Omaha daily bee., 1897-09-09
COMPROMISE ON FRANCHISE
Council Finally Agrees to Much Mod fed
Ordinance.
FFTl-YtAR CLAUSE STILL REMAINS
Dollar and Half Communication
Tickets Provided For and Al
tcrnnte Cars to Run Round
the Loop After Next Year.

At late hour last night the city council
In secret session adopted an ordinance grant
ing hfty-year franchise to the bridge line
motor company compromise was effected
on the disputed points of Communication tickets
and the Pierce street loop. In the ordinance
as 1t passed the council last night 1t is pro-
vided that commutaton tickets good for
thirty rides shall be issued for $3.50, the
tickets to be irredeemablc and nontransfer-
rible. The issue of these tickets is to begin
Immediately on the passage Of the ordinance
and to continue for period of fifteen years.
With regard to the Pierce street loop it is
provided that after 1898 and for a period Of
fifteen years every other motor train will
run around the loop.
At the secret session which followed the
regular adjourned meeting of the council all
the members were present The motor com
panyS charter was taken up and read sec
tlon by section as was also the ordinance
submitted by MIR. Sims of the citizens com
mttee. City Clerk Phillips read the sections
I'm the company's ordinance and the mayor
championed the cause of the objectors by
reading the corresponding sections OF the
citizens ordinance.
The first section granting the extension
of fifty years was agreed TO, Alderman
Casper casting the only vote against it.
There were but slight differences in the
sections of the two papers until the one
was reached providing for a communication
ticket Then a long and hot debate took
place. The motor ccmpany's charter pro-
vided for a ticket good for fifty rides within
thirty days from date for $3.50, and the
other ordinance called for a twentyride
ticket good for year for 81. Alderman Pace
suggested a compromise on forty-ride
ticket for $2 and after u good deal of
informal discussion vote was taken and the
compromise was rejected. suggestion Tor
thirty-ride ticket for $l.50 met the ap-
proval OF several members and upon vote
being taken all of the members voted for 1t
with the exception of Alderman Pace and
Graham, who had advocated the forty-ride
compromise.
When the proceedings had reached this
point and the two chief sticking points had
been passed 1t looked az If the whole mat
ter would have been speedily settled, but
an unexpected snag was struck when the
section providing for the trains around the
Pierce street loop was taken up. No other
two sections of the ordinance were nearer
alike than these. the only difference being
the provision that after 1898, if the traffic
did not warrant the expense of this service
and the company could convince the council
of it, the company should be relieved of the
burden. Casper was the first TO oppose the
adoption of the section, and in doing so
went over the whole question of the Pierce
promised to run its Omaha trains over that
line. The matter reached crisis when the
mayor took issue with the advocates of the
motor companys proposition and announced
in positive manner that he was favorable
to requiring the company to fulfill it's old
contract and in favor of compelling the COM
pany to submit to such regulations as were
Just and reasonable. Nearly an hour was
consumed by Aldermen Atkins and Casper
in arguing the necessity for the operation
OF the main trains on that portion of the line
for the good of the business and property
interests of the eastern part of the city and
upper Broadway. The compromise provid-
ing that alternate trains go round the loop
after the year 1898 was reached after long
discussion.
The first hour of the meeting was devoted
to the transaction of some routine business
that had accumulated on the clerks desk
during the day. The clerk read an invita-
| ton to the mayor and the aldermen to attend
| the meeting of the International Association
of Mayors and City Councils which will be
held in Columbus, o., from September rs to
! October /. Another invitation came from The
secretary Of the National Irrigation congress,
which will be held at Lincoln, September
| 90 to 30. Both invitations were referred to
the mayor and city clerk.
| The city bridge pay roll, amounting to $152,
and 5000 to George S. Davis for paints used
in bridge repairing was allowed.
The question of granting the annual vaca-
report from the committee and a resolution
| granting each member ten days in each year
! in addition to the regular day off every two
| weeks the time of the vacation to be fixed
| by the chief of the department. There was
no objection to II when the aldermen lcorned
that other cities gave the fremen this vaca-
tion with pay.
| communication was received from Union
| Veteran Legion camp asking the council to
assist in the effort to secure the next national
| gathering of the organization for this city.
The communication was received and placed
on file and the aldermen will do all that lies
! in their power to assist the veterans in their
| laudable enterprise
| resolution was introduced, following a
petition asking for 1t, directing the con-
| demnatlon of the desired portion of Sixteenth
street through the Rohrer tract. 1t was not
passed. but the matter was referred to a spe-
cial committee of three to be appointed by
the mayor, to confer with Mr.. Rohrer and en-
deavor to fix up a satisfactory compromise
/ as the price to be paid for the strip of land
The city marshal was directed to notify the
! Northwestern Railway company to extend its
crossing at Thirteenth street to the full width
OF the street. The council then went into
executive session.