Omaha daily bee., 1897-08-18
South Omaha News i.


The lobby of the council chamber was
crowded last night when Mayor Ersor
raped for order and instructed the clerk
to call the roll, 1t was expected that the
council would dispose of the city printing
matter and friends of the bidders were out
in full force. Caldwell started the ball
rolling by offering a resolution directing the
clerk to return all bids and dosigna ting the
Tribune as the official paper of the city for
the fiscal year. Kelly offered an amend
ment to lay the resolution on the table and
this was carried Later on the fight was
renewed when the three bids received were
referred to the printing committee, Csld-
well then made a motion to lay the matter
over for one week The vote was a tie and
Mayor Ensor cast the deciding vote and de.
clared the motion carried. Kelly questioned
the mayors right to vote and the mayor
stated that he had the right to appeal from
tho decision of the chair. Instead of doing
this Kelly demanded an opinion from the
city attorney. The statutes were produced
and the section covering the point read for
the benefit of the councilman from the First
ward. Mayor Ensor then told Kelly that II
he would read the charter he would not be
exposing his ignorance in the way he had.
This ended the matter for one session at
least
There was another roundup of the same
d
mending Mayor Ensor for director Of the
Transmssissippi Exposition. Kelly Kicked
again and refused to put the motion, the
mayor having requested him to do so as
president of the council. The resolution
carried by vote of 6 to 2, Kelly and Bar
rett voting against 1t.
Then the street car matter was brought
up and there was another interesting half
hours discussion. Schultz, Mort and T-rainor
wanted the switching at Twenty fourth and
N streets stopped Trainor said that the
best place to switch was at Thirty-third and
Q streets and he favored compelling the
car company running its trains TO that
point He favored an ordinance to that
erect, as he said the resolution which had
been passed previously had no effect The
mayor said that the courts ought to decide
that matter and suggested that the proper
action to take would be to appeal 10 the
court. After wrangle the city attorney
was instructed to enforce a resolution passed
some time ago directing the company to
cease switching at the point mentioned
mayor Ensor then announced that he would
veto the resolution. He eaid that he was
not fighting the battles of the street car
company, but he did not see any occasion
TO change the switching place, as the N
street merchants wanted the cars to stop
where they did now.
A petition from the Third and Fourth
ward property owners asking for better
street car service was read. In connection
with this Trainor said that it was impossi-
Die to find standing room. much less a seat
pn the = street car night and morning, and
ne thought the ward was entitled TO better
service. Mort of the Fourth ward smoke I'm
ana said that his people were dem anding
service OF some kind and he thought they
ought to havo it,
Two score OF property owners in the Third
ward petltioned for better police protection.
alleging that the service now given was
inadequate. This was placed on file The
mayor stated that he WAC opposed 10 an in
crease III the police force as the. city could
not afford the additional expense
Barrett came to the front with A resolu-
tlon to the effect that hereafter the appro-
priation sheet be read at one meeting and
passed at the next. In explanation, he said
that at the last meeting he had voted for
an item which he would not have done had
ne peen allowed an opportunity to look into
the matter. The resolution was lest.
communication from the Board OF Edu-
cation was read requesting that the water
man be extended to the East Albright
schooi mousse The school, it eeeH1s, has
been depending on well water and the well
has gone dry. Besides this the board thinks
the city ought to protect the school property
from hre by locating a hydrant In the
vicinity OF the school building.
Superintendent Dmmock filed a request
for pay for the electric lights at Twenty
sixth and Q streets and Twenty-fifth and
M streets. These lights were ordered in
when Mullaly wdn acting mayor, but Mayor
Ersor refused to approve warrants drawn
In payment for these lights as he held tina I
they were not ordered according TO law.
The matter went to the committee on lights.
Caldwell sprung his new gas ord nance by
Offering resolution directing the city at
torney to draft an ordinance perm itt Ing the
Consumers Gas Light, Heat and Supply
company to erect suitable building and
lay and maintain gas pipes, ETC., for term
OF years equal to that prescribed by law.
An assignment of the gas franchise
granted to the South Omaha Gas company
from Frank Murphy to the Omaha Gas com
pany was read and referred. Caldwell
wanted the city attorney to write history
OF the ordinance granting the franchise to
the South Omaha company In order that the
question of it's legality might be setSled be-
fore the transfer was accepted. 1t was so
ordered.
Bids for building the Missour-avenu
sewer were opened and the committee asked
for further time, which was granted
Adjourned until next Monday night
Damage 10 the Viaduct.