Omaha daily bee., 1888-12-19
THE CHARTER COMMITTEE.
Relative Merits of Day Labor aud the
Contract System.

The charter committee met again yester-
day afternoon, and again the members of the
city council failed to put in an appearance.
Pat Ford did look In before there was a
quorum. but explained his presence by stat
ing that he was In search of a city council
committee meeting which was supposed 10
take place in the city hall, but as he could
not find il there he took in the board Of
trade. On being called to order a communi-
ton from Thomas +. Daley was read, sug-
costing n change in section 30 Of the charter,
and stating that a great deal OF the sickness
prevalent was due to the use OF water taken
from wells and %cisterns situated too close TO
watcr-closets and cess pools. He also pointed
out that in many cases landlords will not
make the proper sewer and water connec-
tions, and therefore suggested that the
closets, cess pools, and TO compel
property owners to make suitable
sewerage connections be inserted
in the body of section 30, which at present
gives the mayor and council power to make
regulations to secure the general health OF
the city. This was done.
Section los, which refers to public parks,
led TO a general discussion. in which MIR.
Council expressed the opinion that the power
of the board of park commissioners should
be increased, and that a proper system OF
parking and boulcvardiug would boom
omaha more than any other thing Mt present.
MT. lIlnlngtT llOuklt tIlul JID park OlhulA
sioncrs should, as much as possible, be free
from the interference of the city council.
Charles Brown was OF the opinion that Il
tcn-mile limit surrounding the city was too
large u space in which to locate the parks,
and that a one or two-mile limit was prefer.
able. The question was finally referred to
Messrs. Cornell, Rosewater and Lininger as
a special committee to draft u section in
place of the present one.
Section 1903 defining the duties and salary
of the hDilDr inSnpptDr. was discussed. and
Mr.. lSosewater pointed out that while the
position was u responsible one, no bond was
required, although every other municipal
officer was required to do so. 1t was accord
ingly suggested that the section be amended
so as to require u bond for 81, 900.
Section 10 was referred to a committy
composed of Mcssrs. Cornell, Liningcr and
Rosewater, with the instructions to so amend
ii that it would call fora bond Of $4,000, to be
furnished by the city comptroller, and to
make such other alterations as they deemed
necessar.
Sections Ill and liz relating to the duties
of the city attorney and his assistant, were
allowed to stand approval as at present.
Nearly half the time was taken up in the
discussion of section lib, which provides
that grading, curDing, macadamlZlng, etc,
"shall be done by contract" Mr.. McArdle said
that in the interests of the working men who
formed the population of Omaha, the words
days LAHORE should be substituted for ICON
tract" 1t was pointed out that there
is a clause IN the proVlSo, max
ing 1t optional for the property
owners interested, to say whether
or not the work shall be done by contract or
day labor. Two years had passed ind in
only one instance had the day labor plan
been tried, and Mr.. Brown said that was on
some curling on Convent street, which cost
the taxpayers about twice as much as it
would have done under contract. Then it
was shown that some work like the binding
of viaducts could not be done, except by
skilled labor and under contract with foreign
corporations. Some discussion followed as
to who was responsible for the insertion of
that proviso, and it was learned that it was
put in as a compromise, on a request made
by a delegation of Knights of Labor at Lin
coin. The manner in which the work of the
city was done at present came in for a scor-
ing, and the merits of contractors and
superintendent or inspectors discussed. One
member made the statement that one city
inspector is drawing pay as superintendent
of Il work, for which he draws city pay as in
~spector. Another said that a butcher has
been appointed to inspect concrete, a saloon
keeper ~inspects the construction of a sewer,
and a -~cigarmaker passes Judgment on the
quality of curling. Mr.. t'uray said the
only men paid on the day labor plan was
the street commissioner and his gang, and it
daily made him weary to watch them.
Finally the question was deferred until the
meeting of the afternoon, and the committee
adjourned.