The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-14
AN IMPORTANT MEETING
Fixing the Appropriations for the
Next Year.
RAISING THE REVENUES
Estimates From the Heads OF Depart
ments-The Salary Appropriation
Lsads to Much Dis
cussion.

The most important committee meet
ing of the year In Butte is the annual
meeting of the ways and means COM
mlttee 1t is the committee which, sub
| ject to the approval of the council
| makes the appropriations for the year,
| fixes the salaries and seeks to provide
/, ways Of raising revenues sufficient to
run the city. This committee was in
session all yesterday afternoon in the
mayors office. Aldermen Melcher, Pas
coe and Bowman consulting with the
mayor on these various matters.
The mayor had requested of the
heads of the various departments that
they send to the committee estimates
Of the sums of money necessary to run
their departments during the ensuing
year. The members of the committee
considered these estimates, in some
cases agreeing with them and in others
| raising or lowering them.
The committee fixed the appropria-
ton for the salary fund at $50, 900, the
same as last year. The appropriation
I for the street and alley fund was plac-
I ed at $4,000, which is the same as last
year. 1t is proposed to buy this spring
tWo-horse street sweeper The pO-
lice appropriation will remain at $780,
600
The fire and water appropriation was
raised from $4,000 to $4,000. Chief
Flannery's estimate of the expenses of
the fire department was $685. and the
water will cost about $4,000. The ap-
preparation for light was raised from
$4,000 to s22,0 900. New arc lights are
constantly being put in, so that pro-
vision had TO be made to pay for the
l 1nr -a1
the sewer fund was raised from $1,000
| to $4,000. The appropriation for the
health department was lowered from
$4,000 to $4,000. There will be less ex-
pense the coming year, inasmuch as
last year the crematory had to be paid
for. The appropriation for the emer-
gency fund remains at $4,000. and that
for public Improvements remains at
$4,000.
An appropriation which was net made
last year is now made for the interest
fund of $4,000. 1t is necessary to pro-
vide for the payment of interest to
the extent of per cent of the appro-
priations, as the warrants run just
about year before they are redeemed
by the city The mayor also called at
tention to the fact that the city has
made no provision for the payment of
its proportion of the paving which was
done last season. The city has to pay
loi lHe paving VI street intersections
and for paving in front of the new city
he'll and the old city hall. This amounts
no SO, Gas. 1t was decided to introduce
resolution next Wednesday evening
appropriating money for the payment
of this amount.
There was much discussion in regard
to salaries The fire chief asked that
his salary be raised from $3.50 to 5000
per month and the assistant fire chief
asked for raise from $125 to $3.50 per
month. Attention was called to the
fact that in seven years there has been
no raise in the salaries of these officers,
although the city has more than doub-
led in size and value of property and
in work of the fire department in that
time. The. aldermen We're divided as
to- the advisability of raising salaries,
but finally the majority concluded that
the revenues do not justify any ad-
vance this year, but the hope was ex-
pressed that in another year the de-
sired raises could be made.
The salaries remain as follows: May
CT, $4,000: aldermen, $500: treasurer,
$1,000; assistant treasurer, $1,000: police
magistrate, $4,000: city attorney. $1,000;
city clerk, S1,S00; assistants, 81 1900 each;
engineer, $4,000; assistants, $1,J00: in
spector of weights and measures, 81 200:
building inspector, $500; health Off
Ger, $1,000; sanitary policeman. $1,000:
sanitary inspector, $1,000; ianitor $500:
chief of police. $1.SO0; captain of police,
$l500; sergeant. $1,SSO; detective. $500;
jailers, $1,000 each: policemen. $1,000
each; fire chief, $500; assistant. s1,5OO;
electrician, 81 800; firemen, 81, 200
The total appropriations amount to
$25S,000. The receipts from taxes will
only be about 100000, and to come out
even it will be necessary to raise $780,
900 by licenses. To accomplish this,
licenses will have to be made higher
in many directions. the loss in licenses
having been very great since the rev.
enue from licensing gambling was shut
off. The mayor is considering the
matter of calling some leading citizens
into consultation with the committee
in regard to licenses.