Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-31
PAVING CONTRACTS WAITING
Need of Money TO Garry on Work is Made
Apparent.
ACTION OF COUNCIL CAUSES A DELAY
Bonds for Making Public Improve
mcnts voted. but No action Taken
Looking TO Disposition of
the Securities.

II any work In the way OF paving or sewer
construction is to be done by the city this
spring It Is said that the finance committee
uf the city council must soon authorize the
sale OF the 5000 paving and $4,000 sewer
bonds voted az the election last fall. The
funds out OF which the cost OF this work is
paid are both practically exhausted, and
they must be replenished before any more
work can be ordered. The need for the
speedy sale OF the bonds is found in the
fact that a half dozen contracts for paving
petitionei for by the property owners, are al
most ready to be let. while there Is a very
strong demand for sewer construction in the
north part Of the city.
one contract for paving could be let any
day IL there was any money TO pay for paw
ing the intersections. This is the paving Of
Thirty-second avenue, from Davenport to
Dodge street. Bids for the work have been re-
ceived and the contractor is selected, but the
contract is not entered into simply because
of lack Of funds with which to pay for
paving the intersections. Several other paw
ing propositions will soon reach the same
stage. Among them is the repavng Of Cap
itol avenue from sixteenth to Twentieth
streets the paving OF Thirty-seCond avenue
from Dodge to Farnam and of Burt street,
from Thirty yeighth 10 Fortieth streets. Or
passed by the council but are temporarily
held up because that body has failed to
approve the revised specifications which City
Engineer Rosewater has drawn. These
specifications will probably be approved soon
and then bids will be called for. The work
will be delayed again unless the paving
bonds are sold.
There is as much necessity for the sale
OF the sewer bonds, it is said.
The north end residents have be-
gun vigorous campaign to secure
such extensions and Improvements to their
present sewer systems that danger of the
floods that caused so great a damage to
property last year may be averted. City
Engineer Rosewater and his force have for
some time been studying the situation and
will soon be ready TO start work if the
necessary money is provided. Some very
urgent work should also be done on the
sewer system in other parts Of the city.
Il have called the attention of the council
finance committee to the need Of selling the
bonds" said City Engineer Rosewater. The
finance committee naturally does not want
to dispose of the bonds until the money is
absolutely needed in order to save the in
terest. The time is fast approaching when
paving and sewer work can be done, and
inasmuch it will take considerable time
10 dispose Of the bonds, it seems to me that
some action should be taken to put
the paper on the market. At any
rate, the money will be needed
within month after the bonds are sold.
AS they will not bear more than per cent
interest and the proceeds can be loaned at
per cent by the city, the city will not lose
much in interest. On the other hand, much
valuable time will be lost if the money is
not on hand when it is required
Members of the council finance committee
are out of the city, but it is understood tina;
the committee will soon take some action
in regard to the matter