davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29
Chamber of
Commerce Reports
On Helena Affairs
Helena, Montana
October 6. 1899
Mr.. Matt Staff, Secretary
Chamber of Commerce

Mr.. Matt Staff, Secretary
Chamber of Commerce
Helena, Montana
Dear Mr. Staff:
The Committee of the Helena Cham
Der of Commerce on Taxation and
Municipal Affairs, consisting of the
following members, M. S. Gum, Alex
Cunningham, w. C. Bardon, Frank
Bogart, Milo F. Dean, Aubrey M. Holt
er, Dr. W. L. Hunter, Fred H. Pad
bury, and c. B. Witter, make the fol-
lowing progress report:
During July and August, while the
city, county and school budgets were
under consideration, the Committee
held several meetings, one or more
of which were attended by all except
two members. A brief consideration
of all preliminary budgets convinced
the group that in the short time avail
able concentration ON the city budget
was most necessary.
An examination of city finances
covering expenditures in recent years
and the preliminary budget which was
proposed for 1939-40 revealed a SER
ious situation. Although the City Clerk
makes a monthly report of the ex-
penditures in each fund for that
month, for the year up to date, and
the unexpended amount budgeted, the
Cont on Following Page.)
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29

, Helena avenue was graded and
parked, cement sidewalks laid in place
of the wooden ones when aldermen
met at the city hall, even the park on
Helena avenue near Ewing was pro-
posed by the late Herman Leuhman,
father-in-law of the present mayor.
Ornamental street lighting all over
the city parking and shade trees put
in most residential districts, in fact
every thing was done by the aldmen
to make Helena a beautiful city.
Hill Park was created and finished
and the people co-operated with the
aldermen as much of the work was
done free by the workers. The mem
bers of the local Plumbers union gave
their services free to the city in con-
Meeting up the water service pipes
all through the park On Decoration
Day 1915 the members of the Laborers
Union of Helena gathered at Hill park
and placed the flag pole where it now
is and raised Old Glory to the top of
it. A few days previous to this the
laborers did the excavating and laid
the foundation base for the pole.
Under the aldermanic government
fourteen aldermen were elected from
the seven wards of the city. While
each alderman took care of the in
of his own ward, yet, all of
hem did team work for the general
welfare of the whole city.
When the aldermanic form of gov
eminent was abandoned and the COM
mission form installed the city had
s106, 900 in the treasury. On the first
If last November the city was 1892,
L67 in debt with only $7,494 in the
reasury and our taxes are much high
II than 25 years ago.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29
Aldermanic Form
OF Govt Acquired
City Water Plant

The acquisition of the water plant
by this city, under the aldermanic
form of government, has served bene-
ficially from several viewpoints:
1. The plant has paid its own debts,
namely, (a) the original debt, plus
interest, OBJ the second debt of $780,
600 plus interest, and (c) about one
half of the third debt of 100000 plus
interest.
2. These debt were paid from water
collections at rates that were mate
rally less than were charged by the
original owners.
3. These payments were made from
water rates as reduced under the aid
ermanic form of government.
Inquiry into the facts will reveal
that reductions in water rates were
not made under the commission form
of government, because of abuse in
management, and because of the nee
essity for use of the water revenues
to defray portion of the city's gen.
eral expenses. One transaction was
loan to the city by the Montana Trust
G. Saving Bank of $4,000 secured by
a water fund warrant. Another trans
action was a pretended transfer of
Beaver Creek from the City of Helena
to the Helena Water Department, and
as consideration, the transfer of $780,
900 from the water fund to the city's
general fund.
In Helena's public ownership exper-
iment, the benefits were only partial
ly destroyed by the commission form
of government. And while not
averse to such destruction, inquiry
may disclose that a public enterprise,
Dr. public ownership experiment, has
never had the serious thought or con-
sideration of the commission form of
government of any city of the United
States.
Since the legislature provided for
he commission form of government,
ieveral cities continuing under the
form, embarked into the
water business, namely, Billings, Liv-
ngston and Kalispell. While under
he commission form, none.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29
SEWER SYSTEM
"A PUBLIC
UTILITY

The cities of this country that per-
mitted their sewer systems to be pri-
vately owned and operated for profit,
are so few in number, as to justify
their omission from public discussion,
| if a purpose of comparison is to be
served.
| However the sewer system, next to
water, is the greatest of all public
utilities, and must be considered along
with water, electricity, gas and tele-
phone.
If one were compelled to dispense
with three of the five utilities, it
would be the two retained, and that
the other three, electricity, gas and
telephone would be either substituted
or dispensed with entirely.
The water and sewerage systems of
Helena, required larger investments
than the combined cost of the cleo
trio, gas and telephone plants. If this
statement should be accepted as cor
rect, one might consult his public
utility bills by way of deducting the
monthly charge by the city for sewer,
and water services, from the charges
by private monopolists for electric,
gas and telephone services With
these figures at hand, one would be
apprised of the difference, in dollars
and cents, in favor of city owned
utilities.
If the so-called commission form of
government cannot be shown to be
at least impartial in matters relating
to the peoples ownership of their
utilities, it should not be
dignified by being referred to as an
entity related to forms of govern
ment
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29

N<hhAS
ence only one CITY, Bozeman, changed
from the aldermanic to the city man
ager form of government.
If the commission and city manager
form of government were better than
the aldermanic form of government
Montana made the change? The
people of the other Montana cities
believe from observation that the ex-
perience of Bozeman, Helena and
Missoula prove that the aldermanic
government is the best yet.
The shortcomings of the commission
and managerial form of government
lies entirely in the laws that provide
for this system of government.
The commission form of govern
ment does not provide for an exec
utive head of the icty. While a mayor
is elected he is only the chairman
of the commission while the commits
sion is in session. The mayor has
no authority over his fellow commits
sioners in their administrative capa-
city. Whatever influence he may
have is moral not legal. The city
commission is more anarchist than
democratic as each commissioner is
law unto himself
Under the city manager system the
mayor is chairman of the commission
and lacks executive authority. The
commissioners are compelled by law
70 hi aif
manager, therefore, the hired man is
the executive head of the city and has
authority over all the departments of
the city excepting the fire department.
The commissioners under the mana
gerial form of government not only
hires the city executive or city man.
ager but tell him what to do and if
he does not obey orders from the
commission he may be discharged.
The salary of the city manager
is fixed by the commissioners and |
there is no limit to what the COM
missioners can fix it at. The sky is
the limit.
While the chief of police must be a
resident of the city for two years prior
to his appointment as chief of police,
the city manager does not need to be
a resident of Helena or of Montana.
He can be hired from any part of the
world provided the immigration Of
ficials permit his entry into this coun-
try.
The salary of the commissioners
under the managerial form is fixed by
aw at ten dollars meeting but there
IS no limit to the number of meet
ngs they can hold, therefore they
,an decide what their annual wage or
salary may be.
The cost of the commissioners to
he city of Helena is $4,000 a year.
Under the aldermanic government
he cost of the city of Helena was
1880 a year. The mayor received
me hundred dollars month, thirteen
received ten dollars month
nd one alderman who was chairman !.
# the auditing committee received
2500 a month.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29
CIVIC Improvements IN
HEL ENA MADE UNDER THE
al. DERMAh GOVERNMENT

All Paving Now i'll Helena With the Excep-
ton of Rodney Street Done Under Alder
manic Government as Was Street Lighting,
Parking, Planting of Shade Trees = City
Water Plant Acquired-MunicipaI Light
ing System Lost in Change to Commission
Form
great civic improvements taken place I'M
the commission form of All the fine things
to make city beautiful accomplished under the alder
anc form of government which Helena had.
Main Grand, jackson, Edwards Park and Mcneil were
aved in fact all the streets excepting Rodney street
aved when aldermen elected
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29
HELENA is SMALL
BUT big SPENDER

The population or Missoula is one
half more than the population of Hell
ena
The wages of street workers in Hell
ena are so cents an hour, while the
wages of street workers in Missoula
are rs cents an hour, or, 25 percent
higher in Missoula than in Helena.
Yet the Helena street department
spends s36,419 year while Missoula,
a larger city spends s26,025 and Hell
en- a has nothing to show for the
$4,000 year extra expenditure.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29

has its own representation at every
council meeting with voice and vote
on every subject that comes before
the council in the running of the city's
affairs. These men are each respon-
sible to the people of his ward. He
is constantly in touch with his people
and carries out their wishes at the
meeting of the council to be acted on
by the body as whole. The people
of Helena will have something to
say about what shall or shall not
be done in the city under a govern
ment of this kind, where formerly
they have taken all kinds of graft
and political rottenness and liked it
because of their lack Of power to
do anything about it.
Vote for the aldermanic form of
government and retain your democ-
racy.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29
HOOVER AND PUBLICITY

Hoover was opposed to the "black-
out" in matters. relating to publicity.
He declared that mo idea can be per-
fected except upon the anvil of de-
bate"
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29
NOTICE

Call 2177 if you are unable to
get to the Polling booths because
of the lack of transportation and
a car with call for you and take
you to the Polls and back home.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29
GOETHE AND "BLACkOUT"
NOT ON GOOD TERMS

NOT ON GOOD TERMS
"All those who oppose intellectual
truths merely stir up the fire; the
cinders fly about and set fire to that
which else they had not touched" -
Goethe
AS stated elsewhere, the last audit
under Helena's aldermanic form, was
made by Jess Kicker in August 1911
This report shows that at this time,
and prior thereto, the general fund
loaned money to the special improve
ment districts. Also, that at the time
when the Kicker report was made,
such loans from the general fund to
the special improvement districts ag-
grgeated $4,000. This loan practice
was reversed under the commission
form.
In a taxpayers action the testimony
disclosed that, as of September 10,
1926, this city, under the commission
form, was using $4,000 that belonged
to the various improvement districts.
Prior to September IS, 1926, or spe-
on March 81, 1926, Frank L..
Reece, a Helena taxpayer addressed
the following letter to the Montana
Record Herald:
Helena, Mont, Mar. 81, 1926
To the Montana Record Herald:
During the past ten days I have
been questioned repeatedly, relative
o the financial condition of the city,
md some have complained because of
he lack of publicity in this important
natter. And some have been unkind
enough to say that publicity has been
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29

In the 1911 the legislature of Montana enacted the law
providing for the commission form of and in the
20 years that the law has been in effect only two Montana
cities Helena and Msoua have changed from the ademanc
to the commission form of government
In the 1917 the legislature of Montana enacted law
providing for the managerial form of and during
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29
ALDERMANIC FORM CITY
Government BRINGS REAL
Saving TO TAXPAYERS

The Cost to the City Under the Aldermanic
Form was $1,000 a Year While Under the
Commission Form the Cost Is $4,000; I'm
der Managerial Form. No One Knows What
the Cost May Be.
Evening star., 1940-06-26
800 zv0rfh 1000
800 zv0rth 1900
400 w0rth 500
800 zv0rth $50

The manufacturer Of famous FIexees Figure modine moec
discontinued making Of these numbers (ond decided
include his soPles) grand time for Washington women!
Just when they need good ede piece foundoon
And where ask the who will be able getting
SIS gomen $40 S5 garment when it's Fexee
for 3e5! Certainly any who knows whot FIexees
will do for her and who this tremendous ossorment Gdes
Is to 81; one piece Foundations sizes 81 AZ.
Deptm ThrdF FoorJ
The Phoenix index., 1940-07-13
Californian Is
Burned With Lye
In Love Dispute

LOS ANGELES, Calf. Police las
Saturday sought Ella Lee Manson,
Of 51O6 Compton Ave for question
ing concerning the lye burns sus-
tanned by Farcia Lee Armstrong,
5015 Compton Ave. following a
lovers row. Armstrong was treat
ed at the Georgia Street Resolving
,hnsp7tal for severe hurns about
the face and shoulders. e." i
The man told poIICe that the
acid fluid had been thrown into
his face by Miss Manson during a
quarrel. George Otis, who was
present at the time also suffered
from burns. Armstrong said the
woman attacked him without warn
ing when he threatened to move
Hospital attnedants alter tolo
police woman answering the de-
scription of Miss Manson, was
treated there for burns similar tc
those suffered by Armstrong. She
said she spilled the stuff on her-
self in falling down some stairs.
The Phoenix index., 1940-07-13
The Globe Trotter *a@s By cliff Mnekay

unsts - this tough battle come from the
ranks of the group that stands to benefit most
from vctory-the teachers themselves.
From these appeasers, already be heard
soft-worded suggestions that maybe Mr.. White
has been a little too militant in pressing for the
passage of the federal anti-lynching measure that
perhaps it would be better for him to abandon
that fight at this time.
WOULD APPEASE LYN6HERS
And in the manner that Chamberlain
and Dalader sought to appease Hitler at Munich,
native appeasers would seek to appease those
who form the mobs and those who condone the
mobs by saekening of the pressure for federal leg
isfation along this line. The result, of course,
would be increased lynching, as nothing has done
more to make lynchers think twice before acting,
has just the threat of federal law.
Against all of these and many other drives
have the "appeasers' spread their insidious poi
son of edo nothingness." 1t is they who are con-
santy afraid to disturb the status quo, less those
who voice the demands of the masses of people
in race the ire of the group that has
denied them to us.
of the speeded-up national defense program with
it's additional taxation must press the more Wig
orously the demand that black Americans be al
lowed to participate without discrimination.
We must not allow qulsling flfth-column-
lists to slow up this campaign. The new taxes in
augurated July I, will be paid by all Americans,
regardless of color It is UP to us to that they
expended in the democratic way
DEMOCRACY IS BLOCKED
An arrogant war department has thus far
blocked democracy in Americas armed forces. No
matter how fit you physically and mentally, II
your face is black, your country find no
place for you in its badly undermanned tank corps,
chemical warfare service, air service, signal corps,
coast artillery, field artillery corps CORPS
or any other army service where the training is of
first class vocational value.
The navy, though badly in need of manpow
er, automatically shuts off vast source of loyal
Americans, whose faces chance to be black, by
limiting the enlistment of Negroes dishwash-
only.
1t is ironic that must fight TO get in the
army and navy can fight to save democra-
cy. This first fight to save democracy must
come with the Inauguration of the princi-
Piles of democracy in our armed forces. The Re-
pubcans, weak though it was have already spok-
en- word against this arch discrimination. The
Democrats, under political pressure, will no doubt
do likewise when they meet at Chicago.
Our battle this score is really about half
won. Our greatest danger lies in the work of our
appeasers who would gladly knife the whole cam
We must stand ever alert to see that the blow is
paign at nod from their "good white friends. y
never delivered.
The Phoenix index., 1940-07-13

their self-apponted, weakened leadership and
their hasty to get the ear of "the best white
folks" can prove extremely disastrous to any pro-
gram campaign being inaugurated for the in
terests of the race whole.
STAND EVER READY
They stand ready and waiting to be
come the tool of any member organization of
the opposite race Their selfish interests, their
short-sightedness and cussed footing over
vital issues have already done much to retard our
general progress III the direction of making democ-
racy work in America
Their hedging has indeed been costly When
the NAACP, years back, in the throes of
the De. Sweet residential segregation case seek
ing to smash undemocratic barriers preventing
certain groups from living where they so desired,
self-satisfying and cripplng arguments that the
fight was useless that Dr. Sweet had no business
moving = a neighborhood where he was not want
ed that he was "just tryin' to get away from us
coored folks anyway"
And these dusky "quisers' were on the
scene when this same militant organization launch
ed its battle for equal educational opportunity,
which ended despite the quibbling of these back
knifers, with the momentous Supreme Court
Gaines decision.
READY TO PLAY BALL
They still in the face of this decision, are
ready to "play ball" with "our good white folks"
in working out ways and means of evading its
verv explicit and unmstakable terms by suggest
ing and advocating mushroom graduate schools
and one-professor professional courses.
Thev persist in standing in the path of the
forward drive on the very democratic issue of Sc
curing equal salaries to teachers of all color, who
are equally qualified and do equal tasks And trag
ically enough the largest number of "flfth col
The Phoenix index., 1940-07-13
Urban Leaque Hits Jim Crow In Defense Industries
Widow Of Sweepstakes Winner
Loses Another Suit With Son

CHICAGO, CAMP Mrs.
Alhertine Pickens Spurlock, widow
Of Royal E. Spurlark, 1888 Irish
sweepstakes winner. lost another
court fiasco with her stepson last
week wilen Royal E. Spurlark, il.
won $3.50, face value Of an ms
policy, naming him beneficiary
Mrs. Spurlark, it was complained,
had collected the insurance with
cut his consent. The widow i'm
mediately appealed the case.
Last weeks court appearance Of
Mrs, Spurlark and Spurlark, Jr.,
was the third since Mr.. Spurlark' S
death last December. On Feb. 16,
SHORTLY after his fathers death
young spurlock was brought into
court by his step-mother, who &C.
cused him of threatening her while
his father lay i'll in Provident nos
pital. Spurlark was found not
guilty in this instance as in the
subsequent trials.
Mrs. Spurlark was left the bulk
of the Spurlark estate, which has
been reported near $4,000. Young
Spurlark was nemed beneficiary OF
one insurance policy with the Pull
man Porters Beneficiary Associa-
ton. while another policy was be-
uueathed to- a nice and two ne
phews of Mr.. Spurlark.
The Phoenix index., 1940-07-13
Policy Kings In
"Block Cap0ne"
Drive In Chicago

CHICAGO (ANF) - Chicago
Southside policy Kings joined forces
last week, according to reports, TO
fight a new Al Capone mob plan
ming to take over The policy racket
heretofore almost exclusively own
ed by Negroes. Apparently the fore.
runner of a new reign of terror be-
tween gangland czars Of two races,
this move of the Capone mobsters
is looked upon with, trepidation by
southside residents who fear riots
similar to those suffered in 1919
may result.
Business equipment" in the
form of wheels and so on are re-
ported to have arrived at several
southside locations last week, anu
are thought to be in preparation
for the new setup under direction.
of the west side gangs.
The Phoenix index., 1940-07-13
New Recorder
Building Awaits
FDR's Signature

WASHINGTON, CAMP - Con-
gress sent to the White House last
week for the signature of the pres
ident. bill authorizing PWA to
advance $5O0,0O0 to the District OF
Columbia for the construction of a
new building for the Recorder Of
Deeds.
Legislative action on the meas
ure was completed when the house,
which acted on it first, endorsed
several minor changes made in the
senate.
It is planned to erect the new
building on the site of the old po-
lice court at Sixth and D streets,
NV. DR.. Thompkins, recorder OF
deeds, has nursed this ambition Tor
several years and has had in his
desk the whole time, complete sets
Of tentative plans submitted by
efficiency organizations which
would simplify the work of the de-
partment. He is hopeful that some
of the ideas embraced in his plans
will be incorporated in the new
building.
The Phoenix index., 1940-07-13
Death Takes Widow
OF Famed Novelist

CLEVELAND, Ohio.-(ANP)--Fu-
neral services were held here last
Friday at Emanuel Baptist church
for Mrs. Susan Chestnut, widow of
the late Charles W.. Chestnut,
famed novelist and author of ''The
Coniure Woman" wife of His
Youth" and many other best SELL
ers. Mr.. Chestnut died in 1882 and
their only son, DR.. Edwin j. Chest
mutt, of Chicago, passed away last
September at the home here in
Cleveland.
Mr.. and Mrs. Chestnut came to
Cleveland in 1893. Survivors are
three daughters: Miss Helen M.
Chestnut and Mrs. Dorothy Slade,
both local high school teachers and
Mrs. Ethel Beamon, Washington,
D. G..
The Phoenix index., 1940-07-13
State Control Is
Voted Jackson As
$4,000 Donated

JACKSON, -(ANP)-State
control of Jackson college, to be
operated as a teacher-training in
stitute, was voted last week by the
board of trustees Of institutions Of
higher learning, after $4,000 was
donated by the Rosenwald Fund for
support of the institution, author
itative sources disclosed
Adoption of jackson college as q
state institution was urged by DR.
r. H. Easom, state agent for Ne
gro education.
The Phoenix index., 1940-07-13
To OBSERVE LIBERIA DAY

CHICAGO-(ANP)-July 26 will
be Liberia Day at the American
Negro Exposition, 1t was announced
this week by Truman K. Gibson,
Jr., executive director of the ex-
position, after communication with
Lester A. Walton, New York, the
American minister 10 Liberia. July
rs is Liberals Independence Day,
Mr.. Walton said.
The Phoenix index., 1940-07-13

left such a sizeable fortune in
checking over his effects, police
found one bank book showing
$1,000 in deposits. $4,000 in gov
ernment bonds and several gold
watches. A large safe found in the
rear of the store is believed 10
contain more money.
Coming to Harlem in 1910,
Madden found work as a garage
helper and worked UP to a room
ing house owner a few years