Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-30
AT LOCCERHEADS OVER SNOW
Board Of Public Works and City Council
Engage In Oathsuling.
IN THE MEANTIME OLD SOL GOES TO WORN
City Engineef Rosewater says the
Council Has Prohibited His Ac.
tion without Getting
Its Consent.

Inc city COUNCIL ana the Board OF Public
Works are engaging In . merry bit of argu-
notation In an effort to throw upon each
other the responsibility for the non removal
Of the snow heaps that blockaded the heart
Of the city after the initial snow storm Of
the season. The honors will hardly be
awarded before O. Sol takes the matter in
hand and removes the bone Of contention
through the medium Of his kindly rays.
I'VE appropriated S12,7 700 for the Board Of
Public Works to put streets and sidewalks
into condition during the remainder Of the
year." was the opinion generally expressed
at the committee Of the whole meeting Of
the council on Monday. "Of this amount
why don't the Board OF Public Works spend
snowH
THAT kind Of talk breeds q tired
feeling In me-" says Chairman Rose
water Of the Board Of Public Works.
1T is true that the council
appropriated S12,7o0. Of which amount "a, 600
was for street cleaning, but the council
seems to forget that more than half OF that
amount was spent before the appropriation
was madL. II were to remove the snow
with the remainder Of the money would
have nothing with which to clean the streets
during the rest Of the year. Then. II l were
to ask for more money, the council would
raise howl about the extravaganza Of the
Board Of Public Works, and perhaps wouM
again threaten me with impeachment.
1.-THE council also seems to forget that
about q year ago 1t practically took into Its
own hands the running OF the Board OF
Public Works. 1t passed resolution, which
has never been rescinded. directing me not
to do any but routine work without orders
from It. In conformity with this resolution
I called up several members Of the council
after the storm, among them Bingham,
Mount and Burkley, asking them II should
remove the snow. was given to under
stand that they did not approve Of any such
expenditure Of money, and, therefore, I did
nothing"
stuht Has an idea.
Councilman STUNT 10 hatfooted In his op-
position to the city removing the snow from
the streets, and he is advocating a Plan Of
procedure, which he explains as follows:
II do not believe in spending money to
haul away snow. Let nature take its
course. However do believe that the
cutters should be kept open in order that
| melted snow may run into the sewers so we
will not have to go to the great expense ol
| last spring In removing Ice from the streets
In my opinion the, entire city cannot be
Justly taxed to pay for opening the cutters
in the down town part Of the city. None,
for this purpose should not be taken ou
Of the city funds. 1t is my idea that thu
merchants In the down town part Of thu
| city should be required to open the CUTTERS
two feet wide in fsont Of their stores"
| City Engineer Rosewater Is compiling {
set OF figures that will show that Omaha
on account Of the width OF its streets ant
alleys, should appropriate considerable mor'
money than other cities OF It's size for stree
cleaning instead. Of about two-thirds less
Regarding this he says,
strangers are imlllessed with the condi
tions Of a city's streets. II the streets ar,
filthy in summer and heaped UP with snow
in winter they 90 away, with bad opn'or
Of the town. = But the Board OF Public
Works cannot clean the streets and keel
them neat when, as it had this year. onlI
| $4,000 appropriated for the work, wher
other cities spend all the way from $4o.0o'
to $4,000 for the same work.
! "And Omaha, on account OF the size o.
its streets and alleys, should have mor'
money for the purpose than other cities o
| Its rank. Take any one Of the blocks II
the original townslte and YOU will find tha
the streets and alleys occupy more grount
| than the real estate. For example, taking
one half Of the 100-foot street surrounding
each block, and the twenty-foot alley, 70,
| will find that the streets and alleys arount
| and In one block cover q total OF 70.0S'
square feet. The actual amount OF rea
estate in the block Is but 69,6S6 square
| feet"