The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-09-04
PREDATORY IN ITS TREND
MATTER OF TAX LEVY.
MEETS AGAIN TONIGHT
DISCUSSION OF A HOST OF MI.
NICIPAL PROBLEMS, LARGE
AND SMALL.

ton OF a levy Tor city expenses Tor
the coming year. at the commission
ers' experimental meeting at the city
hall last night. The men were some
what surprised that such a measure
would be necessary, but nevertheless
made tentative proposals for the var
ious funds. The total tax to be lev
led against the $4,000, 900 city valu-
alton this year, as the matter stands
at its first reading, is $4,000. divid-
ed as follows: Streets and parks.
SOS, 900; interest. $4,000; salaries,
$4,000; contingent fund, $4,000;
sinking fund. $4,000; electric fund.
SO. 900; fund. $4,000; library
fund, $1,700. and band fund, $1,000.
The various funds levied last year
were not sufficient by many hun
dreds of dollars. according to Auditor
Rae. The levy for streets for the
year was $40. 600. and there was
pretty nearly $50 0 used. and the
same situation applied in the matter
of the contingent fund, the difference
In this being from $4,000 to $4,000.
Other funds were robbed to supply
the general and unexpected deficit.
An effort has heretofore been
made to create a fund by levy by
which to build a new house around
the machinery of the electric plant.
So far the money levied for that pur-
pose has been conveyed to other suf-
fering and impoverished funds. and
there is nothing remaining in that
fund to cover the nakedness of the
expensive machinery. The overplus
of the plant earnings itself is used
yearly to reimburse other funds and
dispense what would otherwise be a
distasteful situation of red ink en-
tries in the treasury.
From the fact that the day was a
legal holiday the men could not le-
gally hold a commissioners meeting
and so no official work was done.
The monthly collection of bills were
considered. and most of them traced
to their source. Many of these eX-
penses the commissioners seemed to
be i'm doubt as TO whether they We're
really bills submitted by actual EN-
ployees or not. There is an overlap
ping of authority in the jobs of
street, electrical. road and bridge
work which makes it difficult to
know just whether some of the
workmen have been fired or not.
The mystery of the meal ticket
which was submitted to the commits
sioners last month was solved by the
appearance of the man himself. II
was happily determined hat a part
of the sum recorded IN the ticket
was paid by the paving company. and
only a portion of IL properly charge
able against the municipality.
Mayor Robertson announced thai
he had made the surprising discov.
cry that the large engine at the elec-
trio light plant could be run Tor 81
cents an hour for fuel oil and lubri
cant. III this result of his profound
research is true, ii is not costing
much to get the shocking current
and the dividends of the municipal
electric and water plant are high.
Bills by the sanitation board fol
printing embarrassed the auditing
committee painfully for a time
They asserted hal they had author
lied no printing for this gratuitous
institution. No further authority
was shown than that the bills were
signed by the chairman. The com
missioners decided that printers do
ing this work were doing ii at theil
peril and risk, unless there was somt
authorization by the august mayor Of
authoritative auditor. In a word
the printer is liable to get left.
The procedure, according to tbs
auditor and city attorney, for au
thorizing the pay for such walks
crossings and streets as are finish
ed by the paving company or Others
is that it must be accepted by thu
city engineer, an estimate made o
its completion, publication made ant
each frontage charged against thu
abutting lot. If the patient work
man is alive at the expiration of tina
time, and there Is money enough IL
the treasury, he gets his pay. If h
is dead it will 60 to his heirs or as
signs, if any. and there is no further
legal distractions.
The bill for postage rendered b.
the city assessor, f.. L.. Kingsley, wa
discussed at some length. This worl
was done under a bid for a flat ant
complete cost, and any bill for add
tional expense was not contemplated
On the other hand. it is supposed
that when a public officer is hired
either by the year. month or job. tina
the city shall furnish all books ant
records, and that probably necessar,
postage would be included in this al
lowance. This, too, was an indeter
inmate problem, and remains unsolv
ed to this day.
An ordinance was introduced ant
given it's first reading, providing TO
running tractor engines on the new
pavement. It's main provisions are I,
the effect that nc heavy tractor will
be allowed on pavements or cross
ings without strong planking and
permit from the mayor to run on
Probably the planking is to strength
en- the pavement, and the permit pro
hibits breaking it, both togethe
making a mighty strong and lasting
way for heavy machines.
Unable to take legal action on an,
of the official matters before them
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