Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-05
COUNCIL DISCUSSES ITS BILLS.
Criticism Is Raised About the Com
sLrnctInn Of the sINth Sircct nridgc.

Criticism Is Raised About the Com
structiun of the Sixth street Bridge.
The regular meeting Of the city council
wCs held last evening. with the mayor and
all the aldermen present, except w. G.
Brown. At the request OF Alderman Kasper
the items OF the bills were read. The most
important OF these was the one for the re-
pairs of the Sixth street bridge. by r. c.
Berger a. Co. This amounted to S5iS, the
contract price, and S92 for extras furnished
on the approaches to the bridge. This the
city engineer explained was not included
in the contract. The work on the bridge
has been closely watched by the other bridge
men of the city, and has brought out some
emphatic criticism
Alderman Casper followed the reading of
the bills cCsely. and took occasion to point
out the necessity OF retrenching along sew
eral lines. He recommended that all the
men employed by the street department be
laid off, including the sidewalk man. This
was objected to by Alderman Shubert, who
claimed he was needed to look after getting
in the crossings where the new sidewalks
we're being put in. In defending his recon-
mendation Alderman Casper said that he
thought this pension business ought TO be
stopped and didn't see the need of keeping
men on the pay roll simply TO draw salary.
On roll call his motion was lost and sub
sttute to keep the sidewalk man employed
was passed.
Another matter that Alderman Casper
called attention to was the price that was
being paid for some of the city printing.
He thought that 1t should be let by bids
and every one should be given chance at
1t. One item he referred to in particular
was the cost of furnishing dockets for the
superior court. Monthly bills had been put
in, he said, for $40 for fifty copies of the
dockets. lie had investigated the matter and
found "other good republican printing
Offices" that would do the work for half the
money.
A favorable report was received from the
special committee on the subject OF the city
joining the Iowa Municipal association The
committee was instructed to take the proper
steps to join.
The committee on West Broadway reported
that it had passed an order to pay F..
Guancla & Co. $4,000 as partial payment
on the Stag paving now in course of con-
struction. The county had ordered the pay
mont of 81 600 OF this amount, and the COM
mittee recommended that the city pay its
share. A resolution to that effect was
adopted.
Some preliminary steps were taken to get
the ordinances of the city in shape for pub
LEGATION. 1t is only two years since they
were published last. 1t was ordered to pub
lish a notice to the effect that the following
ordinances were to be repealed: Western
Edison Electric Light company, granted 1883
Mitchell q sweeney, tTainWdy, passed 100 ,
Suburban Transit company, passed 1887;
Beck's Pony express. passed 1888; Interstate
Bridge & Street Railway company, passed
1890; the MINISTER Spring Railway company,
passed 1890; the Council Bluffs Transit
company, passed 1891; j. 7. Stew
art Electric Light company, passed
1852; Gas and Fuel company, passed
1888; Council Bluffs G. Lake Man
ava Railway company, passed 1894.
These are all considered dead ordinances, and
If the owners of them are interested in keep
ing them on the books they will be given an
opportunity to raise any objections they de-
sire.
An amendment to the rules of the council
was introduced to the effect that every alder
man must vote on every proposition that
comes up before it, The new rule provides
that in case any member refuses to vote
without the unanimous consent of the coun-
ell, his vote shall be recorded in the negative
! on the subject up for consideration.
An ordinance was introduced to take care
of any cases of tie vote between the can
ddates for city Offices and for election con-
! tests. The proposed measure is practically
| tho same as that governing in similar cases
, arising in the county and state elections.
Charles Mathescn was appointed jantor of
.he city hall in place of his father, who re-
Gently died.
! Andrew Bolen and Charles l.. Yency were
appointed special policemen at the govern
ment works without cost to the city.
| Eight thousand dollars was ordered trans
| ferred from the police to the general fund.
NJ. f. Rohrer submitted a proposition for
| tho sale Of a strip of land alongside Of that
owned by the Standard Oil company. Tlis
land is wanted by the city to open Third
street and Sixteenth avenue and Mr.. Rohrcr
wants So 900 for it.
THE DrODOsitiCn was referred