The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-02-21
MOFFETT MUST GIVE CERTAIN
REQUIRED GUARANTEES.
APPOINTMENT THAT FAILED
Council Declines to Confirm Mayors
t II Appointee for Chief of
ss%s$3sz Police.

The reports of the police magistrate
and late CHIEF of police for the month
il of December had another inning a.
last nights meeting of the city coun
Gil. Alderman Berky of the finance
committee reported that upon investi
had reported a fine of IS that did not
appear upon the report of the magis
trate. The latter had declared that
the fine had never been collected by
him or turned in by the police.
In reply to a question from White
Berky said he had not examined the
magistrates books; that he had call
ed several times, but Judge Mann was
not in his office either time.
Policeman Hayden said that the SIS
had been deposited by a man named
Swanson for his appearance in police
court. He remembered having heard
Policeman Taylor, who made the ar
rest, say he had the money, along
with some other, and was going to
give it to the magistrate. Hayden was
instructed to find Taylor so that his
statement regarding the matter might
be heard.
Pending that officers arrival the
council took up other matters. after
having accepted the committees re-
port on the January reports of the
chief and magistrate, which were
found to be correct.
The ordinance committee reported
two bills for ordinances. One pro-
vides that whenever a majority of lot
m in a block fronting upon the
same street or avenue shall petition
the council for the construction of a
sidewalk along that side of the block
the same shall be ordered construct
ed. The signatures to such petitions
in each instance must be those of the
actual lot owners, the signatures of
agents not to be recognized, unless
authorization is given by power Of
attorney filed with the city clerk. Pro-
vision is also made for construction of
walks upon the councils own motion,
or at the request of a minority of
property owners in a block. Before
such construction shall be ordered,
however, personal notice must be CIV
en- to all interested, giving the time
and place when the council will con-
slider such construction, in order that
objections thereto may be heard.
The other was for an ordinance COM
polling railroad companies to main
tain arc lights at all points where
their tracks cross public streets with
in the corporate units.
Both bills were read and referred.
Officer Taylor had now arrived and
when asked about the Swanson fine
said it had never been paid. Swanson
had been fined the amount, but the
money had never been forthcoming,
as Swanson had been released upon
the promise of a citizen to pay the
fine, something the citizen had failed
to do.
With this explanation both reports
were re-referred to the finance com
mittee.
H. J. Horn, superintendent, present
ed a written request petitioning. the
council to close T~wenty-sixth street
and in it's place open Twenty-fourth
street in order that the platforms of
the Northern Pacific wool warehouse
may be enlarged and thereby facili-
tate the handling of wool by the COM
pany during the coming season. To
properly handle the increased amount
of wool now brought to this market,
the petition set forth that the present
sampling and baling capacity should
be doubled.
A n~umerously signed petition to the
council to grant l.. L. Moffett or some
other person a franchise to construct
and maintain a separate local tele-
phone system in the city was now pre-
scented.
Following the reading of the petit
ton the clerk read for the second
time the bill for an ordinance grant
ing Moffett a franchise for a local ex-
change and giving him permission to
bring in his long distance lines.
Berky moved adoption of the or
dinance. Hogue seconded the mo-
tiou.
Being nov before the council, White
himself on the ordinance.
He said that while he was not oppos-
ed to granting a franchise to another
company he was opposed to the ordi-
nance then under discussion, It gave
everything to Moffett and nothing to
the city. No time al specified for
,omp1pfiou IF tho cvctop, po;+h,, uo