The Daily Missoulian., 1914-03-19
WITH Old .T||'R!|| TROUBLE
KEITH APPEARS
AGAIN
49, n ~
Il IA uW
LEADER or ANTI COMMISSION
FIGHT REEVES COMPLAINT
WHICH sTRATED FIGHT.

J. w. Keith, owner of a hotel on
Railroad street, appeared before the
city council ut yesterday mornings
meeting to reiterate the complaint
upon which he based his first objec-
ton to the commission form OF gov
ernment, more than two months ago.
It Is Mr.. Keith's belief that the city
commissioners have robbed him and
other property owners in the Railroad
street paving district. To the profit of
the Northern Pacific Railroad com
pany. Yesterday morning he pleaded
with the commissioners for a -ad-
justment of the assessment, that their
successors might not be confronted
with this unsavory legacy.
City Attorney Woody, who at
tempted to explain the city's position
to Mr.. Keith in debate before the
North Side Progressive league last
January. tried again to straighten
out the difficulty. but was unable.
He declares that Mr.. Keith has prof
tied at the expense of the railroad
company; that the city acted fairly
and that repeated notices Of the as
sessment were given without arous-
ing any protest.
Mr.. Keith seems, however, unable
to understand the proposition. He
produced, as the handspring which
started the latest outburst, the fol-
lowing letter from City Engineer
Buck in which some Of his questions
are answered:
Engineer Explains.
MIR. j. w. Keith.
Missoula, Mont.
Dear Sir
In answer. to your inquiry relative
to the West Railroad street improve
ments, Especial Improvement District
No. 2D. l beg to advise you:
If the cost of the improvements in
the last block in the district. from the
4enter of Harris street west to Owens
street, be deducted from the total cost
of making the improvements in the
district it would mean deduction of
$7,916.2s from the total cost of $685.
9S9.47, leaving a cost Of $21,O73.19.
If this deduction should be made the
property belonging to the railroad
company abutting this block Of street
should also be deducted from the area
of the district and this would mean
deduction of 10000 square feet from
the total area of the district of 14O,5S4
square feet. leaving a, total area in the
district of 121,5S4, square feet
OF the area IN the district which
would be left after making this deduc-
ton of 10000 square feet, 54,8l6 square
feet would belong to the railroad COM
pany and 66,76S square feet would be-
long to individual owners. Of the cost
of making the improvements, $21,-
o73.19, the property of the railroad
company would have been assessed
with $9.497.69, while the property of
individual owners would have been
assessed with s11,57550 The railroad
company would have been compelled
to lay about As per cent of the cost
and the individual property owners
would have been compelled to pay
about 55 per cent of the cost.
AS the district and assessment now
stands the area is 140,5S4 square feet
the cost was s2898947; the area of
the railroad company's property in the
district is 1856 square feet and the
area Of the property belonging to in
dividCal owners is 66,768 square feet.
For making the improvements In the
district the property belonging to the
railroad company is assessed s16,O9117
while the property of individuals is as
sessed $12,98930 The railroad COM
Hal ~,
cent of the cost while the individual
property owners are compelled to pay
about As per cent of the cost.
The cost of The paving done around
the freight depot, also at the interscc-
tion of Woody street on the railroad
colnpany's right of way, and other
places outside of the lines of West
Railroad street is not included In the
assessment made against the property
of the railroad company In this dist
rlct. This additional paving was done
under contract between the railroad
company and Dietrich & Co, with
which the city had nothing to do, and
payment for this paving was made di-
rectly to the contractor by the railroad
company, the cost of such paving not
'1iAl6 iiiSAuuCu III elC ddslouHl pdlu py
the city OF making the improvements
on West Railroad street
Trusting that the foregoing is the
information you desire, and assuring
YOU of my willingness to give you any
other or additional information at any
time, remain. respectfully yours,
q FRED T.. BUCK.
City Engineer.