Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-07
COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETS
Action Deferred on Ordinances to Abolish
Fire and Police Commission,
GASOLINE LIGHTING BILLS ARE DISCUSSED
Board of Public works Directed TO
Receive nids for Choice of Lo-
cation of stalls In Public
Market Place.

/ Members OF the city council spent lol
Of time Monday afternoon in committee OF
the whole talking over the ordinance to
abolish the present Board OF Fire and Po-
! lice Commissioners and turn the duties OF
the board over to the council The discus
sion resulted in nothing however and the
matter was laid over for a week because only
/ six councilmen were present a motion by
Stuht to pass the ordinance was lost, STUNT
and Lobeck voting In the Affirmative and
Mount, Burkey and Mercer in the negative.
Chairman Bingham did not vote.
! Stuht wanted the ordinance passed, de-
spite the fact that City Attorney Connell
declared that 1t would be Illegal I.obock
Insisted that if 1--WE created the Board of
Fire and Police Commissioners, We can dis
band it and create another" Mercer also
appeared to be in favor of the scheme, but
he admitted the force of City Attorney Con-
| nell's statement that the ordinance would
be Illegal
The city attorney argued that the supreme
court decision placing the appointment OF
members Of the commssiCn in the hands
of the mayor and council does not affect the
other provisions of the charter and statutes
regarding the board Therefore such
board must be created and It's duties cannot
be assumed by the council. Neither can the
4
other reason than that the charter specifies
what salaries the members shall receive and
the proposed ordinance gives each $50
year more. Moreover, City Attorney Con-
nell maintained that Stuhts statement that
the city would be saved $4,000 a year in
commissioners salaries, is without founda
ton. He insisted that as all the Comms
/ siOners were appointed for a certain term
they can legally draw their salaries for that
term whether legslated out of office or not.
Discuss the Lighting Hills.
The committee took up the bills of the
Globe Light and Heat company, which has
the gasoline light contract. Gas Inspector
Gilbert reported that during the months
from October / to February l the company
Should have $3.50 deducted from it's bills,
aggrogating about $1,000, for lights that
were not up TO the required candle power.
A few weeks ago the council agreed to cut
this deduction in half as n compromise, and
positively informed the Companys agent
that nothing more would be done. Yester-
day, however, the representative OF the
light company threatened to bring suit if the
bills are not paid and in view of this threat
the members of the committee recsded from
their position and allowed the company all
the deduction except sci.
The Board of Public Works was directed
to receive bids for choice of location of
market stalls on March % at 10 o'clock.
The market place was also ordered to be
opened on April / and conducted for eight
months thereafter. Tue superintendent will
commence his duties on March Is. The
bounds of the market place were also some
/ what changed in response to the request of
neghboring business firms. In the future
it will not extend west of the east side OF
/ Eleventh street.
The resignation of Assistant City En-
gineer Stenger was not acted upon, it being
laid over for another week.
The bills for vaccinating school children
under the direction of the Board of Health,
aggregating $500, were allowed.
Secret Evening Session.
Another meeting was held by the couucl
in committee of the whole last night 1t
was a secret session and lasted until after
II O'Clock. The evening was devoted to
figuring out an apportionment OF the general
fund among the departments.
! Two propositions were before the COM
mittee. One was from Councilman Stuht
| to cut off q number of salaries here and
| there. The other was suggested by Council
| man Mercer. His idea was to make gen.
eral sliding down of the allottments to all
the departments. "If we do this" he urged,
1--WE will not be accused of discrimination.
We have only so much money to distribute
and we may as we'll treat all alike" The
proposition of Mr.. Mercer prevailed with
some notifications to satisfy STUNT and the
other members OF the finance committee,
Karr, ruBmester and BeChel were not
present. Bechel is sick.
TIE new apportionment is based upon last
1 and will hP about same DrO-
portion. This evening it IS to be introduced
| in the shape of an ordinance for formal
passage by the council and under the rules
will lie over for week.
There will be no changes" said Chairman
Burkley, after it has once been introduced
as an ordinance. We think this general cut
of 10 per cent is the best we couid have
done. 1t is true it is not absolutely 10 per
/ cent cut, but it will amount to this on an
average. I do not think it will result in
cutting off a single salary
1--WE have not yet gone into the question
of salaries" said President Bingham, that
matter is to come up later. We had to have
a basis first and ths was the best we could
do"
Stuht labored hard to have the expenses OF
| ton in this direction was made to conCiliate
him.
Before the discovery OF One Minute Cough
| Cure ministers were greatly disturbed by