Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-04
CITY WILL FURNISH THEM THE DETAILS
Meeting Of the Representatives of the
Companies and the Municipality
Results In u Drawn Engage
ment and Another Date.

weeks ago. After the five months delay all
that was accomplished yesterday afternoon
was to learn that the Union Pacific and the
Burlington roads wanted more time and
minutely itemized bills for all the expendi-
lures made on the viaducts. Their request
was readily granted. City Comptroller West
berg was instructed to get out the nforma-
tion the railroads requested and then the
committee adjourned for two weeks.
The meeting was held in the council
chamber of the city hall. Those who were
present follow: Councilmen Bingham, pre-
siding; STUNT. Bechel. Burkley, City Attor-
ney Connell, City Comptroller Westberg
City Clerk Highly, City Engineer Rosewater
and from the railroads General Manager
Holdrege, General Solicitor Henderson and
& NJ and General Auditor Young of the
Union Pacific.
The letter of the committee to the rail-
roads asking them to be represented at the
meeting was first read. 1t was accompanied
by a statement Of the amount of money due
the city by the railroads on account Of the
maintenance and repairs of the three via
ducts.
What the City Claims.
For maintaining the Sixteenth street via
duct, from 1887 until 1898, 1t was shown that
the city had spent s20,34371. For repairs
to the iron work OF the Tenth street VIA
duct the city spent 1925 in 1897 For the
Eleventh street viaduct there is SIG, ,551 81 due
the city from the railroads. For the cleo
trio lighting Of vladucts and streets adjacent,
which has been charged to the city to be
paid by the railroads, there is due the city
$265659. There is also s2,41S.62 that should
be paid to the city by the B. G. NJ. on ac-
nP @ha f,'a
ment Of the Kingman alley dispute. The
credits that have been made by the two
railroad companies and by the Omaha street
railway amount to $7,5SS. This leaves bal
ance Of s34, ,607.53 that the city asks the Union
Pacific and the B. & M. to pay into the
municipal exchequer, with the opinion OF the
United States supreme court in the cele-
brated Eleventh street viaduct case as it's
reason for so doing.
General Solicitor Manderson OF the b. G.
M. was the first speaker He said that
conference on the general viaduct question
had been held on Friday afternoon by Pres
ident Burt, General Auditor Young and
General Solicitor Kelly and General Man
ager Holdrege and himself of the B. G. NJ.
The railroads have no interests here that
are materially different from those OF in
dividual citizens" explained General Man
derson. What contributes to the up
building OF the city helps the railroads. So
far as the viaducts are concerned our inter-
ests are the same as the city's. 1t Is to the
Interest Of the two principal railroads en-
tering the city to do away with grade cross
ings. That is the policy of the best rail-
roads in the thickly settled communities
| OF the east. The great Pennsylvania system
Is completing work that will do away with
q ifc
and Philadelphia and New York This is
what the Union Pacific and the Burlington
roads want to do and expect to do in Omaha
| but they cannot do 1t in a day. The work
will require the expenditure of an immense
| sum OF money, and the railroads must have
| reasonable length Of time to do it."
MRndersOn's Counter Proposition,
Coming down from futurites to present
matters General henderson said the rail-
| roads would insist on itemzed bills show
| ing the expenditures charged under the yari-
| Gus heads and have the accounts checked
| over by the railroad companies auditors be-
| fore any money would be paid over He
also intimated that the railroads would paw
| for no repairs made on the viaducts beyond
| period OF four years back, maintaining
that the statute OF limitations could very
properly be applied to those accounts He
said he would not state that the railroads
would take this position, but the matter
was one for fair consideration in the final
| settlement. He said there was also charged
$2,656.59 to the railroads for bills of the
| electric light company. He could not under
| stand why the electric light company should
| collect its birls from the railroad companies
| through the medium Of the city.
City Comptroller Westberg threw some
| light on the situation by explaining that
| the electric light company had endeavored
| time and again to get the railroads to pay
the bills for lighting the viaducts and 1t
| was onry when the railroads refused to pay
| them that the bills were sent to the city.
| In order to keep the viaducts lighted the
| city finally paid the bills and charged the
same to the account of the railroads with
other viaduct expenses.
| Roads Can Get 1t Cheaper.
General Henderson said the railroads
would prefer to deal with the electric light
company in the future. as they could, per-
haps. secure lower rates than the city. He
said there was no dispute about the King
man alley expense The Union Pacific was
not interested in that and he thought Gen
erar Manager Holdrege of the B. & NJ would
approve the bill for his company.
Regarding the new vaduct to carry Six
teenth street over the railroad tracks Gen
eral Manderson said that the plans for the
new structure are now in the hands Of Chief
Engineer Weeks Of the B. G. NJ. He though,
Mr.. Weeks would complete the work OF
going over them in few days, and then
the two railroad engineers would consult
with City Engineer Rosewater about the
work OF construction. He said the railroads
only wanted reasonable length of time to
examine the plans. as they did not want tc
be compelled to build anything but safe
and reasonable viaduct, and that the sue
cessful result Of this work would only hasten
the work Of building other viaducts across
the railroad tracks within the city limits.
For the Union Pacific General Audlto,
! Young said that General Henderson had
stated the Union Pacific case correctly. All
his company wanted was the itemized ac-
count Of the viaduct expenses so the COM
pany could check 1t over.
| VIII Give Them the Items.
City Comptroller Westberg said he would
be glad to supply every item that made W
the bills. He said he thought he coult
have the work complete within a week, ant
promised to start TO work on 1t the frs
thing on Monday morning. In answer tC
a question it was stated that the B. NJ
had paid its share OF the electric light bill!
nm IN Nav 1897 General MandersOn SAT-