Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-16
DISCUSSING The TAX LEVY
City officials Declare that Public Interests
Must Suffer.
DEFICITS IN ALL FUNDS ARE PREDICTED
streets Must Remain UncIcnned and
Numerical strength OF the Fire
and Police Departments
Must BE Reduced.
IN ALL FUNDS ARE PREDICTED

The 25-mill tax levy as adopted by the
city council is about the only topic of con-
versation of city officials from highest to
the lowest at the present time. They are
preparing to accept the inevitable however,
though with hardly an exception they in
sist that their departments cannot cut down
expenses any lower than the figure at which
they ran last year.
I'm my opinion it was more politics than
economy that induced the council to fix the
levy at 80 low a figure" declares Mayor
Moores. There seems to be very little
doubt OF this, in view of the admissions
of every member who voted for the levy that
an insufficient amount of money has been
provided, and that a deficit Is probable at
the end of the year. But now that the levy
has been fixed | will consider it my duty to
prevent the piling up OF any deficit and /
propose to veto every expenditure that
consider unnecessary to any degree"
The small levies in a number of the funds
will result to the great inconvenience of the
public during the year, 1t is pointed out.
In no way will citizens be more directly af
fected than through the medium OF the street
sweeping fund. = big kick was made by
citizens over the filthy condition of the
streets during the latter part of last year,
and yet the Board of Public Works spent
over three quarters more than the $l6,
900 that VIII be available for street sweeping
this year. With but little more than one
haf of the amount spent last year available
1t can be readily imagined that before the
end Of the year the condition of the streets
will be very bad. Even now, although the
downtown streets are in comparatively good
condition. the streets in the outer districts
of the city are very filthy. City Engineer
Rosewater estimates that $4,000 would be
IN hnO NNit do ri N u
at all the amount that will be needed to
keep them clean during the season.
Increases the Death Rate.
IL do not want to be considered a croaker,
but the hack of money for street sweeping
will rebound greatly to the disadvantage of
the city," says the city engineer THE
Board of Public Works will spend the money
1t has available to the best advantage, but
at the best the streets will be far from the
condition they should be in. The result will
be an increase in sickness and the death rate.
Then, too, the sight of streets in bad condi-
tlon will do more than anything else to keep
capital out Of the city
There is a scheme on foot to help out
the street sweeping fund by means of the
road fund The latter comes from the
county and will be about $4,000, the ap-
proximate amount of last year.
II do not think that any presents will
be made to the First ward through Council
man Stuht out of this Iund this year" says
of the councilmen who Is in favor OF
employing the road fund for street sweep
ing purposes. Last year Councilman
Stuht was not possessed with the streak of
economy with which he seems to be afflicted
this year, and secured appropriation OF
$4,000 out of the fund to grade Mason
street. l think that Mr.. STUNT has gotten
about as much out of that fund for such
purposes as he will get"
In connection with the talk of the lack
OF money for street sweeping, story of
% breach OF faith on the part of Councilman
Lobeck is being circulated by laboring men.
Councilman Lobeck poses a representa-
tive of the laboring element. Tuesday
afternoon, a few hours before the council
meeting delegation OF laboring men
waited upon him. They pointed out that
If more money were provided for street
work the means Of employment of a large
number of workingmen would be taken
away. He admitted this and then promised
that IL Mayor Moores vetoed the levy he
would vote to sustain it. In council meet
ing, when the veto came in, Lobeck voted
to override it.
Cuts Fire and Police Forces.
Next to this street work the city will be
HiOSL Nlldlly lnleItSleu III lIe cuts ludL VII
have to be made in the fire and police de-
parments. The former is fairly we'll pro-
vided for, but the police force will have to bt
radically reduced. The average number Of
patrolmen last year 10l a month. Al
present the number is but eighty. With the
levy that is provided for the department thi!
force will have to be cut down by at leas
fifteen men, and perhaps twenty five.
City Physician Spaldlug states that the
fund for the health department is so meagel
that 1t will not pay the expenses of the Office
under ordinary circumstances, and will no
permit OF a cents expense in case another
epidemic OF contagious disease occurs
The park commissioners assert that not
cent will be spent in improvements and tina
large number of lights in the parks will b.
cut off, and that expenses of maintenance o
parks in other directions will be held down
Whether the Board Of Education will tr!
to run the schools at lesser expense thar
last year remains to be seen. The members
insist that with the levy provided the schoo
district will be $4,000 more in debt at th'
end of the year than II is now. There is n,