Omaha daily bee., 1897-04-15


compliance with the terms OF the contract
Again the council voted to override the
mayors vetd and Howell was among the
first to vote toprotect the interests Of the
water company against the demands OF
| the city.
January s,slS95, another bill of the Ameri-
can Water Works company was vetoed by
the mayor In a long message. setting forth
the delinquencies of the water company
and the palpAble fact that the city was
being mulcted, each year for thousands OF
dollars for (which it received no adequate
return. In this. as in the case OF every
other veto OF the mayor, the discussion In
the council was warm. The matter was
fully discussed in all its bearings and there
was no possibility of any member OF the
council being ignorant Of all the details In
connection with the case, but here Howell
is found on the side of the corporation
and voting to protect it against any posi-
BILE encroachment on the part of the city,
defending the corporation against any pos
sibility Of being forced into court to ad-
judicate questionable claim.
March 26. 1895, the mayor called the at
tention of the council to the fact that the
water company made a practice OF extending
small mains indefinitely until the pressure
at the end OF one of these long mains was
reduced by friction to almost nothing The
mayor urged the appointment OF a COM
mittee to devise plan whereby the water
mains with view of furnishing an ample
supply of water for all future needs How
ell was appointed chairman of this COM
mttee and April g. 1895, this committee
reported plan whereby the water com
pany was to submit to the council plat
in each instance where new hydrant was
ordered, showing the location OF the new
main. This was simply playing directly into
the hands OF the corporation and the plan
was condemned by the city engineer as
being no change from the old way "A
plan was later submitted by the mayor by
which ordinances ordering new hydrants
should be drafted by the city engineer, the
size of the mains being based on careful
calculations of the probable future needs
of the section in which the mains were to
be laid. This pl&n was Objectionable to the
water company OH account OF the increased
expense caused By laying larger mains and
Howell fought. the plan in the council.
Notwithstanding his opposition the plan was
adopted and is in force to this day.
HIS LAST WATER WORKS DEAL.
The only instance on record in which
Howell voted to sustain the veto of the mayor
on the bills OF the water company is found
in the records of the city council proceedings
for April 30 1896 This bill was vetoed
while an effort was being made by the water
company to effect a compromise with the
city whereby 1t might get the money that 1t
claimed was due. the mayor having refused TO
sign the warrants for water rent All during
the summer OF 1895 these attempts at
compromise were continued, Howell being
very active in trying to force some of the
councilmen and the mayor into line on COM
promise which would give the water company
everything 1t asked for and leave the city
holding the sack. This effort finally culmi-
mated in the appointment of committee OF
three on August 27, 1895, Howell being made
chairman of the committee August 80 this
,ht,,tf Tod n
ncrity report to the council. The majority
report was signed by Howell and one other
member of the committee. In substance, 1t
was to the effect that the receivers OF the
water company INTENDED" to expend por-
tion of the money3claimed to be due from the
city in enlargingHthe mains in the businesa
portion of the city and recommended that
the back bills of the company be paid at
once. ssoy
The minority report was signed by Ken
nard and was a ,"scorcher.' 1t called Things
by their right names and denounced the
whole scheme as a trick to dupe the coun-
cilmen and declared that there was abso-
lutely nothing in, the pretended agreement
which would protect the interests OF the city.
A red hot, fight was waged in the
council over the adoption of these reports.
Frank Burkley,, one of Howell's democratic
colleagues in the council, and Kennard, who
signed the minority report made strong
fight for the adoption of the minority report.
The corporation contingent, however, led by
Howell, voted to protect the water company,
urging as pretext that the payment Of
these bills meant work for thousands of
workingmen. The corporation henchmen
triumphed and the bills were passed in the
appropriation ordinance.
September 3, 1895, the mayor vetoed these
bills, uncovering the true inwardness of the
deal, but Howell stood up to the rack and
voted to pass the bills over the veto.
At the next meeting of the council the
mayor sent in a scorchng communication,
declaring that the nonsense had gone on
long enough and that the time had come for
tho city to assert its rights and take pos
session of The water works plant. This sug
gestion was right in line with the desire
which Howell processes is now so dear to his
heart, but did he take off his coat and work
to carry out this idea? Never The letter
of the mayor was referred to the commit
tee on fire and water, where 1t reposes to
this day. Nothing in the record shows that
Howell ever attempted to resurrect this
from the grave in which it
had been buried but he allowed it to sleep
peacefully on.
RECORD ON GAS ORDINANCE.
HoweIls record in connection with an
other of the franchised corporations, the |
Omaha Gas company, is short but what |
little there is of 1t indicates what he
would have done had he had more oppor-
tunities. The gas company has generally |
avoided openly showing its hand in con-
nection with city council matters. but when
It's franchise was about to expire IL went |
to work to secure the re- |
newal of this very valuable concession on |
terms which 1t regarded as highly favor |
able In accordance with a well laid plan, |
one of the most iniquitous ordinances which |
ever dsgraced a city was passed through |
the council November H. 1893 This ordi- |
nance gave to the gas company a franchise |
for fifty years and provided that the com
pany might charge consumers of gas $l75 |
a thousand feet. The provision for scaling |
down the price of gas according to the |
gross amount consumed by all the consum-
srs commenced at a figure which would not |
have been reached for generations. No pro-
vision was made to compel the company to |
pay the city any royalty and no charge of |
any kind was made on the company in re- |
TURN for the very valuable franchise thus |
bestowed upon It,. Edward e, Howell voted |
'or this franchise.
At the next meeting of the council, Novem- |
DER 81, 1898 this ordinance was vetoed by the |
mayor, but the council, by trick, adjourned |
before the veto message Of the mayor had |
been delivered to 1t. The claim was then |
made that tha sordinanGe had become law |
without the signature of the mayor, not |
9ithstanding fthes sifact that injunction pro- |
,eedngp had been instituted to test its |
validity in the courts.
At the meeting Of the council November |
,S the city clerk notified the council that
ne had received from the mayor, Immediately |
after the council had adjourned so abruptly |
At the last meeting, veto OF the gas fran