Hungry Horse news., 1955-05-06


The Flathead's oldest town, but
youngest city effective
July will start paying its mayor
md councilmen salaries.
Mayor Herman Benzien will re-
GIVE $50 month. The six coun-
'ilmen will each be paid $12 a |
Meeting not to exceed $24 month.
They have not received any SAL
Try in the past.
Kalispell pays its mayor $500
year, a recent boost from $4,000,
md Whitefish's mayor gets $1,000,
With the council paid SIP meet
ng, not exceeding $24 month as
will be the case in Columbia Falls.
<alispell councilmen have been
getting $50 month and are slat-
ID to receive SIS.
UP AND DOWN
Columbia Falls founded in 1889
slipped back with good roads to
larger trade center and deple-
ion of nearby timber to have 637
people by the 1880 census and the
same 637 figure by the 1910 cen
'us. Then came Hungry Horse Dam
and a revived lumber industry to
bring about a population of 1882
in 1850, and 1000 in 1855 with an
plant two miles away
nearing completion. A result was
May 3, 1854 seeing the incorpor-
ated town become a city, and for
the first time, operation on bud
get. More on the budget later.
At the May meeting of Column
bia Falls city council Monday, new
aldermen and other elected offic-
ials were sworn in following pay
ment of bills by the old council.
TAKE OATH
Taking the oath of office were
Mayor Herman Benzien; alderman
L. A. Boots" Schoenberg and
James Clark of ward /; Fred Kro-
ma and George Ridpath of ward 2,
and G. w. Fleming and Lamar
bud" Orndorff of ward 3.
Clark and Orndorff are new
council members. Ridpath and
Schoenberg, while newly elected
April 4 had previously served as
councilmen in years back. Krona
and Fleming were reelected along
with the mayor. Outgoing council
men were O. S. Kronright and
George Settera of ward l, Al Shay,
ward 2, and Bill Schmidt, ward
3.
ELECT kRONA
Krona, heartily endorsed by
Mayor Benzien, was reelected as
president of the council. He'll be
acting mayor in the absence of Mr..
Benzien.
Floyd P. Jones was sworn in as
city judge, and Cal Crouch as city
treasurer succeeding F. P. Flem-
ing, not candidate April 4. These
two positions previously had been
appointive. io'
There was concern at the meet
ing of the proper way in which to
transfer books from an outgoing
city treasurer to his successor. A
letter from the state examiner on
the subject was read. Councilman
KrOna felt that the outgoing treas
urer should help the new treasurer
take over. Coucilman Schoenbere
said that the council would be glac
to assist in any way.
Mayor Benzien thanked the out
going council for its cooperation
He said: Everybody did the bes1
they knew how. If we can do al
well from now on, we can come
out of the red"
Mayor Benzien is proud of the
way Columbia Falls has managed
to stay within the first budget il
has ever had. The new budget viii
be made up in June and July.
CITY FINANCES
Two years ago in May Column
bia Falls had outstanding warrant
of $23,062.21. The report submit
ted for inspection of the old anc
new council Monday evening
showed outstanding warrants O
$16,814.47.
In addition each of the city de.
partments are likely to finish thu
fiscal year without going into tn,
red. The housing project in tn
report read Monday evening hat
a cash balance of $2,813.72; stree
and alleys, $1,978.87; water, ST.,
655.19; park, $370.71; general fund
$555.34, and revolving fund, ST.,
238.70.
Total delinquent water account
are down to $308.25. It has beer
five times that total in the past
Only one of the 80 renters in tn
city owned housing project wa
termed more than a month delin
quent. This compares with $500
in delinquent accounts two year
ago.
Councilman Krona expresse,
the thanks of the council for tn
efficient work done by Ruby /,
Guillaume-Berg, city clerk, in tax
ing care of her office, which in
cludes water collections and hous
ing project rentals. A pat was ais
given James Cumming, city at
torney.
Police fines for April totale
$3.50.
Columbia Falls operates on alb
out $4,000 a year including waite
collections, the $4,000 housin
project rentals, taxes, licenses an
fines. The city owes about SITS,
600 for water system improve
| ments and there is the Nucleu
avenue $4,000 special improve
ment district.
The council approved bond re
newals as follows: $4,000 for til
city clerk, $1,000 for the judg,
and $4,000 for the city treasure
all with Dwight Lohn, and 5000
1 for the chief Of police with Trim
mer and Seymer.
Track Worker Dies