The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-16
BUTTE News.
A VISIT TO THE BOARD
Mayor and Aldermen Meet the
Commissioners.
THEY WANT THE FIRE FUND
An Agreement May Be Reached-The
Road Tax Matter Was Also Dis
cussed-Butte Pays the Taxes.
but Gets No Benefits

Mayor Harrington and Aldermen Pas
coe. Dayey. Bryant and Rowan paid
visit TO the board of county commis-
sioners yesterday afternoon to lay be
fore them certain matters in which the
REPRESENTATIVES of the city think the rep
resentatiyes of the county are giving the
city the worst of il. Perhaps the most
important matter of all was in regard
to fires occurring outside the city limits
and the tax paid the county by the IN
surance companies doing business III
Butte. Up to a few years ago THIS par
ticular tax paid by the insurance COM
panies was set aside as fire FUND ana
used for the equipment and support OF
the volunteer fire companies. Since the
volunteer fire companies went out OF
existence the money has been kept in the
general treasury of the county, ana mas
not been used for fire purposes. Inc
representatives of the city argued that
this tax paid by the fire insurance com
panies for a fire fund should be turned
over to the city to help support the nre
department, inasmuch as the county mas
no fire department TO support, ana the
mayor yesterday made a demand iol
this money, which amounts to between
s.. 900 and $4,000 per year
But the county commissioners soon
fronted the mayor and aldermen with
an opinion from County Attorney sta
pleton to the eAect that the money re-
ceived from the insurance companies -
a tax just the same as any other TAX
and is not a special fire fund any more
than is any other money received In
taxes While refusing to turn over this
money to the support of the Butte IRE
department. the county commissioners
agreed as to the Importance OF some ar
rangement being made by which the
city department would respond to fifes
Ii inA n n
on behalf of the city, agreed TO make
the same arrangement with those living
outside the city limits, but close 70 the
city, as is made with the new additions
to the city. The council would order
water mains extended to these adjacent
districts on condition that the inhanl-
1ants would pay the rental of the by
drants, or they would allow the county
commissioners to place the hydrants
and pay for them and the city depart~
ment would then respond to alarms out
side the city limits, conditional on the
county paying over the fire fund to
the city The commissioners said they
would consider this matter. They de-
MED that there is any fire fund but
thought the county ought to pay part
of the cost of supporting the fire depart
ment, and 1t is possible that an agree
ment on this point will be arrived at.
Another matter presented by the city
tiyes is the road tax. The county leNies
a road tax of ! to . mills each year on
all property in the county, including the
city property. This entire amount Is
expended on the roads outside of the
city and none of il is expended on the
city streets. The city argues that the
road tax collected on city property
should be expended on city streets and
the amount raised on property outside
the city should be expended on the roads
outside the city. 1t was argued that
the city has no more obligation TO help
pay for the county roads than the eoun-
ty has to pay for the city streets. 1t is
clearly unfair to use all the road tax
for the Improvement of roads outside
the city limits when the outsiders use
Butte's streets as much or more than
Butte citizens use the county roads. The
city representatives claimed they should
have two-thirds of this road fund, in
asmuch as the city property Is assessed
at s16,000,00o out of a total of $4,000, Oot
for the county.
The county commissioners admitted
that the argument of the city represen-
tatives looked just and right ana
agreed to look up the matter. Ever
since the city was Incorporated all tho
road tax has been used on the country
roads and none on the city streets. and
the aldermen think that the time has
arrived when the city should cease Il
carry the entire county on its shoulders
The attention of the commissioners
was also called to the offer of compro-
mise made by James A Murray on his
delinquent taxes, county and city. The
commissioners looked at the law in The
matter which does not permit a compro.
mise of taxes. They must be collected
according to law. The only way posi-.
BILE would be to collect the taxes in full
and then refund the excess over the
y &c 10 o.. f1Iv
under consideration by the commits.
cir