Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-11-24

and therefore the board OF city COM
missioners is accused of extravaganza
both as regards the, street depart
ment and the police department. r
The board has mapped a general
line Of street improvements and when
the work Is completed, In the course
of very few years. Bismarck will
be what nature intended 1t should be,
the prettiest town and the best resi-
dence town in the state of North
Dakota. Tn chances are that any man
in business knows how to run his
business better than the man on the
street and the chances are that the
city commissioners, as well as the
county commissioners and members
of the school board, know what they
are about better than most of the
outsiders.
In the two and half years that /
have had charge of the claims against
the city, and I can unqualifledly
state that in almost every instance
the city has received better value
for the mony expended under the
commission than 1t did under the old
city council plan of government.
AS to the police department-the
city now has five policemen. Under
Mayor Smyth, and I believe previous
to his time, there were but two regu-
lar policemen, though there were ex-
ira men engaged for few days at a
time every once in while as occas-
sion demanded. This Is apparently
an increase of three policemen, $50
per cent. which is indeed extravag-
ant on the face of it. But, one of
these additional polio emen, the chief,
is also superintendent of streets, TAX
ing the place Of the regular superin-
tendent Of streets formerly employ
ed Also, one Of the policemen takes
the part Of the former Waterman at
the hose house, thus doing away with
the services of the old Waterman.
Also, the chief acts as poundmaster,
thus doing away with the services
Of such man. So, while apparent
ly the city police force has increased
in numbers $50 per cent it is really
costing the taxpayers approximately
the salary of one additional man.
The city pound was formerly
matter of constant worry and vexa-
ton; the past summer there has been
practically no trouble or complaint,
and but very few COWS or horses
have been impounded.
The city is growing, the schools
are growing and the county is grow
ing in population; it costs more to
run a large place than a small one;
there has never been much real work
done towards improving the city
streets and county roads; it is time
something is done and the present
commissioners are brave enough and
energetic enough to face the propo-
sttion and are starting to do work
which should have been done years
ago. It costs money to build house
and yet when we see a man erect a
house we don't stand around and
kick, we pat him on the back and
call him public spirited 1t costs
more money to make q city, a good
city. and instead of standing around
kicking and complaining, we ought
to stand back of the men elected to
office and help them along instead of
hindering them.
It is the intention of this article to
show where some of the taxpayers
money goes and to show that simply
because. more money Is being spent
that it does not necessarily mean that
1t is extravaganza. All public books
are open to inspection by any tax
payer and so far as the city is con-
cerned any taxpayer is welcome to
examine them at any time and I pre-
sumo the county board and the school
board will grant the same privilege.
1t is not alone the board of city COM
missioners which is spending money.
The above statement will show that
all the governing boards are doing
the same thing. :.
In closing there is one thing which
I would like to call the attention of
the city taxpayers to and that is that !
the present commission is receiving
interest on deposits. The treasurer's |
report under date of November list,
shows that there IS only $4,597.36 !
deposited on open account, while
there is $4,000 deposited on time and
drawing per cent interest From