Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-21
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
Mayor koo,es Calls Its Attention to thu
Threatened 0verlaps.
MONEY QUE FROM RAILROADS IS NEEDED
II the vinduct Claims Were settled
the City Treasury would he ON q
Solid Basis-Routine Work
Cleared Away

II Slly ouhSt huSS >
were not checkered with any matters OF
great moment. Despite exaggerated reports
made by a hysterical contemporary that the
city fathers would with more or less sur
reptitiousness attempt to pass the Omaha
Bridge and Terminal company ordinance,
the matter was not even mentioned during
the course OF the meeting. Quite a mass
OF other business was cleared away with ex-
petition.
Mayor Moores submitted a communication
regarding overlaps that will occur in various
funds at the end Of the year. He announced
that a shortage Of $4,000 will be found in
the fire fund owing to the increased ex-
pense OF protecting the exposition; that the
general fund may be short owing to excep-
tional expenses during the last year; that
the curb, suttering and cleaning fund will
show an overlap because the levy set aside
was not much more than half what was
necessary to keep In repair paved streets
upon which guaranteed contracts had ex-
pired; that a deficit will exist in the light
ing fund, which, however, may be made up
by the 1898 royalty. Mayor Moores went on
to say that all these ~overlaps could be wiped
out II the Union Pacific and Burlington
roads paid the viaduct claims, writing as
follows:
1t was expected at the beginning OF the
year that the settlement of this matter
would be effected before the close Of the
year and the money made available for
meeting the years expenditures. and this
fact was taken into consideration In making
the annual levy for 1898. I have no doubt
that the council Is giving prompt attention
to the details Of these settlements and l
simply call the attention of your honorable
body to the matter so that II there is any
way to hasten these matters 1t will be done
at once. SO as to turn these moneys into the
funds to meet the expenses for which they
were intended. II this can be done before
the close Of the year we will be able to meet
oil OF the 1898 expenses without an overlap.
The communication was referred to the
committee on finance and claims.
VIII Not Aid Fire Fund.
In accordance with the action of the COM
mittee Of the whole on Monday, the Board
Of Fire and Police Commissioners was in
formed that the city has no money on hand
to make good the 1900 deficit that is ex.
pected before the end of the year and was
also told that the council had warned the
board several months ago that it would not
make good any deficit, at the same time adj
vising the commissioners to cut their gar
ment to suit their cloth. The council also
advised the commissioners that. II the de-
hcit was the consequence OF the fire pro.
ScStiOu VII tuc cApOSillOu STOuutlb
this last summer. as claimed, they should
ask the old exposition company to make
good the shortage.
: In answer to the request Of the council
that the street railway company give a
iive-minute service upon the Walnut Hill.
South Omaha and Sixteenth street lines the
company presented the following communi-
cation:
Gentlemen: Answering your c%ommunica-
eion of the 14th inst. regarding resolutions
of your honorable body numbered 5261 and
6275. we beg leave to advise you that said
resolutions have been received by us and had
evidence on the lines referred to. Respect
fully yours,
OMAHA STREET RAILWAY COMPANY,
By d. H. Goodrich. secretary.
This evidence" Of improvement, although
none of a physical nature is noticed with
the naked eye by the patrons on the lines
mentioned, appeared satisfactory to the
councilmen, for the communication was
placed on file without a word Of comment.
The city fathers again went back upon
the action they had decided to take previ.
ously. This time 1t was in connection with
the new levy prepared by the city engineer
for the Walnut Hill grading done seven
years ago, the original assessment for the
Improvement having been declared illegal
by the courts. As a Board Of Equalization
a few days ago the council decided to adopt
the new levy over the objections of Council
man Mercer, who opposed 1t as a taxpayer
on the ground that 1t is illegal, Assistant
City Attorney Scott giving 1t as his opin-
ion that the levy Is legal.
The matter came up in the shape Of a
report from the equalization board, recon-
mending the adoption Of the levy, but Mer-
Ger Immediately sprung an amendment that
the report be not adopted. This motion
prevailed, City Attorney Cornell having
given an opinion directly contrary to that
OF the assistant and to the effect that the
levy was illegal. Bingham wanted to have
the report placed on file In order to per-
init the council to investigate. but this did
not strike his fellow aldermen right. Steps
are to be taken In the future to draw up an
other levy that will stand the test Of the
law.
YOUNG COburn's Salary.
In July last the son Of Secretary Coburn
OF the Board Of Public Works was en-
ployed as a clerk in the office and has &C.
cupied hat position since. Each month
Mayor Moores has vetoed the clerks sal
airy of $50 on the grounds that the fund
provided for the board, already containing
q big deficit, did not warrant the additionaI
expenditure. The council has each month
overridden the veto, but the mayor has
steadfastly refused to sign the clerks war
rants. Taking advantage Of the present alb
sence of Mayor Moores. the council In
structed Acting Mayor Bingham to sign the
clerks salary warrants for July, August,
September, October and November.
The city comptroller was ordered to as
certain by months the amount Of personal
taxes that have been paid into the treasury
during the past year. This action was
taken In answer to the complaint OF the
city treasurer that the city is losing large
sums of money annually in personal taxes
because the force in his ONCE is too small
to look after their collection.
The Board OF Public Works was directed
to advertise for bids for repaving asphalt
streets upon which the hve-year guarantee
period has expired and which are not under
any existing contract for such repairing.
Manager Burgess Of Boyd's theater re-
qnested that the theater license be reduced
from 5000 to 800. The license was
Of the latter amount until this year, when
It was doubled on account Of the exposition.
with the understanding that 1t was to be
reduced again next year.
The Sunshine Publishing company was
given authority to place one settee on any