Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 July 1905 — BRANCHING OUT. [ARTICLE]

BRANCHING OUT.

City Council Contracts to Light St. Joseph's. • - NICHOLS' TAX CLAIM IS REJECTED The common council of the City of Rensselaer met in regular session Monday night with all members present. Following is a report of tbe meeting: The Superintendent of the light plant was instructed to purchase material to extend the light line to St Joseph’s College, also to investigate tbe cost of a new boiler.

A contract has been entered into with Father Seifert of the College by which the city is to extend the line to tbe College, the latter to advance the money for the expense of such extension and to be repaid in light rentals. For the light service tbe College is to pay 8 cents per kilowatt, and agrees to take not less than S3OO worth of lights per year, and expects, when all the buildings are wired, that this will be increased to double that sum. This arrangement is to continue for four years with privilege of renewal by the college at same rates. It will be necessary to put in a new boiler at the light plant, we understand at a cost of upwards of SI,OOO, so that with the expense of extending the line it will probably be some years before any revenue will be coming in to the city. The college people will do their own wiring of the buildings, of course. The city attorney filed the following report in the matter of the claim of S. R. Nichols for SSO for collecting special assessments of taxes for the city, which the editor of The Democrat had protested against the allowance of: “The undersigned, City Attorney, to whom was submitted the legality of said claim and liability of the city to pay the same, begs leave to submit this, his report, and in his opinion says: First. That said claim is unlawful and illegal and according to law cannot be collected.

Second. That there is no liability on the part of the city to pay said bill or any part of the same. Third. That it is the duty of the treasurer of Jasper county, as such treasurer, to collect the municipal taxes of the city of Rensselaer, including all special assessments and that in such services he is entitled to no pay, except the salary provided. Fourth. That there is no record or any contract whereby the city has promised or agreed to pay said Nichols, as treasurer, anything whatever for the collection of taxes for this year. I, therefore, recommend and advise that said bill be disallowed. Respectfully submitted, George A. Williams, City Attorney. Motion was made and carried that said report be accepted and said claim be disallowed. The matter of recovery of the $l5O previously paid out for this purpose wilt be reported on at the next meeting. The marshal was instructed to sell no more cinders from the water and light plant until further orders. The marshal was instructed to build wall at ditch on South street at crossing of sidewalk. The city treasurer filed his • report showing the following balances in the different funds: Corporation Funds 238 29 Water Fund 1,389 87 Electric Light Imp. Fund 1,185 02 Public Park Fund 136 15 Road Fund2,2ll 73 Sinking Fund 2,521 34 Special Additional Fund 1,939 °3 Other funds same as last report. Orders aggregating $234.15 have been presented in the Cor‘poration Fund and not paid for want of funds. The following claims were allowed:

COBPOBATION FUND. F. M. Abbott, salaryl 45 00 Lyman Zea, night watch 67 50 Burt-Terry Wilson Co., order b00k.... 600 H. L. Gamble, city engineer 4 00 Hugh Kirk, assisting engineer 1 50 ROAD FUND. \ Frank Shied, work on street 10 50 Chas. Seelman, cutting weeds 165 Roy Thomas, work on ditch 8 00 John McClanahan, work on ditch 1 50 Earnest Cockerell, work on ditch 75 Long and Murray, dirt 77 85 Donnelly Bros., grade stakes 18 43 Platt,Yeider ft Smith,cement work.... 4 00. Leslie Clark, printing 2 00 Louis McNutt, eewer pipe 54 72 WATBB FUND. Conrad Hildebrand, salary 60 00 John Hordeman, work on main 17 25 ■I.NCTBIC LIGHT FUND. Chas. Morlan, making light duplicate. 5 00' C. 8. Chamberlain, salary 100 00 Lem Huston, salary 60 00 C, L. Thornton, salary 60 00 B. F. Fendig, lamp globes 5 43 General Electric Co., electric supplies. 28 30 Victoria Coal Mining Co., ooal 176 83 Donnelly Bros., lumber and labor • 14