Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-06-12
GENERAL | Sentiment OF TaXpay.
efS Seems to Be il. Favor !.
Of Building City Hall
Sale { Of City Lots Generally In.
dOrSed- Flavor Building ]
That Will Do For Years
Everybody Seems Tired Of
Expense With Nothing
to Show For II

~ UhUW Va ~ II
The suggestions made in the Sum.
day Tribune regarding the building.
Of city hall competent not only for.
the needs Of the city at the present.
time but for number Of years seems
to have met with popular favor, IT.
being in line with the sentiment ex-s
pressed at the meeting Of the Com
mercial club and with suggestions
made by members Of the city councll
at a late meeting. | 81.
In one respect the Tribune was in
error as to. the amount to which the
city can bond at this time. When the
computation was made the amount
| in the sinking fund to pay off the
city bonds was not taken into consid-
teration, therefore the amount of
bonds which could be issued is about
$4,000 instead Of $4,000 as stated.
Therefore, if4it should be SO decided
the entire building could be Said for
by the receipts from a bond sale If
that course is desirable. j:
The impression is general, however,
that 1t would be bad policy on the
part Of the city to longer carry free
Of taxation the lots which belong to
the municipality. It is argued IL these
lots were sold they would immed-
lately become taxable and a revenue
wound accrue to the city where none
comes now. Again, parties have beez
occupying these lots for a number Of
years and 1t is feared that 20 years
will soon roll around and thus the
city's title would be impaired should
a claim be made to the property by
the occupants. Z,5..S
It is also suggested that hould ev-
er so small raise be made in in
surance rates on account of the poor
fire-fgthing apparatus, it's shiftless
care and the discouraged fire depart
ment, the burden would fall upon
the taxpayers generally and the sum
total would much more than pay for
la 100000 city hall.
The following are few of the
comments heard on the street regard
| ing the proposal to build a $4,000
city hall 9 s n 81 4 :5.. .5 l..y.
Alderman Slattery BY all means
let us have it. Sell the city lots and
turn the receipts into the hall fund.
Then the lots would be paying taxes
instead Of lying idle any longer.
e. s. Pierce i think we ought to
have at least a $50 900 building; one
that would do for years to come. It
is time we woke UP and had
something to show for the money we
are paying out every year in rents
and items which leave nothing OF
tangible value. K. II. Il. a
q. G. Field /: am in hearty syn.
patty with the idea to build city
hall which will be credit to the city.
We have needed it for number of
years. 1t would be a money saver, as
what we pay out annually for rents
and fire expenses would pay a stiff
rate Of interest on large sum. Sell
the lots and build the hall.
Fred Strauss !: Build the hall and
save money. Why. should the city do
what we would not do ourselves In
q private capacity. Let us put our
taxes where they will show results.
Ex-City Auditor Thistlewaits The
Tribune was mistaken in the amount
the, city can bond for; the net bond
Led Indebtedness of the city is about
$50. 900. so we could bond for about
$4,000. We have needed a city hall
for long time and ought to sell the
lots, apply the receipts to the build
Ling fund. II is grand good thing.
Lewis Larson Just the thing. Let
us have a building the people will be
proud of. None Of us care SO much
about q reasonable amount OF taxes
iif we have something good to show
for the money. Cut OF the expense
for rent, erect good, substantial
hall, build up the fire department.
and get rid Of the lots which have
been lying idle all these years. There
is no better time to sell them.
Walfred Hoover |: I am sure every
body ought to be In favor Of a good.
substantial building for city uses. We
need it very badly as It would stop
the drain from rents besides putting
the fire department on Its feet, and
all business men understand what
that means, hope the building will
Ibe buiIt. tsis fail