The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-04-10
COUNCIL ACTS ON IMPROVE
MENT coMPANY's OFFER.
TO AID DISABLED FIREMEN
Disability Fund Of Department Is
Created With Small Sum
as Nucleus.

In the opinion Of the finance COM
mittee of the city council the offer
of settlement made by the Minnesota
& Montana Land and Improvement
company is not to the interest OF the
city and last night recommended that
it be not accepted. The report came
up during the regular meeting of the
council and was as follows:
Referring to the proposal of the
Minnesota & Montana Land and I'm
provement company for a settlement
Of the litigation now. pending be-
tween the City of Billings and the said
company on a basis of the payment OF
$4,000 cash and the conveyance to
the city of a number of blocks OF city
lots, your finance committee begs to
report as follows:
I'VE have examined the ordinance
creating special improvement dis
trict No. l of Billings with special
reference to the rate of interest which
the unpaid warrants bear that were
drawn under the provisions OF this
ordinance, and find the rate OF inter-
est therein provided to be 10 per cent
per annum. Upon checking over
the stubs representing the warrants
issued upon special Improvement dis
trict No. l and comparing results
with the register of unpaid warrants,
we found that there were outstanding
and unpaid warrants against this fund
amounting, with accrued interest to
| April l., 1903, to a total sum OF $751;
874.45. Not all Of this is chargeable
to the land company.
"The records of the county treasur-
er's office show that there was enter
ed on the delinquent list on the first
Monday in December, 1896, real es-
tate standing in the name OF the Min
nesota & Montana Land and Improve
ment company situated in special i'm
provement district Nc. l OF the City
OF Billings, against which the total
tax levied for that year on o OF
said district was $7,13S.O9. To this
amount was subsequently added the
legal penalty of 10 per cent, amount
ing to $713.81, and the costs OF ad-
vertising, $122.50, making a total OF
81. 974.4O. The records further indi-
cate that Or February 9, 1897, The
said land was solds to Yellowstone
county at tax sale for the sum OF $7,-
974. 40. Computing interest on this
amount from February 8, 1897, to date
at the rate of IL per cent per annum,
the total liability OF the land company
on this account is $14 S333.38, or $95S.-
a. more than the total sum OF the
city's liability on account OF the u
standing warrants on special improve
ment district No. l.
Taking into consideration he TACT,
as stated heretofore, that not all OF
the outstanding debt OF this fund Is
chargeable to the delinquency OF the
land company, your committee be-
lieves that a fair and just settlement
of the case would be had by the pay
ment on the part of the company OF
the sum total of the outstanding a
rants in question, and we therefore
submit the following recommends
tons:
81. The rejection of the offer made
+ by the company.
. SO A settlement of the litigation
involved in the acceptance on the par
OF the city of a sum in cash equal te
. the sum total of the outstanding anc
unpaid warrants issued against the
=. fund known as special improvement
.. district No. 1, with accrued interes
:, added to date of settlement
. Alderman White moved that the re
= port be tabled and that an expert 81
= employed by the city to m tn
records, check up what property Il
' liable for the tax, and the origina
tax, penalty and interest in each case
and make a complete list OF the same
showing the present owner and t
u whom sold for the delinquent lake
and the dates of ale
= The motion prevailed and the mayo
y Immediately appointed Nat. G.. Cal
vile as such expert. The nomination
y was confirmed.
D Create Disability Fund.-.
: A matter of much interest to tn
members of the fire department wa
considered and action taken that ]
bound to meet with the approval G
the men who are almost CONSTANT
risking life and limb for the benef