Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-22
WILL DECLARE ITS POSITION
Commercial Club Preparing to Take a Stand
en- Water Works Proposition,
WILL SEND DELEGATION TO KANSAS CITY
western Shippers Will PrOtest
Against Raise in Freight Rates and
Classihcations on Western Traf-
h~c-Suga Beet subscription.

AT the regular weekly meeting of the
executive committee of the Commercial club
John Steele moved the appointment of a
committee to confer with the city council
in regard to the ordinance relating to the
purchase of the water works. He said that
the councilmen appear to be falling over
each other now in favor of municipal
ownership. but the ordinance as prepared
provides simply for the purchase of the
existing works. He believed that it should
be amended to provide for the purchase of
The present works or the construction of
new works, so that the city will not be
bound to purchase at an exorbltant price.
Chairman Martin suggested that it was
quite important that the Commercial club
take a stand on the water works question
and take it right. He thought that the
club should secure legal advice on the ques-
ton, even if it had to retain counsel for
that purpose.
After considerable discussion Mr.. Steele
amended his motion to provide that w. S,
Poppletou and Andrew Rosewater be in
vited to attend the meeting of the COM
mittee next Tuesday and discuss the water
| works question. This motion prevailed.
e. f. Andrews reported that the recent
| conference between the from the
| club and a delegation from the Central
Labor union had been rather non-commlttal
upon the part of the clubs committee, and
it was decided to invite the Central Labor
union committee also to attend next Tues
| days meeting,
Secretary UT read a telegram from +. W.
Maxwell OF the st. Joseph Commercial club
inviting Omaha TO send a representative
! delegation of jobbers to a meeting at st.
Joseph or Kansas City next Wednesday to
-. ..n,..-.A, n.,i,,t ,l, ,a,,-ao
in freight rates and raising of classified
tons threatened by the railways upon
western traffic. A committee comprising
Messrs. Andreesen, Weller, UT and White
was appointed to get up a delegation of at
least thirty jobbers to attend. The freight
| committee was also called TO meet at noon
today in view of this proposed meet
| ing at Kansas City.
Secretary UT was authorized to solicit
subscriptions OF stock in a local association
for the propagation OF sugar beets. He had
In hand a subscription list gotten up last
wear. in which IS, 900 was subscribed. It is
proposed to enlarge the amount this year
for the raising Of beets on an extended scale
as the first necessary step in securing a beet
sugar factory, the capital for the construc-
ton Of which has been promised as soon as
a beet crop is assured.
Omaha Bank C~learances
A communication was read from F. II.
Davis, cashier of the First National bank,
in response to an invitation extended to him
by the Commercial club to meet with other
local banking representatives in reference
to the South Omaha clearances. 1t was as
follows;
Replying to yours of the 10th inst, re-
lative to the decrease in our city's clear
ances during the past year, / beg to state
that / do not think anything can be done or
should be attempted. A few months more
will round out the year since the first
change was made by the banks at South
! Omaha. Thereafter the figures will eer-