The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-03-06
VOTERS TO DECIDE ON CITY Ex.
PANSION.
WAGE SCALE NOT DISTURBED
Council Tables Report of Committee
Establishing Firemen's Pay
Protest Not Needed.

1t a majority of the qualified voters
of the city so decide at the ensuing
city election, then the people residing
in that section adjoining the present
corporate limits to the northwest may
become a part and parcel of the
municipality. The petition for annex
alton which they presented to the
city council sometime ago has been
%favorably acted Upon to the extent Of
the adoption of an ordinance submit
ting the matter to the voters of the
city. The tract which it is proposed
to annex is described in the ordinance
adopted last night as follows:
Beginning at the quarter corner,
between sections 80 and SO, township
1 north, range rs east, running north
to the intersection of the center Of
North Ninth avenue; thence in a
southwesterly direction along the cen
ter of Ninth avenue, north, to the
intersection of the west line of the
southeastern quarter of section 81;
thence due south along the west line
of the southeast quarter of section
80, to the intersection of the present
corporate limits, running thence
along the corporate limits to the place
Of beginning"
Failed to Act. q
A report by the fire, water and light
committee was submitted on the mat
ter of a new scale of wages for men,
bers of the fire department. The COM
mittee recommended that the pay of
the chief be fixed at $50 a month and
that of the drivers at $50, or that the
lump sum of $4,000 be appropriated
annually for wages, without fixing
specifically the pay of the different
paid members. 1t was also recon-
mended that the drivers be not per-
mitted to augment their pay by the
performance of any duty foreign to
that for which they are employed.
Stoddard moved adoption of the re-
port, a motion that was seconded by
Thorson.
F. X. N. Rademaker, president of the
fire department and chairman of the
committee appointed by the firemen
to confer with the fire, water and
light committee, now took occasion
to address the council. He considered
the scale recommended as being too
low and suggested that the council
adopt the scale agreed upon by the
fiji eme at their recent meeting, 500
for the chief and $50 for the drivers,
when the committee which he repre-
sented was appointed.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Rade-
makers talk a new light seemed to
dawn upon Alderman Stoddard, for
he withdrew his motion to accept the
report of the committee. His second
consented.
Berky now took the floor and moved
that the report be laid upon the table.
Stoddard seconded the motion, which
prevailed.
For Dedication Ceremonies.
Mayor George called attention to
the fact that the time was drawing
near for the dedication of the new
city hall. In order that the matter
might be carried out in due and reg
ular form he appointed commit ees
as follows: Printing, Bouton and
white. Reception, Berky, Cothron
and Hogue. Entertainment, S%toddard,
Thorson and Bennighoff, to which
were added the chief, president and
secretary of the fire department.
No Scales.
Stoddard of the committee appoint
ed sometime ago for the purpose of
seeing what could be done in the way
of complying with the petition for the
establishment of a public scales re-
ported in favor of accepting the bid
of Yegen Bros, conditional that they
erect a small building to be used as
an Office by the weighmaster and that
the firm be permitted to use the
scales for it's own business.
On motion of White, seconded by
Bouton, the report was laid on the
table until the next meeting.
Mayor George has expressed himself
ac OnnoSed t0 tho coalec ua no
lieves it would incur added xpense
to the city without any compromising
amount of good. So strong is his op-
position that he is credited with the
statement that he would refuse to
appoint a weighmaster. even if the
council decided to establish the
scales.
Fight on Saversy.