The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-11-19
CITY AFFAIRS ARE DISCUSSED
CONTINUED from Page One)

refused to talk.
President Hyde said that the Civic
! League would receive 1000 mite boxes
to be placed in the schools OF the
county, the proceeds to go for Red
Cross work in Europe.
The matter of extending aid to the
starving people of Belgium was dis
cussed and the club voted unanimous
ly to give $50. This will be sen to the
editor of the Northwest Miller at NJ n
n~eapolis who has charge of the relief
work in the Northwest and will be
used to purchase flour. 1t was stated
that the Belgians have little need for
money, but they are in dire want for
food.
A request came from the Civic
League that the club buy a big Christ
mas tree to be placed on the school
grounds or court house park as a COM
munity tree during the holidays. The
sentiment seemed to be that this
would be a poor way for the club to
use its money and that it would be
much better to extend aid privately if
there are needy one in the city. OF
course a Christmas tree would be very
nice to look at, but it wouldn't go very
far toward satisfying a Christmas APP
petite. The club decided to give the
Civic League so to be dispensed in
Christmas cheer.
The feature of the evening was the
address of City Attorney Trygstad on
city affairs. Mr.. Trygstad explained
in detail the work of the different
plants owned by the city, about which
there has been considerable ignorance,
and his talk was certainly a splendid
endorsement of municipal ownership.
The city owns and operates more
municipal utilities than any other city
or town in the state, said Mr.. Trygstad.
The average citizen, when he pays his
taxes, If he is inclined to complain,
wonders where all the money goes
that is paid into the city treasury. Mr..
1rygstad went into all the details of
municipal expenses but the most in
teresting figures quoted were in rela-
ton to the four municipal plants from
which some of the city revenues are
derived, these are the waterworks, the
telephone, heating, and electric light
plants. The receipts for the year from
the electric light plant amounted to
$685. and from the heating plant,
$5,711, a total of $21,666. The ex-
penses of the two, which are operated
together, were $15,600, showing a pro-
fit of $500 and the w~aterworks an ex-
cess of about $1,000 expense over the
receipts. The apparent loss on the
latter is partially compensated by the
use of water in fire protection and
street sprinkling. AS soon as the ma
jority of the dwelling houses are mod
ernized the waterworks will show a
net profit to the city. There is no
bonded Indebtedness on the electric
light and telephone plants, for these
have paid for themselves in the last
few years. The city owns approx
$177,0 worth of municipal
enterprises with an outstanding bond
ed Indebtedness of $50, 500 on the four
properties. The telephone rates are
S1.00 and $3.50 respectively and light
10 and 8 cents per thousand. The pro-
are being applied on the bonded
Indebtedness, so that, barring ac-
cidents, the city will own its plants in
a few years and the revenues can be
used for the purpose of reducing the
levy.
Mr.. Trygstad also gave some figures
on school finances. 1t costs approx
100000 to operate the city
schools, and about one-half of all taxes
paid in go to the schools.
w. M. Cheever, after Mr.. Trygstad
had concluded, remarked that we
didn't care If it did cost $50, 900 to run
the schools as long as they turned out
football team that could lick it's
weight in wildcats.
President Sexauer and Superintend-
ent Browning added some informa-
ton about the schools. Mr.. Brown
ing stated that the amount received
from tuition was now close to a thous-
and dollars. over twice as much as was
received three years ago, and it is a
fine compliment to the schools that
they are attracting SO many students
from the outside.
Arrangements for Hobo Day were
discussed and 1t was stated that every.
thing was arranged for but the
weather. 1t was stated that the NOV
ing picture man was already on the
job and had taken the public school
children, prominent buildings of the
city and some views at the college.
Secretary Larson of the college told
OF an especially good picture that had