The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-11-27
CITY Commission
HAVE LITTLE TO DO, AND DO 1T
IN LEISURELY WAY
MAKE DANGER ZONE.

h city commissioners last night
authorized two extra police for night
duty to watch elevators, mill and oil
company property, and guard ii
against possible destruction by fire.
They intend to make a danger zone
about the downtown district, and in
certain hours O. night the men found
there would better step into the light
promptly and raise his hands in an
attitude of duplication. The plan is
for the downtown business to pay
half of the extra wage. and the city
will pay the other part.
Mayor Jas. Robertson and Com
missioner II. A. Johnson were present
at the meeting last night, Commits
sioner A. G.. Schmidt failing to put in
an appearance. They waited some
time for the latter man to show up
the commission likes to wait for
something-but when he did not ar
rive at $3.50 they came to order and
began to entertain doubts of what
they were about to do.
Several men of the produce bust
nesses waited on the city commission
to arrange for some cooperative
scheme for protection of their prop
erty against incendiarism. Marcus
Aus, Frank Sloan, w. /. Thompson,
Joseph Spies, and others were pres
ent. The commission knew by some
telepathic perception or insight that
they were coming, and had it about
decided as to the outcome of the con-
ference. But they did like to talk il
yer 1t was much like a Yankee
trade in jackknives. No positive
statement OF proposition was asked
for. They just talked and exchanged
experiences, and drew pictures of the
horrors of the dark, lonely and de-
serted regions about the storage
places of our grains and flour. So
they just droned and talked for about
an hour with nothing at the end of
1t but more talk.
The plans for guarding the prop
erty along the railroad have not been
completely made yet. The fire at
Lennon was cited. and the plan of
campaign followed out by the incen-
diaries was outlined. 1t was said
that when the fire companies and the
people were attracted by the fires
started in the uptown district, the
firebugs had the fires in the elevat-
ors going strong before they attract
ed attention. In the lesson this
taught, it was decided that in case of
fires in the upper part of Madison be-
ing started, each operator of bust
ness in the railroad district should
keep strict watch.
1t was said that the persons sent
along ahead of these gangs were not
the rag tag and bob tail of the sub
merged one-half, but would come in
the guise of some kind of wholesale
selling concern. These should be
looked upon with suspicion, and
watch kept of their movements.
Lights will be improved in the rail-
road district, and every precaution
will be exercised to guard against the
fires during the dangerous months of
December and January. Then the
deadline and danger zone proposition
was mentioned and met with a Ian
guild favor.
After more than an hour of this il
was moved that such a plan, subject
TO revision and arrangement by OFF,
Ger Winesburg be adopted, and the
thing vas done.
The last of the paving districts to
be approved was given this attention
last night, no one appearing to dis
sent from its estimates or provisions,
and the mayor and auditor were or
dered to draw certificates to the
amount of $~21,078.S0 in payment of
district No. 2. c. j. Porter made a
little experimental estimate on his
own account later, of the properties
In his own block, and found what he
thinks is a discrimination in the
method of assessment.
There were some bills presented
for action of the council, but as they
were for unloading coal, and were
undoubtedly evidences of money due
bondholders or aristocrats. the COM
mission decided that they did not