The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-11-17


up an aggressive and consistent fight
against Townleyism and impractical
and expensive experiments in govern
ment. That they won the election is
evident when it is noted that the
home counties Of each of them return
ed substantial majorities for Cover
nor Nestos.-The Duluth Herald.
OBEY THE LAW
For many months the people of
Valley City have demanded the publ
cation of the proceedings of the city
council. They feel that they have a
right to know what is done by law
governing body and how the money
has been spent and for what. There
was no law to compel the council to
publish it's proceedings so the council
felt too poor to do that. At the last
session of the legislature a bill was
passed compelling the council to pub
lish a complete report Of it's proceed
ings in an official paper duly appointed
by the council, and in accordance with
that law the Times-Record was duly
appointed, but for several months no
proceedings were published and only
the last two or three months has the
city published any of it's doings and
what they do publish is what you read
in yesterdays paper and is about as
intelligent to the average citizen as
it would be to a chimpanzee-the
skeleton of proceedings contains moth
ing of where our money goes or is
paid for.
Senate Bill No. 103 passed by the
last session and approved by the gov
ernor March 8, 1921, reads as follows
Section 1. Publication of Proceed,
ings. Hereafter it shall be the duty OF
City Councils to cause to be published
in an official paper, designated by
them, complete record of all pro-
ceedings of said council"
Webster's dictionary defines the
word complete as mentioned IN the
law as meaning Ito fill up, with no
parts, items or elements lacking, en-
tire, ETC., etc.,
There can be no side stepping on
this law-it means just what 1t says
that the council shall publish a COM
plete record of it's meetings including
bills paid. etc.,-that part the tax
payer wants to know about. In the
proceedings published yesterday-the
camoufaged proceedings-the council
spent over ten thousand dollars for
various things, but SO far as the pub
ic knows it might be Tor
a trip to China, for an
other scarifer that won't scarlfy
or for bust of Will Lemke, nobody
knows. The law is plain enough anu
it is mandatory on the council to pub
lish a complete record, but they refuse
to do it upon the ground that it costs
too much. 1t doesn't cost too much
smetimes when they want to buy
piece of machinery to have several
take junket to St. Paul or Chicago
at the expense of the tax payers when
they could just as we'll buy it right in
the council chambers and save that
expense. 1t doesn't seem to matter IT
they spend $3.50 for scarlfier which
is now lying in the back end of the
city hall yard in majestic splendor--
Junk. 1t does not matter If hundreds
of dollars are spent in waste for fool
ishness from time to time-but they
haven't got money enough to spend
for letting the tax payer know what
they are doing. Awhile ago the park
board passed budget for $4,000 for
next year-what we need with that
much money for parks the Lord only
knows-but we can guess. we Will
pass this up now and take that up
about spring time W hen it will come
in very seasonable. We are told that
the city council is willing to publish
these proceedings if the official paper
will be the goat and publish them for
practically nothing or at great deal
less than the law allows. The Times
Record is usually the goat-but we
don't notice anybody else drawing a
salary offering to give up part OF
theirs. If the city is anxious to serve
the people why not start genuine
reform by getting a cut OF ten per
cent in salaries. We are still paying
war time salaries with living much
lower which makes the salaries high
err than war time as result. Inc
aldermen have had raise to five
dollars per meeting. Why not throw
off part of that and let the people get
the facts. We are willing to meet
them half way and contribute to the
poor box if the city is so hard up.
Every once IN awhile we read tnat Lne
electric light and water plant has
saved the city twenty thousand dol.
lars year, but We see no evidence OF
it in reduced rates on the contrary
we are paying more and the city is
50 darned hard up that it cannot at
ford to publish it's proceedings. This
is small stuff and would do for little
country village but it is not the dope
for city that pretends to be a 1--we
city. j.,
Anyway the point is that the law
SAYS the records shall be published
complete and it is up to the council
to obey the law-or does it consider
itself greater than the law? The
people demand it and it is up to the
servants of the people to give them
what they ask within the law.
This attitude on the part of the
council puts US in mind of the fellow
lost in the desert who saw mirage
of lakes and springs all around him
and when he could not Stake his thirst
exclaimed "water: water, everywhere:
hut not a drop to drink" We have