Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-05-03
Old City Council Holds a Brief Ses.
sion and is Succeeded by the
New Administration.
APPOINTMENTS ARE CONFIRMED
With Exception Of City Engineer, They
Are as Forecasted in the Argus
Alderman Brown President.

oOoSAOA VI lAS Olu COuuCll, anu IL WdS
accomplished with very little friction.
There was quite gallery in attend
ance and the proceedings were watch
ed with interest, although no surpris-
es were sprung. Mayor Pinkley's ap-
pointments were exactly as had been
forecasted in the Argus, except that
w. NJ. MCLEAN was named as city
engineer instead Of A. T. Goodspeed.
The existence Of the old administra-
ton came to an end with the an.
nouncement of Mayor Symmes that
the table was clear. Mr.. Symmes at
once left the chair he had long filled
SO ably, and Mr.. Pinkley came for.
ward. "Of course, speech making is
my strong point saio Mr.. Pinkley,
humorously, "but as we have much
business to attend to, 1 will not at.
tempt any speech tonight further than
to say l hope we will get along as
harmoniously as did the old council.
We will now proceed to organize, and
/
clerk
The Standing Committees.
The new aldermen had come for
ward and joined the official circle, and
the mayor at once proceeded with
the announcement of the standing
committee, as follows:
Ordinance, Purchasing and Print
ing-Smith, Brown and Sloan.
Building and Sanitary-Tubb, Brad
bury and Brown.
Library-Smith, Laux and Brown.
Water and Sewerage-Laux, Sloan
and Bradbury.
Finance, Auditing, Ways and Means
Brown, Sloan and Tubb.
Appointments Announced.
For chief of police" said Mayor
Pinkley, Il appoint Marion Burke
Before that is taken up" said Al.
derman Laux, 81 wish to call attention
to petition now on the table,
The following communication, ad-
dressed to the mayor, was then read
and on motion of Alderman LauX, or.
dered filed:
1--WE, the undersigned members OF
the city Democratic committee, here
by respectfully request and petition
the appointment of George Gordon as
marshal of the city, beginning with
your incumbency. David Hilger, ]. A
Weaver A. Dahl, N. ]. Littlejohn, F.
J. Hazen and John A. Strong"
The appointment of Marion Burke
was then confirmed, all the members
voting aye.
Mayor Pinkley announced the ap
pointment of H. L. De Kalb as city
attorney and clerk, stating that il
had been decided to combine the two
offices. Under the former custom
each of these two officers was paid
$35 month, and the clerk was paid
in addition about SIS month for col
lecting the water rates. By combin
ing the two offices, this SIS could be
saved to the city, and he believed the
service would be more satisfactory.
Attorney Frank E.. Smith said he
had no objection to- the appointment,
in ITSELF but he called attention tC
| the fact that under the law, they
| could not pay the one who filled the
| combined positions, as salary, to ex
ceed $500 year. The attorney nee
essarily had an Office, and was un
! der other expenses, and he proposed
| that the difference between the com
| bined salaries and the $500 fixed by
law be allowed the attorney and clerl
for these expenses, which was legiti
mate.
1t was stated that this custom hat
been followed with regard to othel
offices, and with this understanding
the appointments were confirmed by
unanimous vote.
| Night watchman, Walter Gooch
present incumbent.
City Engineer, w. NJ. Mclean.
| Chief of Fire Department, j. C
Bebb.
Assistant Chief, Alex Van Iderstine
Library trustees, Judge Edwin X
| Cheadle and Miss Ada Meyersick.
Alderman Brown Elected President
This completed the list of appoint
ments. and the mayor announced thai
the election of a president of the
council was in order.
Alderman Sloan nominated Alder
man Laux for the position. He saia
he thought the Democrats should have
this position. and would not be get
ting fair shake unless it was giyer
them.
Alderman F. E. Smith called atten
tion to the fact that this was not
nonpartisan council. and it would bt
an unprecedented thing if the major
ity in such a body should elect a.
the presiding officer one of the mi
nority. Mr.. Pinkley had been electe,
because of his winning ways, but tn,
council was still Republican. He nom
mated Alderman Harry Brown for til,
position. On the roll call, Brown vot
ed for LauX and Laux for Grown
Sloan also voted for Laux, thus Civ
ing him two votes, while Brown wa
declared elected. and in the absenc,
of the mayor, will preside over th,
council.
/ ID. NJ. Crowley presented a verba
petition, asking permission to max
some repairs on the roof Of a build
ing owned by him, and which had bee
damaged through lowering an adjoir
ing building to grade.
The matter was referred to tn
building committee. and Alderma
iTubb, the chairman. asked Cor som