Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-12
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
Water Works Charter Extension Ordinance
Called Up for Passage,
CONCESSIONS DEMANDED OF COMPANY
Market scheme Proves II Good Finnn-
cinl Investment for the CITY
Renewal bond Ordinance
Passed.

AS result OF a secret meeting held In tho
mayors office Yesterday afternoon the water
works ordinance did not come up AZ tne
! adjourned council meeting last night. Most
! OF the counclmen were present In the after
noon together with City Attorney Connell,
Superintendent Hunt of the water company,
and their attorney, X. $, Hall. The ordi-
| nance was discussed at some length, but tho
| majority of the council were studiously ST.
| lent. Benawa made a vigorous demand for
| some concessions from the water company
| commensurate with the advantages that IL
would derive under the proposed ordinance.
The water works people intimated that they
were willing to make some concessions. but
did not specify what they would be. The
subject was finally dropped with an under
standing that the ordinance should not bo
passed last night, and that another meeting
would be called in the mayors Office Mon
day afternoon.
At the council meeting the protest OF tho
Commercial club against the proposed ordi-
nance was read. To Offset this the water
company had huge stock of petitions
signed by property owners requesting the
council to pass the ordinance. The petit
tions had been worded to convey the i'm
preston that the passage of the ordinance
meant unlimited employment for laboring
men and most of the signatures were those
impressed with that feature.
The Board of Public Works again called
attention to the fact that the Capitol avenue
sewer entirely inadequate to the de-
mands on 1t and the communication was re-
ferred to the committee on sewerage.
The report of C. J. Anderson, superintend-
ent of markets, for the season of seven
months ending December l was submitted
and indicated that the enterprise had been
a financial succesa The total receipts weraL
$2,ll2.55. of which $S13.SO was from pre-
miumg and Sl79925 from rentals. Tho dis
burSements were S51575, leaving a balance
of 81 ,596S0 in the treasury. The superin-
tendent recommended that next year about
125 stalls be provided with iron frames carry
ing covering of ducking or some similar
material that would keep off the rain. The
report was placed on file and the comptroller
was directed to transfer the balance to the
general fund.
Another coal dealers ordinance was intro
duced and laid over. 1t provides for an
annual license fee of 800.
The November bills of the electric light
company the Acme Street Lighting company
and the Omaha Gas Manufacturing company
were approved and ordered paid as soon as
funds are available.
A peddlerS' ordinance was passed,
which s designed to protect local gardeners
from the competition of outside men. 1t re-
quires all pedders and fruit vendcrs to pay
a license unless they make affidavit that they
raise the produce themselves.
The ordinance which provides for the issu-
ance of $3l6, 800 in renewal bonds to take
up the short time bonds that mature during
1897 was favorably reported and passed.
The council then went into committee of
the whole to discuss Kment's house moving
ordinance, which has been on the files since
March. The result was a reference to the
committee on public property and buildings.