Omaha daily bee., 1891-10-25
AIRED SOME PRIVATE VIEWS.
County Commissioners Stirred Up by the
Real Estate Owners Association.
IDEAS OF COUNTY EXPENSE EXCHANGED.
" hat Chairman O'KccTc aud Mem.
Der Berlin said About Em-
ploy es-Finai Result Of
Pointed Debate.

All OF the members attended the session Of
the county commissioners hold yesterday af-
tcrnoou. II was one Of those old time meet
ings when a fight to II finish was billed for
every afternoon.
The court house attaches had a tip Of
what was in store and, with their friends,
packed tho lobby. II happened like this:
Some weeks ago the executive committee
of the Real Estate Owners association began
the work of going into the question OF
salaries paid by the county 20 its
officials. This report showed an
enormous expenditure of money, and the
committee suggested II little pruning. After
that the committee formulated the following
report, which was sent to Richard O'Kccre,
chairman of the board, with the request that
he bring the matter before his associates:
From a report made to tins association by n
committee appointed to ascertain the names
Of the clerks In the various county Offices and
drawing pay from the county, and as to
whether there are any more persons employed
on under pay than are necessary to transact
tho business OF the county and the salary
are the names Ot any persons ON the pay roll
who arc not rendering any services to the
county ana whether or not there is any one in
the employ of the county and drawing a sal
airy contrary to law.
month as assistant county auditor and that
no Is not now nor mas lie AT any TIME rendered
any service to the county, and this associa-
ton requests OF the county commissioners
that he be dismissed and that his pay stop.
Second. We also find from that report that
county attorney T. ~. MoTioriIyi
appointed by Mr., Mahoney and drawing
salaries as follows: MQriarity and Donovan,
50 per month each, and Doud, $50 per month.
The law does not provide for amy assistant
county attorneys, except deputies, who shall
act without compensation from the county.
q fInu In11 ihInN non "a rn al q a ~ inv Gu | rios
contrary to law. and this association requests
that they, be dismissed and their pay stopped.
Third. We further find that Il clerk to COun-
~ Attorney Mahoney receives "A salary of $40
per month from The county, which is contrary
missioners have allowed Mr.. MahOney so per
month Office rent and - per month telephone
rental; for which the law has made no provl-
sion, This association requests that that eN-
pcnditure be stopped. The sum total of the
above unlawful expenditure amounts to $3.50
per annum.
Sidetrackcd the Report.
1t was two weeks ago that Mr.. O'Keefre
received the communication but instead of
going before the board it went into his
pocket, where it remained. Yesterday, soon
after tho chairman bad called the board to
order, Mr.. Berlin begged leave TO offer a
communication 1t was passed up 10 the
chairman, who remarked This is a copy
of u document | received II couple of weeks
ago" Mr.. Berlin hai no doubt OF that. and
at once said that the board should comply
with the request.
Mr.. O'Kccffe wanted to talk. He said
that If he did not know any more about bust
ness than those Real Estate Owners a%ssocia-
ton people, he would resign.
Mr.. Berlin remarked that the talk was all
out Of order, as there was no motion before
the house.
'Therc will be-" remarked Mr.. O'Keeffe,
as he called Mr.. Berlin to the chair and took
up a position on the floor. Nov | move to
lay the communication under the table,
said Mr.. O'keeffe.
The motion was seconded, after which Mr..
O'keeffc opened the debate. He SAID it was
the same old fight, renewed for political eff
feet. 1t was necessary TO have assistants to
County Attorney Mahoney in order to handle
the court business. Years ago when l.. NJ.
Anderson was on the board he had refused
to sign the warrants paying me assistants
and the court had mandaInuscd the chair
man. The fight on Barney Gordon was sim
ply because he was a brother-in-law of Dick
O'Keeffe. The Real Estate Owners association
opposed the attorneys because they were not
white Caps.o The board had committed
thousands of illegal acts, but the committee
had never raised its voice. It had spent
$4,000 III caring for the poor ana there was
not a word on the statute books that
justified such an expenditure. The
board hau voted money to send
paupers out of the country, but the watch
dogs had not objected. The committee had
pursued a most disgraceful course. 1t mad
asked for a statement OF the disbursements of
the road fund, but instead OF showing things
in their true colors only a report on Thir-
teenth street and the manner in which it was
graued went before the public.
Rather ointcd Debate.
Mr.. O'Keeffe informed the board that he
was soon to retire from his official position
and opined that if his successor should hold
on for nine years, as he (O'Keeffe) had done.
that man would be in good luck. Mr..
O'Keeffe took PRIDE in his Official record and
challenged any man to show where he had
ever voted to mlSapproprlate ono dollar of
public money.
Mr.. Berlin wanted to have a say and in
vited Mr. Tlmme to the chair. He explained
that the communication was handed to him
just before ne entered the room. He thought
the members of the committee were on the
right track. He had held the same opinion
when he first went upon the board, as he
was then satisfied that there was no
authority of law for paying assistant
attorneys, office rent, clerk hire and tele-
phone bills. For twenty months he had been
opposed by the other members of the board
and thanked God that at last the people had
taken hold of the question.
Mr.. O'keetfe was willing that tho people
should know how he had stood upon tho
question. lie know that the members of the
committee had lied when they said that
the help referred to was not necessary. Four
years ago when there was no auditor to check
the books things were in "A most wretched
condition. Then he went TO Lincoln and
asked for the passage of an act to apply to
Douglas county, by which an auditor could
be appointed. His colleagues opposed hun
and the bill was defeated. After that, with
out any warrant of law the commits
siOners appointed an auditor at a
salary of 81, 500 per year and a clerk to the
board NJ a salary of 500 per month. If the
Real Estate Owners association was so
anxious to economI2e, he wanted to know
why the discharge of those mcn had not been
recommended.
Mr.. Berlin offered tho opinion that the
commissioners could do both the AUDITORS
and the clerks work if some of them would
not spend so much OF their time on the
streets and in the saloons playing cards.
Mr.. O'Keefe grew wrathy and assalled
the members of the committee. He said that
when they made their report Il few weeks
ago they lied and they knew that they lied.
MIR. Berlin insisted that Mr., O'Keetfe in.
tended to make Il political speech.
81 am not going to make n political
speech, - remarked Mr.. O'Keeffe, "but / am
gong TO talk against those political shystcrs
and dirty ours. am glad they gave that
punaT, m MIR Rpplin ae n Uiuag mo n