Omaha daily bee., 1894-01-14

affairs and to provide for deciding contests
in the election of it's own members The
later laws also require q property qualitica-
ton.
The City Clerk.
The early charters provided for an
elective recorder TO keep the records of
the municipal corporation with term cor
responding to thatof mayor. BY an amend
ment to the Omaha city charter in 1858 he
was designated city clerk and made APP
pointive by the council. The act of 1871
made the Office again elective. 1t was made
appoinJive by the council by an amendment
IN 1877; made elective IN 1888; appointlve in
1885; elective again IN 1891. The city clerk
ship, it is thus seen, has been made the buff
fet of legislative Difference to charter conf
mittees.
The Office of comptroller has been the out
growth of the offices of city clerk and city
treasurer, first appearing as an elective office
under the name auditor in 1885, and called
comptroller since 1887. The term OF this
Office, as well as the other elective city
Offices, has constantly correspondent with
that of the mayor. The incumbent's main
duty comprises the auditing OF public ac-
counts.
The CITY Treasurer.
The treasurer has from the first been an
elective officer, upon whom has been en-
joined the safe keeping of the public moneys.
The Marshal.
Excluding the assessor, in reality a pre-
cinct officer, the marshal completes the list
of original elective charter officers. Under
the first special charter he was not only
conscrvator of the peace, but also chief ex-
ecutive officer of the mayors court,
and Mt the same time collector of taxes.
The marshal became the mayors appointoe
under the act of 1881 governing cities of the
first class and an appointee OF the Board of
Fire and Police Commissioners, with the
title, chief of police, under the act of 1887
governing cities of the metropolitan class.
The last named act gave over the entire
control of the police and fire departments to
the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners,
consisting of the mayor, as eX-olicio mem.
Der, and four others appointed by the gov
ernOr for terms of four years, two retiring
bicnnially. This novel tenure and compost
ton of a metropolitan administrative board
was adopted to give ii Il greater indepcnd-
cnce. Responsible 10 the governor, Il state
officer. and chosen from tho representatives
of at least three POLITICAL parties, its non
partisan characteris still further guarded
by the subscription OF each member to an
oath, THAT in makingF appointments or con-
sidering promotions on removals lie VIII not
be guided or actHated by political motives or
Influences, but will consider only the inter
ests of the city aud the success and effective
ness OF said departmepts.h This board has
also been given the supervision and granting
of liquor licenses under the state law, a duty
that previously rested upon the city council
ana city clerk. IL would be interesting in
an cxcursus to trace the extent of the
powers of Nebraska municipalities over
the licensing of the liquor traffic, but
such deviation would, l fear, unnecessarily
prolong my paper.
Minor city odiclaIs and Boards.
Having hurrledly sketched the develop.
mont Of the original elective charter officers
in our municipalities, Ehe subsequent addi-
tions TO the administrative machinery must
be passed with a very brief meEtion. Other
municipal officers besides those already
alluded to have been elective at different
times. The city engineer, beginning with
the general act of 1863 until that of 1881 the
city solicitor for the brief two years after
1869; the street commissioner from the gen
eral act of 1871 10 that of 1881, all of which
are now appointed by the mayor. A chief of
the fire department. came into the same
category from 1881 TO 1857, when he was made
responsible to the Board OF Fire and Police
Commits siOucrs.
Recent legislative acts ave introduced n
complication of administrative boards OF
variegated composition and tenure. We have
the Board of Public WORKS lyitn three mem
0ers, appointed by the mayor, holding each
FOX three years and niiug Office In different
years. We nave the Board OF Health, com