Omaha daily bee., 1892-01-17
DAVIS POLICY.
Views of the Councils Head on Needed
Municipal Reforms.
OPPOSED TO FAvoRIrES IN CONTRACTS.
Public Works should lie Started Early and
Pushed to CompIetion-Omces That
Should lie Abolished-Rcduce
Fancy Salaries.

VI am In favor OF several reforms IN munic-
ipal %affairs,'' said Il. II. Davis, president Of
the city council, yesterday afternoon in out
lining the policy of the city government.
'Some of the work already planned by
democrats will be uudone, but as to methods
Of city improvements they will be changed.
| don't want to find fault with the last city
administration, as 1t was hardly responsible
for contract work being delayed. 1t was
obliged to wait because the city had to issue
bonds before the work could be commenced
and thus contractors could not get TO work
before June or July. Now that the bonds
have been voted city improvements will
be begun as soon as the frost
leaves the ground. 1t will be pushed aud all
work contemplated will DO completed before
cold weather again sets in.
Former Favoritism In Contracts.
zone thing, however, that should be rem
edied is the manner in which contracts are
let. Under the past administration there
were prejudices against certain contractors
and others were favorites. Tho city engi-
neer and Board of Public Works should be
compelled to formulate specifications Of all
kinds OF work, including paving, grading and
sidewalks and the like.
"There are three or four different kinds Of
asphalt for instance, and when they adver-
tised for bids IL has been the custom
to specify Trinidad or other as
phalt equally us good. This should
not be. Why don't they specify the differ
ent kinds as well as the rrlnidadl
Wants the Levy Lowered.
1.-THE apportionment Of funds must be de-
termined by the expenditure and require
merts of the improvements, but l am in
favor of lowering the levy as much as pos
slble. This Is a matter that we must CON
slider on of work, but / think when
they are considered the levy can be reduced.
II am also opposed, and that, too, on good
grounds. to QiVcrtlnp the general fund for
grading. My reason is that the main thor
oughfares of the city are good and
sufficiently adequate. The grading OF
soma private individaai. or course such a
street as Douglas, or any thoroughfarc in the
immediate center of the business portion of
the city, should be graded, but aside from
this am opposed to any new grading.
Necessary but Expensive Evil.
"What about the street commissioners
Well, that office is a sort Of necessary evil,
but it should be under the direction of the
Board OF Public Works. The street commits
sioner should be required to report daily or
weekly to the board, in order that his work
could be checked up and regulated. Then
I ihs ' that M0u got Pfay ,S oeiy mo ,"r e sho
pended. Men on the street forces should
not be paid any more money for their ser
vices than are paid by business men for
similar kind of work. l believe IN doing the
city's business as | do my own.
Should Abolish This Omce.
"As to the sidewalk inspectora That Of
flee should be abolished, but an inspector
should be employed by the city engineer and
Board OF Public Works. Nobody has con-
troll over the Office now and 1t is run to suit
itself.
There are also many reforms needed in
the matter of reducing expenses Of city en-
ployes. This can be brought about by the
consolidation of offices, and | am In favor of
1T whenever it Is practicable. There are
too many departments at present and
too many branches OF departments which
are subject to no one. They run too indc-
pendently. think there will be- q material
reduction in the forces of some of the city
offices. There are times when. it is quiet
and dull and many clerks can be suspended,
the same as any private business man con-
ducts his affairs.
Salaries Should BE Reduced.
Salaries in many instances are also too
large. i have always been opposed to pay
ing city employees more salary for the amount
of labor performed than l would pay for the
same kind of work in my own bust
ness. There are now many en-
month, when there are just as capable
and competent men on the streets whO would
like such positions at $75 or $50 a month. |
believe in the city paying fair salaries, but
no moro than any other business would pay
for the SAM quality OF work.
Mr.. DAVIS. also favors replacing street
signs at the intersections of streets and hav-
ing the numbers OF houses corrected lreauir-
ing all to number. For the street signs he
favors the iron with an enamel over the face,
but he says this will be n great expense.