The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-12-18
COMMISSIONERS met
SPECULATIVE DISCUSSIONS ONLY
BUSINES-THEY SUCCEED
in DOING NOTHING.

sion last night in the absence of VIM.
Rae, in the council meeting in the
city hall. Robbing banks, seed corn,
farm renting, taxing for intersec-
tions, whether they would take up
knitting in council and on the street
snow pillow, income tax, hose-water
hose-financial strain-all came in
for leisurely discussion. The ways of
crooks were cataloged, though the
condition of the city treasury was not
improved after a careful considera-
ton.
In the absence of City Auditor Rae
T. A. Johnson read the notice served
upon the council by attorneys for
Meeker & Dobson in their case
against the city for final payments
for the construction of the sewer and
disposal tanks, amounting in the first
instance to $1,100. With accrued in
terest and costs II now amounts to
$~1,S31.39. The attorneys advise
that If the money is not at hand they
will take city warrants. The COM
m~issioners ~uneasily observed that
such a liability would knock the whey
out of the city funds at this time.
They regarded the situation dubious
ly, but did nothing with the matter.
daferring action until next meeting.
as usual.
They have been getting coal for the
city jail, fire house and council room.
The observation was made that deal
ers said that the city's supply of hard
coal for the winter would be what Is
now In the sheds. Then they talked
of the relative inferiority of the
grades of soft coal being furnished.
They did nothing about that, either.
Farm rental values came in for de-
cision. They thought the seed corn
problem had much to do with the
value of a farm for rent. The OBJ
~servation was made that throughout
the whole country corn was in the
same condition of unfitness for stor-
age. 1t was reported that at Red
field the corn is dry. One OF the men
reported a test of this years corn. re-
sulting in 35 per cent terminating
result. Corn of later picking is re-
ported to be of better keeping quail
lily. Commissioner Schmidt observed
slider, they would perhaps discuss
something else. And they did. They
talked of the firemen at the Sioux
Falls stations knitting, and observed
that II might be well for them to
take up the work. Such an occupa-
ton would be wholly in keeping, it
was thought.
The negotiation of the Liberty
bonds purchased by the city. to re-
lieve the strained condition OF
the treasury was discussed, but on
the arrival of City Attorney Porter
they soon abandoned the notion.
This led to a consideration of the
savings and sinking funds, and this
led to sewers and this led to. paying
sewer bonds voted, and this led to
the method of assessing the costs and
this led to benefits-and this led to
proposed new sewers-and this led to
the assertion that they must con-
struct the stub from Van Fps avenue
to the alley between that street and
Egan avenue in Center street as soon
as possible.
Some narrowing experiences were
told of crooks and their attempts to
get between the commissioners in
private life and their rolls. An APP
%parently expert opinion was offered
that the banks of Madison could be
easily touched by two or three am
bilious men of that fraternity of err
rant gentry. Then former collections
by the Red Gross were questioned.
and they wondered where their men,
berships for those offerings were.
II was explained that they donated
their amounts, and that unless they
so indicated on the card presented,
there would be no dollar of the
amount applied toward paying for a
membership. They tried to look sat
isfied. 1t goes to the men in need of
1t anyway-they did not care how or
by what route 1t went. They could
not settled the difficulty In any case.
They wished 1t was for them to do
they'd be willing to sit up till day
light with the problem. All of which
seemed highly probable.
Nothing in the way of public i'm
provements will be done next year,
is the opinion of the commissioners.
and mighty little in the way of pri-
vate building or improvement. May
or Robertson gave a little disserta-
ton on the future engineering and
construction regiments to be raised
and equipped, and announced again
that he vas going to get his affairs
well in hand and try to whip the
crown prince.
Then they worried over the income
tax. They are going to look into the
matter. They are somewhat perplex-
ed at the lawmakers for making such
a confused law-and not a little put
out for them making any such law.
But they affected an appearance of
resignation and will do some fig
uring.
Running true to form. they looked
again at the surface of the fire truck
matter, Without. however, doing any
thing definite. They entertain a
strong inclination toward equipping
a Ford truck with chemical tank and
hose as a temporary expedient. But
pictures of other cars, done in bright
colors, were looked at and admired.
The bright colored ones are too cost
ly, however. and their buying one is
YrL4- $50. ~~~N.sn-