The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-03-31
SLATE WENT THROUGH WITH
GREAT ECLAT.
FOSTER IS At THE HEAD
Convention Declares for Public Own
ership Of Water and Electric
Lighting Plants.
I'm Mondays Daily Gazette.

from Mondays Daily Gazette.
Saturday nights convention of the
democrats was a regular love feast.
The slate was successful and the
formality of holding a convention was
merely a ratification of the plans and
designs of the bosses.
A. c. Logan, chairman If the city
committee. called the meeting to or
der. j. D. Matheson was elected tenn
porary chairman and M. G. Morris
temporary secretary. The latter gen.
tleman at first declined the honor
and it was offered to Jack Bains. He
also refused to accept, saying he did
not have time to remain to the end.
Then Mr.. Morris withdrew his declina-
ton and began to point a point to his
lead pencil.
On motion of w. M. Johnston, three
committees, on permanent organiza-
tion and order of business, credent.
ials and resolutions were appointed
by the chair. They were, G. w. Hub
bard, JEFF Brewer and William
Schneider for the first, s. F. Morse,
A. Reilly and Fred Ohland for the sec
ond and W M. Johnston, G. F. Burla
and w. B. George for the third.
A half hours recess was taken to
enable the committees to prepare.
their reports The temporary organi-
cation was made permanent and it
was decided that the majority Of the
delegates from the several wards
should be permitted to cast the full
vote of their respective wards. There
being no contests, the committee on
credentials had no trouble in report
ing.
The committee on resolutions re.
ported in favor of municipal owner
ship of public utilities, particularly
SO far as the water works and cleo
trio lighting were concerned and rec
commended purchase of the latter
plants from the Billings Water Power
SoA1P ASCoOA VOIlOA was A0u
that purchase be made only if the
two plants can be obtained at their
actual cash value, nothing to be al
lowed for the franchise owned by the
company. If no deal on that basis
could be effected, the committee ad-
vised that steps be taken by the city
in the direction of acquiring another
water system.
Another resolution was against set
Element of the delinquent taxes owed
by the Minnesota & Montana Land
and Improvement company, except in
the full amount in cash of the prin-
cipal, interest and costs, or it's equiva-
lent in real estate, and the candidates |
were pledged to carry out this part of
the resolutions, as we'll as to adhere
to all the other enunciations contain
ed in the platform.
The report was adopted and the
of a candidate for mayor
fWas declared to be in order.
In a highly eulogistic and laudatory
speech w. B. George named Fred H.
Foster as the man to make the race
as his successor.
The nomination was made unani-
nous and a committee composed of
Messrs. Gruwell, George and Johnston
was appointed to escort the nominee
to the platform.
Mr.. Foster accepted the nomination
and in doing so said the time had ar
rived when responsibility in the
matter of administering the city's af-
fairs should cease Instead of a per-
sonal responsibility there should be
a party responsibility. He accepted
all the platform said in regard to pub
lie ownership of public utilities andy
said the time was at hand when fn4EX
gotiations should be entered into With
the water company, instead of waiting
until the time when it's franchise shall
expire. In case it should turn out
that purchase could not be made then
he favored as an alternative renewal
of the franchise for a limited number
OF years, rates to private consumers
to be lowered appreciably and at the
expiration of the renewed franchise
the plant to revert to the city without
cost. He also pledged himself, if elect
ed, to carry out the declaration in
regard to the Improvement company.
At his request a plank was added
declaring in favor of day labor in
stead of contracts for public improve
ments and an eight-hour day for Ia
borerss.