Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-01
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
City Engineer Rosewater Files Charges,
Alleging Official Corruption.
STUNT, MOUNT AND MERCER ARRAlGNeD
bingham, Burmester. Burkiey, Bechel
and LObeck Are Named as n Com
mittee to Conduc the Inves-
tigatiOn.

The city council at Its regular meeting last
night followed in the footsteps of the Board
OF Education and decided upon an ~investi-
CATION. The investigation is on charges OF
corruption and other delinquencies preferred
by City Engineer Rosewater. Councilman
STUNT, Mount and Mercer are the men to be
investigated and the investigating
will consist of President Bingham and Coun-
cilmen Burmester, Burnley, Bechel and Lo-
beck. Tho Investigation 10 TO DO public.
There were several matters OF Importance
determined upon at the session. For ex-
ample 1t was decided to hold a special meet
ing next Friday evening to consider the 1899
levy, to which the heads Of all city depart
mcnts OF the government and citizens gen
orally are invited. But this matter, as well
as all others. was completely cast In the
background by the proceedings which led
up to the proposed investigation.
City Engineer Rosewater preferred in
three afHdsvits his charges against the
councilmen, which were virtually the same
as he made verbally a couple Of weeks ago.
He accused Councilman Mercer of seeking
the appointment Of Andy Virgins on the
street force in order to prevent him from
exposing some corrupt practices that were
alleged to have resulted in MERGERS cleo.
ton. He accused him also Of taking Ques-
tionable steps In preventing the levying OF a
tax against a large amount of property In
which the Mercer company is interested for
the grading of Walnut hill a number OF
years ago, employing Misrepresentation and
false statements in the attempt.
The city engineer accused Councilman
Mount of pocketing or destroying an ordi-
nance that provided for street sprinkling
% ha dana hv thn pnarl nf plhlin Works
because 1t would have interfered with his
business of sprinkling streets. Councilman
Mount was also accused of having fur
nished and supplied paving material to a
city contractor in the paving of Farnam
street, which material had to be taken up
because of it's inferior quality.
City Engineer Rosewater accused Council
man STUNT with having attempted to secure
the appointment Of his former business part
ner. Gus Hamel, as general street foreman
and, owing to failure. of having exhibited
a strong feeling against the street depart
ment and voting to cut nearly all the APP
preparations affecting the department for
tools and work.
Specifies In Detail.
Accompanying the afidavits was the fol-
lowing communication from City Engineer
Rosewater.
To the Honorable City Council: Comply
ing with your resolution No. 200 asking the
city engineer to substantiate in writing
made during a heated discussion
In the council chamber on the evening or
January 10, / submit the following facts
relating to public records with citations OF
resolutions and council proceedings. accom-
panied with my sworn statement as to the
acts of Individual members Of your body TO
which reference WAS made. The acts or
these members. taken in conjunction with
shair vnfau ttnC0l matfprS Affecting dGDart-
NESTS under my charge and their success N
securing sufficient cooperation Of members
of the council by exchange OF courtesies
upon matters affecting their 'wn interest
although against that Of the public, justify
the conclusion that @ situations and
cliques were formed and existed and that
those combinations resulted in the marked
departure in the treatment accorded my de-
partment officially during 1898 as compared
with past years.
1t Is a matter OF notoriety that a spirit
of hostility engendered by some council
members and other officials has permeated
the city hall because Of the alleged au-
thority conferred in the engineer and his
fixed determination to pursue business in
stead of machine methods in his depart
mouts. Although the work OF city engi-
neer added to that Of street, sewer commits
sioner and chairman Of the Board OF Pub
lie Works for which $4,000 WAS formerly
paid was centered upon me at 5000 II
May. 1897. l undertook tho responsibilities
knowing lnat WIFI honest anu ucdllS w
operation the public service could be sim.
pfffcd and improved. Although | fount
records and everything In a chaotic condi'
ton. no checks upon purchases and dlspo
sition Of material purchased within foul
months. with the aid of the secretary o
the board a systematic rec ori was uevel
oped. checks upon all accounts established
and through the efficient work or the gen
eral street foreman working In cooperation
with ME and under my direction. the streets
were placed iN q better condition than the
had been for years. So marked were thes'
changes that resolutions OF thanks from tn
Wheelnen's club and commendatory letters
from citizens were received and publishes
All this was done Notwithstanding over hal
of the funds was exhausted at the time o
my assumption Of office.
Kent Out Of Politics.
In place Of using city forces for primar,
elections. | refused to allow any participates
during working hours and so instructed
foreman who asked for orders in that re
spect. When asked by the same foreman
How shall l vote them after hours
told him to inform his men that the cit.
bought their labor and not their manhoo
or citizenship and that thsy should vote a
they and not AS l pleased. I consider tina
1t is only on this basis that honest labo
can be secured and every foreman feel
that he can discharge men for neglect q
Incompetence without dread of ofendinf
Upon this basis l aimed to organize an
district the city work, fsmiiiariz'nS ear'
foreman and his men with the work in thel
district and keep them under a civil servic
system. ! outlined this nicer 10 Nj
STUNT. who promised me cooperation, bu
instead. for reasons best known to him
self, he, with others, suddenly antagonize
my departments. When I asked for tools h
opposed their purchase and urged that "
patch up some and borrow others. When
asked for $1,000 to do the work for Feb
ruary he moved - give me $500. When
urged the appropriation of S400 for n labo
ra.ory that l might keep check of asphal
mixtures and protect the city, which wa
spending sl5o. 1000 in such work, he had th