Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-15

u
Of our revenue laws is an iumedu.e Leces-
sity and it Is TO be hoped hat the legislature
will pass such a revenue law as VIII force
the payment Of deliuquent taxes.
A number OF years Ego The treasurer was
allowed man. whose entire tl,ne was de-
Gently however, the amount o. money set
apart for the treasurer's department has
been insufficient to continue the services of
this collector | would advise hat an ar
rangement be made with some good man to
take these collecH,ps on 4 percentage. An
energetic man could collect large amount
OF these delnqueocies and make a very sat-
isfactory salary, while the amount the city
received would practically be pure gair.
Credit of city Excellent.
II is source Of qualification to the citi-
zens of Omaha that the credit OF the city at
the close of the year 1898 Is better than that
yf any other western city. The $500, 900 4
per cent funding bonds issued last year were
eagerly sought after by investors and brought
a premium of 1880 in spite of the money
contraction caused by the war. All the
bonds sold during the year bore interest at
only per cent and all brought good pre-
miums, except one issue Of short-time special
assessment bonds, which were sold to con-
tractors at par aud accrued interest The
sale of these per cent bonds marked quite
an epoch in western municipal finance.
am informed that Kansas Citys lowest in
Denver has issued no bonds bearing less than
per cent. In view of these facts it should
be a matter of no small degree OF pride that
Omaha bonds during war panic were
eagerly Bought at a good premium.
The affairs connected with the Board OF
Fire and Police Commissioners have been
somewhat chaotic, owing in part 10 the un-
certainty as to the tenure of office of the
board The change of boards had little effect
upon the fire department for there merit
AigC l,oI hpnv hn QNln nrit pf
by which men We're judged and the new
board made no changes in the personnel OF
the department 1t is well known fact
deplored by good citizens of all parties, that
for number of years past politicians have
controlled the Board Of Fire and Police
Commissioners and have dominated the po
lice department until 1t had become an i'm
portant part of political machinery. the
appointment of incompetent superior officers
caused bitterness and jealousy between
members of the force until the different fac
tions gave about as much attention to their
contentious and chickering's as they did to
the public service. To break UP this condi-
tion of affairs the new board deemed 1t
necessary to reorganize the force and to that
end it appointed a new chief of police Of
recognized ability and wide experience, who
was not acquainted with the petty quarrels
which had divided the force in the past. The
men of the department were informed that
thereafter merit and not politics would de-
to continue as policemen they must cease
TO be politicians.
1t has been found necessary for the good
of the service to dispense with the services
of number of ward politicians and men
who have always been disturbing elements
on the force and could not bring themselves
into harmony with these nonpartisln regn-
lations Of the new board.
The Board of Fire and Police Connis-
sioners believes that it has secured an eff
II Il n,,I +r,n4
will give the city bettcr police protection
than it has had for years past, and that the
ceaseless jangling which was formerly going
on between members on The force Will be
stopped. 1t believes that this harmony
and nonpartisanship will soon place the 10
lice department on the same high plane now
occupied by the fire department.
Reference was made to the city parks and
what has been done in the way OF improving
them; the paved streets of the city, the new
paving laid during 1898; the work of the
city electrician; the matter of street light
ing; the city jail and the necessity for the
construction of viaducts. The figures used
are substantially the same as those found in
The Bees annual, printed the first of the
present year. In closing, the mayor said:
And now, gentlemen of the cowucil, I
would express the hone that our relations
during the year 1899 may be as harmoHious
In giving to the people this year an efficient,
economical administration.
The Routine Business.
Applause from the council and spectators
followed the reading of the message and on
motion of Councilman Burkley the various
recommen mendattons and suggestions In the
message We're referred to the proper commit
tees.
Mayor Moores also presented the annual
reports Of number of the city departments,
which were referred.
Even at the meeting the inadequacy of the
levy was in a measure recognized. Council
man Burkley introduced a resolution that
S. 0e0 be appropriated out of the road fund
for street cleaning purposes The object of
this resolution is nothing more or less than
to increase the levy for street sweeping pur-
poses. The resolution was referred to the
committee without discussion.
The ordinance declaring the need of via
duct over the railroad tracks ON Twenty
fourth street and ordering the city engineer
to draw up the plans for such structure
| was passed on its third reading. This or
dinance Is necessary as a preliminary to IN
struotons to the railroads to build the via
| duct. Pending the construction of via
duct the railroads, by resolution introduced
| by Stuht and unanimously passed, were
ordered to open Twenty fourth street for
travel forthwith by removing the fences ad-
joining the rights of way that obstruct the
street and to provide necessary watchmen
| and lights as will protect the public.
| City Engineer Rosewater in communica-
tion asserted that the parking of Capitol
avenue between Seventeenth and Eighteenth
streets, which has been petitioned for,
would render the ordinance ordering the re-
paving of Capitol avenue illegal and would
make the tax levied for the repaving also
| illegal, in which event the city would be
called upon TO pay for the work. The city
engineer recommended that the street be di-
vided into two districts. The matter was re-
ferred.
Tue recommendation of the Advisory board
that the report of appraisers of the value OF
the land that is to be condemned for opening
Thirteenth street from Nicholas to Grace
be disapproved was referred.
In accordance with the action Of the com
mittee Of the whole the resolutions from the
Board of Fire and Police Commissioners
asking that the council take steps to remove
Police Judge Gordon for ncompetency. were
referred to the city attorney with instruc-
tlons to report what powers the council has
in the premises.
An ordinance increasing the fees for build
ing permits was introduced, read first and
second time and referred,