The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-05-07
CITY COUNCIL MEETS.
Decide to Have Meetings Weekly. Fix
Their Salaries and Dispose Of
Some Other Business.

O6ClQ0 10 nave MccClnSS weekly. FlX
Their Salaries and Dispose of
Some Other Business.
There was an adjourned meeting
of tn city council on Tuesday even
ing and they took up the work where
they left off before. The ordinance
providing for a change of the time of
meeting, having been under consid-
Grafton, it was adopted providing for
a meeting each Tuesday evening at
eight O'Clock. 1t was ordered pub
lished in the official paper and the
editor being present, stated that it
would receive attention and that they
would not be charged anything for
it.
The ordinance fixing the salaries OF
officers was then brought up and H.
B. Curtis, chairman of the committee
having it incharge, said they had
written to the clerks of several towns
in this part of the state to get in
formation about such matters, and
had received replies from Pocatello
and ST. Anthony. These letters We're
read, and it was decided to take a
recess and go into committee of the
whole to discuss the schedule and
then offer the committee report for
adoption.
Mayor West called Councilman M.
D. Bowen to preside and during the
committee work he and Mr.. Gagon
and Representative Peter G. Johnston
were busy discussing the different
things that may be done to remedy
streets that are not regular. When
the meeting was called to order again
the following schedule was read and
adopted.
Mayor, $3.50 a pear; councilmen,
500 each; clerk, $780, treasurer,
5000; engineer, SIS a day while at
work; attorney, $400; police judge,
$780, chief of police, $50 a month;
patrolman, $85. &
In committee there was consider
able discussion as to what salary the
treasurer should receive, it being a
question whether the sraGe depository
law applied to cities, but it was de-
cided, that the treasurer should re-
ceive a salary, and that the city has
the right to direct where the money
shall be kept. The village has been
receiving two per cent interest on
the daily balances and the First Ma
tional bank presented bid of three
per cent on daily balances The mat
ter of placing the funds was left over
to be considered at another time.
The matter Of the attorneys salary
was discussed to bring out informa-
ton as to his duties and the city at
torney being present, said that 1t was
necessary for the attorney to attend
practically all the meetings to advise
the chief of police, the police judge,
to draft resolutions and ordinances,
to look up all legal problems con-
fronting the city government, to pros
ecute and defend in lawsuits, and to
draft the papers and attend to every
detail in getting a bond issue. That
, this latter item involved great deal
of work, and very particular work
for which an attorney working for
a fee would charge $3.50. That under
the village government there was an
understanding that If important cases
came up to be attended to in courts,
outside Of criminal matters, that he
should be paid fee sufficient to cover
the work.
The police judges work under the
village government was paid for in
fees, he receiving SO for each case,
or Sc if 1t went to trial. This fee
was paid by the village, and in the
past year he had 115 cases, very few
of which went to trial, making about
s375 in fees. The fines collected from
the culprits amounted to $3.50 and
the expense of boarding those who
were unable to pay their fines swell
ed the deficit or loss to the village
to a sum equal to about $125 plus
the cost of the board which was not
shown.
In discussing the salaries in gen
eral Mr.. Younie called attention to
the fact that the total of salaries was
going to be so great that there would
NOT be enough money left to pay
other expenses and that we should
have remained a village until such
time as we could do better. Mr.
curtis replied that we had been g
village long enough; that people
wanted to take on the powers and
privileges of city government SO We
could improve the place and make
q town of it; that they want the tOwr
honded so we can have money tt
make improvements, and when i'm
movements are under way it takes
work on the part of the officers tt
look after the details and see that i
is done to good effect; that the pres
ant administration was elected on (
niatform calling for these things, and
Was adopted by the mass meeting
without a dissenting vote; that thu
vote OF the people indicated that the,