Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-05-03

at conservative estimate, 10 per
cent less than if erected last wear or
the year before as material and la
Dor are both lower. The erection
OF city hall will give employment
TO numerous men who would other
wise be out of employment. It would
bring outside capital to town, at least
to the amount of the bonds sold and
very little outside capital has come
to Bismarck in good many years.
Furthermore it may be found posi-
Bile to erect suitable building for
less than $4,000 and if such is the
case, as | hope it will be, the amount
OF bonds to be issued will be that
much less.
After figuring the present expense
for rents, fuel, Waterman at hose
house, board of prisoners, etc., which
amounts to over $4,000 yearly. and
figuring, at a liberal basis, the cost
OF maintaining city hall, including
interest and sinking fund, making
total of less than $500, from
which should be deducted at the
very least, 5000 income from tolls
for public weighing scales, I find
that the net increase in taxes will be
about $500 or about II 10 cents for
every man, woman and child in Bis
marck, and l do not believe there is
anyone in the city who will object to
paying a few cents more in taxes if
ne can see where his money is going.
Inc $4,000 expense includes not ONLY
$2O,OOO for interest and sinking fund
but includes a janitor and wife, fuel,
insurance, repairs and everything
else necessary.
The present council rooms are
small, crowded and inconvenient.
The fire house is an abomination
and the rent is excessive. The vault
in the present city hall is damp and
ruins every paper or book placed
therein and is too small to conven-
iently keep the city records. The
present plan is expensive and no
where near brings the results the
expense we are now under should
bring. There is no city in the state
the size of Bismarck which does not
have city hail. AS a matter of
civic pride, fnothing else, this bond
issue should carry.
In the new building the janitor
and his wife will not only keen the
building in order but the wife can
cook for the city prisoners and the
husband attend to the scales. etc.,
and there are dozens of couples in
the city who would jump at the
chance of receiving $50 per month
and their rooms.
To return to the proposition re-
Gently made in the Tribune of erect
ing an $4,000 building on the bell
tower lot. To begin with the lot is
appraised for $780, which taken
from the total value of the city lots,
$4,000, leaves $500. This leaves
$4,000 unprovided for so we would
in any event have to issue at least
that amount of bonds so that anyone
who favors this plan would have to
vote for the issuing of bonds as the
difference cannot be raised by tax
alton without vastly increasing the
tax levy, thing we should carefully
avoid. And then it may be found
by the city officials that this will be
| the best plan and, as I stated be-
! fore, if found needless to issue the
| whole $4,000 you may rest assured
the whole amount will not be issued,
| for the present city administration
has no desire whatever to spend a
cent on a city hall or anything else
| which is unnecessary and every tax
payer may be sure his interests, as
we'll as the city's interest will be
looked after. So, no matter if you
4 favor building costing $4,000 of $15-
600 or 10000 you should vote Eyes
on Monday. Don't be misled by any
"stalls" given out by hypocritcal
public spirited business men,
F. E. YOUNG,
i City Auditor.