Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-01

resolution referred TO his committee and
without consulting me. after holding 1t ior
weeks, reported adversely.
The appropriation for the engineer de-
partment, which should adult OF properly
designing. laying out, measuring and over
seeing the work and keeping up records OF
plats. estimates, etc, naturally must vary
in expense with the extent ald diversified
nature of the work In hand. 1t was cut
down to such an extent that neither the
cement nor other materials used In con-
s~truction could be properly Inspected or
tested and such engineers as could acci-
dentally be secured temporarily were neces-
sarily employed by the day on the public
works account as inspectors and required
to do engineering and inspection work. I
every turn work was crowded upon the
department. inadequate help was provided
and If errors were made they would be at
tributed to the engineer. The engineering
OF the park commission was turned over
to my department and the surveys. plats for
boulevards and bridges which formerly
cost $4,000 and upwards per year and had
been done at the expense Of the park fund,
were done by my department. The speci-
~hcatlons for the bridges In the exposition
grounds were prepared and their construc-
ton supervised by the engineering depart
ment without extra help.
Handicnps the Department
The tax commissioner department was
constantly supplied with numerous plats
specially prepared for it by the engineering
department, although the labor and station
cry were charged up to the engineer de-
partment. In one instance a draughts-
man was employed for sixty days to prepare
maps for the tax commissioners under Teso
luton of your body. The cost should have
been charged to the tax commissioners de-
partment. Although the pay roll containing
this employees name stated that such charge
should be thus made and the comptroller
was personally notified of It he 0everthe-
less placed the charge against the engineers
department. The system of partiality in
bookkeeping kept by the comptroller would
indicate that the ordinance regulating and
restricting the expenditure of each depart
ment was solely intended for the engineer;
otherwise how could the comptroller expend
81, 800 a year more for clerks than his ac-
counts show his department charged with,
and how could the council, which has SO
persistently opposed all extra allowances for
the engineers department allow, under cover
Of a mask known as the miscellaneous fund,
$50 each month throughout the year fol
clerical help in the comptroller's office in
addition to the allowance on the comp
trollers regular pay roll, provided for by
ordinance No. 4365.
When / asked your body. for $3.50 addi-
tional appropriation for the engineering de-
partmedrt the request was refused-(engi-
ueer's account). When the tax commissioner
asked for $500 additional for his department
1t was allowed without dissent. So, also, the
treasurer was allowed his request. In the
face Of the marked treatment herein out
lined no evidence would seem to be needed
to prove discrimination. On March 2, 1898,
| sent the accompanying protest to you1
body calling attention to the marked con-
trast between the action of members OF
your body toward the e%nginee and Board
of Public Works and that which was &C
corded these departments under the former
Il .N. III hat. ~f
your body were members. To this a COM
mittee of your body reported a reply, a copy
OF which was directed to be sent to me.
This reply intimated that the expenditures
of the former board in March were out
rageous. unwarranted. and unauthorized by
the council. and that your straight-jacket
piecemeal appropriations for my depart
meat were to prevent such recurrence. In
answer TO this | refer to resolutions Nos.
81 and 2S, pessed by the council on February
IS and March 16, 1897. showing the council
had authorized the former board. without
limitations as to cost. to put on men and
teams for public work, which you character
ize as outrageous and unwarranted. and
eight members of the present council voted
for these resolutions. In view OF this and
the fact of my known repugnance to
machine politics in municipal affairs and re-
fusal throughout a public service OF eighteen
years to participate in such methods. l have
the right to infer that the sudden departure
III IueluOuS ny YOUR DOuy WdS HOl II e
suit of accident. nor due to partisan poll
tics. but the product OF a caucus. especially
in view OF the unanimity of action and lack
Of debate in it's consideration and its cen
trasts with former precedents. In my state
meIts before the council | asserted that the
caucus system in municipal bodies was in
contravention of honest government and the
spirit of the charter. That unlike executive
sessions Of the United States senate where
International questions arise there was Ooth-
inn that n I'M Hfnrn q council that nnn1T
not bear public discussion: that the caucus
was the towards retreat. which admitted
of doing under cover what the members
dared not do in public: that such caucuses
were the favorite resorts for boodlers, al
they were most suitable for their work. TT
prove the truth OF this | need but cite tn,
action of Mr.. Mercer in securing immunit,
from taxation. p%rofitiNg for the Mercer com
pany over $500. and fastening upon thu
l people a debt Of $l5. 900. This was accom-,
plished in the very face of adverse judg
ment of your body, which had expressed 1t
+ self by majority vote. only to finally stultif'
l it's action by accedlng to the Justification o
, the record. IL such result can follow tn,
l manipulations Of one man. how much NOR
dangerous the concerted action of three, VIII,
! in u caucus of five would be the majority
!. aud thus having committed five members b.
the caucus action of three the system make
1t possible for three, or one-third Of tn
= council, to control the action of the entir
nine.
, In referring to the lack Of sincerity o
. some of the council with reference to tn,
! appropriation of 81, 900 for street cleaning
the weather permitting, l need but cite tn
votes Of Messrs. STUNT, Mercer and Noun
e on the week following when they vote
!, against resembling concurrent resolution 20
n which prohibited the use of said none,
until after the ice and snow had melted ant
. thus conclusively proved that when they haI
voted for the appropriation they knew
v could not be used and they did not intend |
should.
$ In conclusion l desire to reiterate what
[ stated in my communication last March, tina
r to bring about an economical administratio
8 Of affairs, the department of Public Work
r should not be placed in a straight JACKIE
but be given a reasonable latitude so as t
d properly organize the service upon SCUM
h business principles.
r Entertaining no personal mplice / ask tn
c mutual cooperation of the legislative wit
the Public Works department, knowing tina
Il only by open and hearty cooperation, base
l. upon frank, outspoken exchange of view
d upon all matters concerning each, the publ.
e will derive the best results. Very re
e specially, ANDREW ROSEWATER,
City Engineer.
T Appointing the Committee
II move that the president appoint a spe
| ntal npnppnitfaa To inua0tiuato ithaca p,a