Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-26
oy,1r. MIST MEET THE PROBLEM.

OMAHA MUST MEET THE PROBLEM
| Omaha Is confronted with problem
that must be dealt with in the very
near future. 1t calls for heroic treat
ment on the part of the local authori-
ties and no halfway measures will
suffice.
| The Citizens association of Chicago
has just published report of its work
during the past year and calls public
attention to the reforms needed to
| abate the most fragrant abuses in the
municipal government of that city. The
association declares that Chicago. like
other cities. is governed too much 1t
| has too much local government and too
many petty offices to be supported by
public taxation. Instead of concentrat-
ing the management of its corporate
affairs under one general head. 1t Is
| cncumbered with the expenses of main
tanning city government, county gov
crnment school. board government,
town government ard Il park govern
ment Consolidation of these various
governments under one or two heads
NOUlu away WIFI d SICit utsti vi
waste and result in immense saving
and advantage to the community. The
methods of assessment and taxation
come in also for comment and reproba-
ton.
What is true Of Chicago applies with
equal if not greater force to Omaha.
We are governed too much. We have
nj tho r,I,h.
lie payroll supported, by general taxa
ton. Our assessments are iniquitous.
The burdens of taxation are shifted
from the shoulders of the franchised
corporations upon those of the, home
owner and hOmebuilder. There is
lamentable disregard of business meth
DDS in the transaction of public busi-
ness and more lamentable indiffer
ence among our best citizenship to in
competency, extravaganza and dis
honesty in public office. In Chicago
there is such vast amount of taxable
property and so large n revenue from
various sources that the stealing and
waStage of few hundred thousand
dollars year. or of a million n year
even, entails no very serious conse-
'uuences. In Omaha it is quite differ
cnt. The metropolitan system of gov
arnment with its complicated and costly
machinery has become crushing bur-
den. The city must either secure re-
lief by consolidating departments and
abolishing sinecures or default upon its
municipal debt.
The sum and substance of Council
man Howell's plan of municipal re-
trenchment is the annexation of South
Omaha and the consolidation of county
and city governments. These proposi-
tons are by no means original. The
Bee opposed the creation of separate
government for South Omaha when
that scheme was before the legislature
| back in 1897 1t advocated anneXa-
| ton in 1890 when the question was sub
mitted to the voters of the two towns.
1t still believes that the creation of
separate town adjacent to the city of
Omaha was costly blunder, which
| will in the end be most regretted by its
promoters.
The proposed merging of city and
county governments under one set Of
officials has also been steadily and con-
sistently advocated by The Bee for
years. 1t has labored to accomplish
| this result through the submission of
constitutional amendments and the
enactment of necessary legislation. AS
result of its labors in this direction
an amendment to the constitution of
Nebraska with this object in view was
approved by the necessary three-fifths
of the late legislature and will be sub
mitted to the people for ratification Mt
the election to be held in November,
1896. That amendment reads as fol-
lows:
The government Of any city OF the metro
politan class and the government of the
county in which It is located may be merged
wholly or in part when proposition so TO
do has been submitted by authority of law
to the voters OF such city and county and re-
| ceved the assent Of a majority Of the votes
cast In such city and also a majority OF the
votes cast in the county exclusive of those
cast in such metropolitan city at such cleo
tion.
This Is not exactly what was desired
by The Bee. but 1t was the best that
could be secured at the hands of the
late legislative delegation from this
county. 1t will doubtless require a
great deal of exerton on the part of
our citizens to secure the ratification
of this amendment by the state at large
and 1t will take still greater exertion
after its adoption to secure the required
majorities to put 1t into effect 1t will
be observed that the constitutional
amendment will permit the consolida-
ton of part of the city and county gov
ernment without affecting other parts.
For example, it will permit of merging
city and county treasurers' offices under
one head, and 1t might also apply to the
auditing of city and county accounts.
This most desirable reform, however,