The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-06-13
PAYING AROUND -.
COURT HOUSE UP
TO COMMISSION
City Board Refuses to Take
Chance When County Trust
ees Hedge on Proposition
CITY PRISONERS WILL 4,
BE GIVEN STREET WORK

The city commission last evening
again made it plain that whether the
county building shall be surrounded
by mud streets or smooth asphalt
pavement, in keeping with the remain:
der of the city, is entirely a matter for
the county commission to decide.
This decision will affect not only, the
county building, toward whose sup.
port Bismarck pays approximately SO
per cent of the taxes, but the Bis
marck hospital, the Bismarck public
library, the Bismarck city hall, Nc.
Cabe Methodist Episcopal church and
the Will school, all of which, with
the exception Of the church, have pc
titioned for the improvement.
Kirk States Stand.
Commissioner Kirk, at the weekly
meeting Of the board last evening,
was in favor OF adopting resolutions
which would clearly place the respon;;
sibility where the city commission
feels it belongs. He pointed to the
fact that the county commission has
twice gone on record as declining to
favor the paving Of the court house
square, first q year ago when 1t re.
fused to sign the original petitions
calling for the Improvement, and
again last week, when the three mem.
bers present--E. G.. Patterson and
Birlea Ward of Bismarck and c. A.
Swanson of ,Driscoll ~ unanimously
adopted resolutions in which they de-:
clined to ask for the paving and
sought to place the responsibility for
the paving in the first place and the
collection of assessments for the same
in the second place on the shoulders
of the city commission.
County Skirts Clear.
Other members of the city board
last evening felt that the public al
ready thoroughly understands where
the blame should rest, and that the
adoption of further resolutions at this
time would not tend to improve mat
tiers. 1t was the cOncensus of opin-
ion that in view, of the opposition
shown by the county board the city
cannot afford to 60 ahead and pave
and then take chances of collecting
for the paving It's special counsel
has advised that the county board
could not be: mandamused to enforce
the collection of taxes for :, the pay
ment of paving assessments; = that the
county property cannot be sold to
enforce payment; that in view OF the
attitude of the county board, the city
would not have much Of q case we're
it compelled to go into court to en-.
force payment of the assessments.
The county commission would be In
position to produce records of the sew.
eral meetings at which 1t had de.
clined, to ask for the paving, altho
verbally and individually protesting
that it will not oppose the improve.
ment, and the city probably would be.
left holding the bag, with four blocks
Of paving to be assessed against the
general tax rolls, and q burden equiv.
alent to probably FIVE per cent OF the
cost of the second paving district
foisted by the county on the city tax
payers. u -.
Means Mud Generally. :,
Mud roads around the county build.
ing will mean the carrying OF mud on
to the paved streets in the business
district, on Fifth, Thayer, Sixth, and
thence it will reach Main and Fourth
and Broadway. Thus much OF tho
benefit anticipated from paving will
have been lost for this portion Of tho
city, but there seems to be no cure
for the condition, unless, citizens gen.
orally are willing to be assessed for
an Improvement which the county, al.
ready half supported by tax contribu'
lions OF these citizens, should pay. :
. Crosswa!ks. >:,' ~.
Resolutions were adopted last eve.
ming ordering in sidewalk extensions
to the curbing at street Intersections
where walks are not already built.
On petition OF property owners In the
north part of town who desire TO-
buy dirt for the filling In Of coulees.
the price of earth ,excavated from the
streets was reduced from ~ cents to-
10 cents per cubic yard. a.3 4 7
Work for convicts. H..
Bismarck will force its guests In the
county Jail to work for their board.
Sheriff French's bill last month was
500. Prisoners who have been sup.
ported in idleness hereafter will be
sentenced to hard labor on the streets,
which labor, will be performed under
the eyes of q guard. For such labor
prisoners will be allowed 81 per day.
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