The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-01-04
THOSE new
CROSSINGS
CITY is TO HAVE TWENTY
FIVE OF THEM.
BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY
Asks for Franchise-Council Grants
Request of Labor Union-New
Ordinance Book.

Ordinance Book.
From a point of attendance the city
council started out the New Year all
right and there will certainly be no
kick coming from any one if they
keep up the record Of Wednesday night,
a full membership was present. 1t
was a warm meeting despite the chilly
atmosphere that prevailed on the out
side. There we're present Mayor
Yegen, Aldermen Bennighoff, Connel-
ly, Frizelle, Reynolds, Clement, Silt
nick, Berky and Tubbs.
The usual monthly reports of the
street and commissioner and the
city treasurer were submitted. That
OF he city treasurer was for the year
ending December 81, showing &c.,
692. Sc on hand in all funds. There
was paid in, in all funds during the
gear $50, 838. 81, while it cost $37,-
y 49, 81 to run the city government dur
ing that time.
Alderman Clement, at the request
OF A. Sommers, superintendent of the
Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone COM
pany, introduced an ordinance grant
ing to the said telephone company a
franchise to construct and operate a
telephone line in the city Of Billings.
The ordinance was referred to the
committee ON ordinances. .
The controversy between the Bill
ings Telephone company and the Bill
ings Water Power company regarding
the setting of poles by the latter SO as
to conflict with the formers poles,
was brought up. Manager Hunger
ford of the telephone company stated
that the controversy had been settled
and that he expected to put up longer
poles in the spring so as to overcome
the difficulty.
The committee on lights requested
further time in which to report on a
street light OH North Twenty-ffth
street and First avenue. 1t was
granted.
Alderman Clement made quite a
speech in bringing up the matter of
the mayors veto ON the allowance of
a contract for the construction of SO
new stone crossings inside of two
years. He compared the traffic on the
streets of today with that of several
years ago, saying that it was nearly
600 per cent greater. He was of the
opinion that the construction of
these walks would be an economical
me for the city. Alderman Frizelle
said that he had first voted in favor of
+lo ooyokuooA h,1k o:,,oo %Lo .c1ro-,c
veto he had taken the trouble to in
terview the merchants and out of rs,
only three were in favor Of the con-
tract, while the others were against it.
H. w. Rowley was present and stated
that he thought the. grounds Of the
mayors veto were we'll taken; that
the outlay of money was rather large
for that time and the number was
more than would be absolutely neces-
sary. Mr.. Rowley also stated that he
thought the great objection with the
present board crossings was that they
are not constructed as substantially
as they should be. G. e. Smith
thought a few crossings should be con-
structed on the main business streets,
but SO is too many. H. Hazelton said
that the present crossings in Billings
were equally as good as those in the
average western city, but the concen-
sus Of his remarks was in favor of
stone crossings in the business dis
tricts. Mr.. Hazelton, nevertheless,
thought that SO was too many for a
city of this size. He stated in closing,
in answer to a question from an alder
man, that he thought the crossings
would cost not less than $3.50 each,
this not allowing the contractor any
profit. The mayor then addressed
the council stating that he was and
always had been in favor of stone /
crossings, but he did not think that
I the city should at this time enter into
such a large contract, thus placing the
city warrants at a discount, and es-
pecially when there was only a little
owe 5000 in the sidewalk fund after
the taxes had been paid in. Alderman
Bennighof made quite a lengthy talk
in favor of the contract. Alderman
Clement moved that the council go
into a committee of the whole. Con-
nelly was elected chairman of the
committee. Clement stated that the
aldermen had gotten together and the
mayor had agreed to withdraw his
veto if the number of crossings would
be made 25 instead of SO, at the same
price as for so, and that the con-
tractor would accept such a compro-
mise. The council was of the opinion
that IS would satisfy the demand for
some time. These crossings are to
cost 1894 each. It was moved and
carried that the compromise be accept
able to the committee. The commit
tee then arose and the council went
into session again. Connolly then