The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-07
INQUIRY IS BEGUN
BY BRIGGS
CITIZENS COMMITTEE ELECTS A
CHAIRMAN AND TELLS HIM
TO GO AHEAD.

Yesterday was supposed to be the big
day in municipal affairs. but just like
the clowns big f~irecracker, there was
only a faint report. The citizens com-
mittee met with the council and while
Mayor Rhoades created some excite
ment by announcing the fact that re-
call petitions were being circulated
against him, that was about the end of
it as far as the council and committee
We're concerned. About all the commit
tee did was to meet. listen to some
figures read by Deputy City Clerk
Kroone, appoint George Briggs chair
man of the citizens committee and ad-
journ. AS soon as Mr.. Briggs has gone
through the city's books and compiled
some figures, the committee will be
called together again and will 30 into
the city's finances at length.
The committee consisted of c. IL.
Mcleod, J. Fl. r. Ryman, F. s. Lusk,
J. nj. Keith. O.. E. Peppard, Charles %.
Marsh, George Briggs, Sid ]. Coffee, L..
N. Simons and Andrew Logan. All
were present except Mr.. Mcleod, who
was ill. The council disposed of a few
minor matters and by this time the
members Of the committee had arrived
The mayor opened the real meeting by
stating that a few figures in Compare
son with last year had been compiled
and that Mr.. Kroone would read them
to the committee. Mr.. Coffee objected
to his as he said it vas not a question
of comparing conditions now with
something that a gone before. lie
suggested that this information he CIV
en- the committee and that it be dis
cussed at some future meeting of the
committees. Mayor Rhoades then read
a copy Of the recall petition which
was put nto circulation yesterday
morning and said that was his reason
for wanting the figures read. Mr.
I.usk objected to this. This commit
tee is not a political natter said MI
Lusk. I'VE are not here to keep the
mayor in office, nor to throw him OUT.
We were appointed to see If we could
not bring the city's expenditures with
in the income"
J. M. Keith said that he thought 1t
would do no harm to G the Ilgures
and Mr.. Kroone took the floor. Ills
statement showed that the city had is
sued warrants on the general and
road funds amounting to $76,62S.7S
from May, 1912, to the end of Decem-
Der. He stated that up to the end OF
November the receipts had been $9Z,-
745. 35. In order to cmoplete the fis-
cal year Mr.. Kroone estimated hi eX-
penses and receipts. His estimate was
based on last years figures for the
same months. He figured the expenses
at $~34,729.51 and the receipts at sao,-
S9S.s4. These figures showed that the
CITY would be $11,S24.13 under the TO-
tai receipts at the end of the fiscal
wear in April. 1t appeared later, how
ever. that these figures did not include
honey which the city has spent ana
must spend. This money was pald ou'
for improvements and while it came
from the general fund it had not been
figured in by Mr.. Kroone. Some OF
these items were: opening of Edltf
street, 1915; street flusher, $l,ooo'
money paid on the fire-alarln system
s1,5a3: wood blocks, $500, II the
money which would have to be spen'
to defray the interest on the city dep'
when the warrant call was made.
After Mr.. Kroone had finished MI
Ryman suggested that the
had not met Ia make a comparison
with last year, but had gathered fol
the purpose of seeing if the expense