The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1911-03-25
That is THE QUESTION UPON WHICH
THE COUNCIL SPLIT
INVESTIGATING CITY FIRE HALL
Damage Claims From Rosan and Lind
Presented Peddler Ordinance to be
Enforced.

Shall the council and the people OF
CRYSTAL Falls know what Ii is costing |
TO run the business and where the
money goes to OF shall the present sys-
tenn of indifference be- carried on In the
futureH That Is the question that agi-
tated the council at It's meeting last
Monday night and caused considerable
feeling and much talk.
The question came mp on the adop-
ton OF the report OF the auditing com
mittee. This committee consisted of
A. l.. Robbins and X. p. Hollow.
They had gone over the books OF the
clerk and treasurer and made as thor
ouRh an examination and az full n re-
port as II Is possible for them to make
with the present system OF keeping
accounts.
The report showed that close to
&. 900 per month had been paid out for
extensions, improvement and up-keep
OF the water and light system. Alder
man jackson wanted 10 know what
was represented by that Sl2, 600 out
lay; how manv feet OF mains. how
many hydrants. how many transform
ers, ETC., etc. were covered by the ex-
penditure. He objected to the adop-
tion OF the report until those items
were shown. That objection opened
up the whole question of book keeping
carried on by the city.
The law says that an itemized re-
port shall be made by the clerk each
year showing each item OF expendi-
ture and what it has been spent Tor.
This would practically necessitste
republishing Of the claims allowed and
il would not be concise enough 30 that
taxpayer could see at glance what
the money has been spent for. de
would have TO pick out the items and
add likes together in order to get at it
and this is tedious job.
Therefore. the law regarding the
publishing OF accounts has been set a
aide by the council aud In lieu thereof
there has been substituted skeleton
report that Ia as deficient the other
way; il shows nothing excepting the
money taken In and that spent in the
several funds.
Several times the question OF getting
in an accountant and starting OF with
n new page and on new system just
as the county did has been talked over
but the $40. per day fees of such an ac-
countant has always stood In the light
and nothing of any practical value has
been gained.
Last year Mayor Bjork started in to
kind OF systematize things but II seems
that his plans miscarried and now the
question Is mp again.
About the time that the council
members --were we'll woke mp over the
accounting system, Herman Ruwitch
aud Jas. f. Corcoran arrived with a
draft OF an ordinance calculated TO stop
peddling and hawking in the city.
This caused another split aud an argu-
ment between some OF the aldermen
and the gentlemen over the justice OF
adopting such an ordinances. Alder
man jackson took the anti.side and
after the fireworks had sputtered along
to fever heat the fact was eliclteo
that such an ordinance is already OF
the books. adopted several years ag'
but, like many other OF onr regulations
II was adopted not to be enforced.
The mp shot OF the discussion wa
that the mayor promised TO zee to 1
tnat the ordinance is rigidly enforced
hereafter and that peddlers and hawk
ers in this city shall pay their licens
and helm support the community.
Fuel WAS added to the flame OF dis
cord already we'll kindled. by the ap
.,earance OF Chas Lind and Martil
logan, asking that damage be award
ed them because OF tn, lowering Of tn
sidewalk in front OF their properties o.
: Superior avenue last summer. Mr.
Lind stated 10 the council that he ha
been caused an outlay OF $500 to lowe
his building from he position In whic
IL originally stood to its present posi
ton. Mr.. Rogan estimated his dam
age az 81. 400 Mr. Lind agreed
split his damage in 10 and asked tha
no he given $3.50 Mr.. Rogan agree
10 take $500. Finally Alderman Rot
bins offered n motion to grant MI
Lind the sum Of s2OO. Then the diI
oussion grew wrsm and sparks bega
TO fiy. Most OF the counoilmen argue
that II here In to be any damage awa'
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