Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-02
PROCEEDINGS OF ~ COUNCIL.
Special Meeting to Pass the Appro-
printion Ordinance for April.

specinI Meeting to Pass the Appro-
printion Ordinance for April.
1t took the city council nearly two hours
yesterday to pass the regular appropria-
ton ordinance for April salaries. There
was a long controversy es to whether the
salaries should be allowed as provided for
in the old charter or whether the new law
should govern. City Attorney Connell gave
it as his opinion that the salaries fixed by
tbs new charter should be paid, but the
council thought otherwise and the salaries
as contemplated by the old charter were
allowed, with the exception of those of the
legal department, when were made to con-
form with the provisions Of the new char
ter. By this proceeding the iremen failed
to get their extra pay as provided by the
new charter.
The ordinance as submitted was a sort
of compromise. Tn Board of Fire and
Police Commissioners had allowed the extra
pay for the firemen and their pay roll was
incorporated in the ordinance without
change. The salaries of the city officials
were left as heretofore, except those of the
legal department. The finance committee
recommended that the items relating to the
salaries of the members Of the Board of
Fire and Police Commissioners be stricken
out. This was done, and then Burkley
wanted to know the reason. Benawa ex-
planned that there was no question but that
there would be litigation III regard to the
validity of the section of the new charter
that referred to the board, and then stated
that if the salaries were allowed at this
time the city might be compelled to pay
chem a second time. Wheeler added the
assurance that there was no question but
that the new fire and police law was I'M
or B, ana anl ,y1iI and tlnf tho ann
should not recognize it until after It's status
had been settled by the courts.
The opinion of City Attorney Connell that
the new charter went into effect March Is
and that salaries should be adjusted &C
cordingly was then read. Mr.. Cornell added
that, although the new charter might not
DO desirable in every respect, it was a law
and the old charter had been wined out.
Tho present city officials did not hold over
under the old charter. but under the pro-
vision of tho new charter which stated that
all existing boards and officers should hold
over until their successors were elected and
qualified.
Several of the councilmen took the posi-
ton that the provision last referred to car
ried with it the idea that the old officials
should draw their accustomed salaries dur
ing the holdover period. After some dis
cussion the ordinance was recommitted to
the committee with instructions to report
at once. Ou us ItCOHlLlltLudlIoh thS olui-
nance was amended as stated above and it
passed, Burkley and Flynn voting mo"
Acting Mayor Bingham transmitted his
first veto. The ordinance providing for the
issue of bonds for the new paving district
on South Sixteenth street was vetoed on
account of a clerical error in the description
of the property, and the veto was sus-
tanned. A new ordinance will be dra wn up
at once.
The pay roll of the Board of Public
Works for the week ending April "a was
submitted, with an explanation from Chair
man Munro in regard to items that had
been approved by the board over his OBJ
1t was referred to the finance COM
mittee for investigation.
The ordinance introduced by Dechel some
time ago repeating the blanket ordinance of
several years ago, which gave any corpora
tion the right to erect poles and wires on
the streets of the city, was read for the
third time and passed. Burnley and Flynn
voted mo"
Two documents that have been in COM
for several months were placed on
file. One was the ordinance providing for a
on Twenty-fourth street, which was
about the time the railroads de-
cided to refuse transportation to councilmen,
the other was the petition of Farnam
street residents for a transfer from the Far
nam street to the South Omaha street car
line.