Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1908-04-02
septic tank which was necesitated by
law suits In court and cost $3.50.

septic tank which was necesitated by
law suits In court and cost $3.50.
The city paid the county for the
calaboose, including steel jail,
which has been placed in the city
hall, and which cost $3.50. The orig
inal cost Of this calaboose to the
county was about 1850.
The opening Of St. Paul street was
made at an expense of $500.
These various items amount to
s1l ,O3s, and give an idea of the cause
of the shortage which has been, as
stated before, accommodating for sew
eral years.
In addition to the above items, in
1907 the Commercial Club made re.
quest for a joint meeting with the
council and the club to consider the
advisab bility of building a dam across
the river. This was to give residents
water for surface wells and to pre-
serve trees along the stream. The
council agreed to the request of the
( Commercial club and the dam was
built at a cost of S467.
Another expense entirely unlocked
for during the last year, was occas-
ioned by an epidemic Of sickness from
several contagious diseases and which
expense was largely due to provisions
of tie state law amended by the
last legislature. This expense was
for quarantining, fumigating, and
the expenses Of the city pest house
The charges for fu migating were paid
for by figures based in bids offered
for the work yea. ago. The
charges for quarantining, and releas-
ing from quarantine, were provided
for under the statute. An ordinance
is. now pending to materially reduce,
the cost of providing for such emer.
gencjes and payment Of services of
health officers, If the ordinance is
found not to be in conflict with the
state law. The amount expended 10
1907 for the above named purpose
was s2116, and this expense could
not have been foreseen By the coun-
Gil in 1906, when the tax levy vas
made and could not be avoided.
These items all 60 to show that
while the city council we're forced to
keep down the levy on account of the
new school building, and for other
reasons. it was only deferring the
evil day, and so last year before
there was any panic intimated, the
council was obliged to make the
levy as above stated to- pay up &C.
counts, and to keep the city free
from floating. indebtedness
It may be- noted. In this connec.
tion that q saving to the city has has
been made BY the finance committee,
OF which Mr.. McElroy is chairman,
during the last five years by taking
advantage Of certain aocumulations
in the sinking fund, and thus paying
of city bonds not due, in the sum
of s3700, saving interest In the
amount Of $500 on one Of such bonds
alone, which was hot due until 1921.
The annual report Of the city
treasurer and auditor will be made
to the council at It's next meeting,
and has been delayed largely be-
cause the county treasurer has been
unable, owning to the rush Of busi-
ness at his Office in the last few
weeks, to apportlon TO the city the
amount due from the 1907 tax pay
ments. When such report is made it
will be found that all the city funds
will have good balances in them, and
all floating debts Of the city taken
-up. '.s, 's1.a @ $
1t is an easy matter to charge
gross extravagance and lack Of busi-
ness judgment to any council, and to
present figures without explanation,
which might apparently show It,
but when the facts are stated, and
the reasons for the same made
known, it is then seen TO be an en-
tirely different matter.
Crows and Geese.
D. W. Gerber accompanied by. G..
W. Gerber, his father, were visitors
at the county seat Wednesday from
the northwestern part Of the count =.
The signs of spring that have ap-
peared poin5 to beginning of farm
work in the near future. Grows are
flying and there are d uite lot Of
geese In the hills.
For Board of Education. q;