Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-15

for sewer repairs when $500 is necessary
to maintain our sewers? The city has in
vested in its sewer system more than So,
600 600 A heavy rain might cause breaks
in these sewers which, IL not repaired at
once, would result in a large loss of private
property and possibly Of lives. involving the
city in litigation. costing thousands of dol
lars, all Of which might have been saved by
proper and timely repairs. II certainly Is
not cNtravagant to spend $4,000 a year to
protect and maintain a 81, 000, 900 investment
and no man Of business judgment would so
consider 1t u private affairs. The proper
protection OF life and property renders It
absolutely essential that the levy for this
fund should be at least $4,000.
The park fund under the proposed levy will
have about $4,000 for the years work This
fund can be left as It Is. or done away with
entirely II the people ~ Omaha do not de-
sire to have parks. The park board mas un-
paid bills from last year amounting to s3,-
900, SO the levy will give the board Sl4 400
Tor this years work. The park board has
certain regular charges which are necessary
for the care of the parks and boulevards
which are practically fixed and cannot be
lowered Expenditures Of this character
amount to about S195O0 per year and the
same amount Will be needed this year for
these purposes. In addition to these the
board always has other large expenses pc
cuiar TO each year In 1899 they must re-
pair the large washout on the Florence
boulevard, Just north of Ames avenue. which
will cost $1,000. If the exposition should not
be coutinued during 1899 the board must ex
pend s., 500 in clearing up Kountze park and
strengthening the walls Of the lagoon. We
have $4,000 trees at Brownville, Neb., On
land, the rental Of which will be about 5000
These are but samples of these extra ex-
penses.
If the present levy stands all work and
care in Elmwood Miller and Bemis parks
must be abandoned, the North Twentieth
and Florence boulevard cannot be repaired
or sprinklei, Hansccm park cannot have
half the money that it had last year, when
no improvements were made there; all i'm
provements must stop In Riverview park
and not a cent can be expended in putting
a road through the new South boulevard
connecting Hanscom and Riverview parks,
to procure which the people in the south
and west parts of town have submitted to
heavy taxation. Now II the people of
Omaha want their parks run in this way
they can have their wishes under the
present levy. l do not believe they want
any such economy and I believe they will
hold the mayor and council responsible for
any such foolish policy.
Produces Some Figures.
Last year there was expended from the
general fund $251 0S0.33. 1t will be seen,
therefore, that the estimate of $20S, ,4i2 9S
given above Is a very conservative one. To
say therefore that the general fund expenses
can be cut down to S157, ,S3252 is simply alb
surd, as everyone admits who has investi-
gated the subject. The item of miscellane-
GUS expenses given above is made up as fol-
lows: Inspectors public works, $4,000; side
walks, $500; election expenses, $6,500; adj
vertising, $4,500; feeding and care of city
prisoners $4,000; Irregularities in taxes,
$1,000; shortage in bonded districts 50 900;
taxes refunded, $3.50; average yearly miscel-
laneous items, $22,55O total, $4,000.
Not one Of the items can be cut Off. If
we are to have paving, curbing and side
walks laid we must have the work inspected
thoroughly. The sidewalk expense is fof
sidewalks laid by the city and taxed back
against the adjacent property. Election ex-
penses must be met. City notices must be
printed and city prisoners must be cared
for. Interest on our bonded debt must be
paid promptly if the citys credit is to be
maintained, and where shortages exist in
districts these interest payments must come
out of the general fund.
1t is therefore plain to everyone who in
vestigates this subject that this proposed
levy is simply absurd and will result in a
shortage of from $4,000 to 100000 for the
| year in the general fund alone.
| There has been a good deal of talk about
Omaha taxes being higher than those levied
| in other cities of the same size AS mat
| ter OF fact the figures prove that Omaha s
regular taxes are lower than those of any
other city of it's size in the central part
of the United States. have just received
a pamphlet from the Chamber of Commerce
| of Detroit setting forth the peculiar ad-
vantages of that city and it's inducements
| to manufacturers and investors. One in
| ducement which is specially dwelt upon is
| the low rate of city taxation, given as being
| SIG per $1,000 on a 20 per cent valuation.
| This would be equivalent to a "a mill levy
on our valuation. | am aware that our
special taxes are frequently enormous and
unjust, but they are imposed for improve
ments which are usually petitioned for by
| property owners with a full knowledge in
advance of the probable cost. But the fact
| remains that the regular taxes in Omaha
are moderate as compared with those in St
| Paul, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Denver, In
dianapolis, Rochester, Cambridge and Ale
| gheny.
| AS | stated in the opening of this COM
| munication l favor a low levy and one
which Is dictated by sober, intelligent bust
ness judgment. That the proposed levy is
! not such one is admitted even by its sup
porters. l, therefore, veto the ordinance
casting the responsibility for the deficit
which must inevitably result If the ordinance
stands, upon those who vote for 1t, know.
ing dt to be totally inadequate to meet the
years expenditures.
Views of the COunciImen.
Before putting the question whether the
ordinance should be passed over the vetC
President Bingham asked if the councimer
had anything to say. Councilman Stuht a
once arose to the occasion. He said that HI
was compelled to say something in view o.
the statements made by the mayor in his
veto. The members of the council, as wei
as the mayor, had spent some time in con.
sdering the levy and had come to the con,
clusion that enough money is provided fol
all the funds including the ones mentioned
as inadequate by the mayor. STUNT denied
that the levy had been dictated by taxpay'
ers. As to the statements OF the mayor tina
the taxes in Omaha are lower than in otbel
cities the councilman said that this cuts nj
figure whatever, as Omaha wants lowel
taxes without regard to other cities.
| Councilman Burmester called Stuht dowr
on his statement of the amounts that would
| aCCrue 10 the various funds from the leYY