The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-01-23
WILL BE DEDICATED EARLY in
MARCH.
NOT YET QUITE COMPLETED
City Will Withhold Part of Contract
r Price Until Structure Is
Finished.

by the actlOn OF the city council
last night the city formally accepted
the new public building begun for it
so long ago that it requires an effort
of the memory to even approximately
fix the time. Dedication of it will
take place the second Monday in
March and the event will be made
one of great display and ceremony,
this being in accordance with
the idea of his honor, Mayor
dation to that effect to the
council after it had decided to accept
the structure.
According to custom the council
members went to the old hall last
night, but found themselves locked
out and adjourned to the Office of
Alderman White. Here a motion was
made by Alderman Bennington that
the clerk on behalf Of the council
and city accept the new building, but
to retain the sum of $1,000 from the
amount due the contractors until
some remaining work was finished.
The motion prevailed and the council
removed itself the second time by go
ing across the street and taking pos
session of the new chamber.
The finance committee reported fav-
orably on a number of bills and they
were ordered paid.
The official bonds of Chief of Po-
lice Dulin and Patrolman Walker
were approved, while the license bond
of Swim & Buns, liquor dealers, was
not approved.
The ordinance committee reported
that it vas not yet prepared to give
the result of it's findings on the pc
tition of the Billings Brewing COM
pany for permission to construct a
switch from the brewery to a point
connecting with the Burlington tracks
and asked for further time. 1t was
granted.
City Scales Ordinance.
The ordinance creating a city
scales and providing for the appoint
ment of a weighmaster was read for
the second time. The blanks left at
the first reading were filled. 1t was
decided to make the price of weighing
of the official weighmaster was fixed
at SIS per month. For violating the
ordinance a fine of not less than IS
nor more than $25 is imposed. To
insure the faithful performance of
his duty the weighmaster will be
required to give a bond in the sum
of $1,000:
On motion the clerk was instructed
to advertise for proposals for rent
ing the city a scales of the kind
needed for a period of four months
and also for Office room for the
weighmaster. This arrangement will
carry the matter over until the new
council is elected, by which time it
is expected the innovation of a public
scales will have been thoroughly test
ed and the city will then be in a
position to determine whether it wants
to make the institution permanent.
Sparing Their Feelings.
To spare the feelings of the pris-
oners confined in the city Jail it was
decided to order the windows painted,
so as to make it impossible to look
in from the street, the windows be-
ing below the level of the sidewalk.
AS a matter of security it was or
dered that the windows be provided
with a substantial wire grating or net
ting so as to prevent the passing in
of c%ontraband articles, such as liquor
and tools calculated to assist the
prisoners in escaping. The cost for
all, including blinds for the windows
of the main structure is not to exceed
$215.
Asked to Assist.
Mayor George surrendered the chair
and asked the president of the coun
Gil to preside, while he addressed
himself to the members. He made
oral report of the proceedings of the
meeting of mayors held at Helena
and the nature of the recommends
tions made by that body in regard
to municipal legislation the legislature
is to be asked to enact, and then sug-
gested the propriety of making the
dedication of the new city hall the
occasion for something in the way
of a display and ceremonial event.
On motion that part of the report
rafarr;no RI Tho dedication uac adOnt.