi
bratich. Page. Rowan. Noes-Baus
man, Bryant. Cannon. knoWlton. Leg
gait, Macarthur Muntzcr Pascoe-S.
The minority report Of Macarthur no
10 allow the Mulholand bill was the
also lost by Il vote of : u <, Canno
switching. The majority report wa
then exhaustively discussed. Alderma
Bowman declared the city 10 be none
Awarded