Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-04
REPORTS ON CITY AFFAIRS
Mayor NoOreu and City Engineer Rsisvatsr
snbmit Their RsviSwI.
CASH BALANCE ON the RIGHT SIDE
Expense Kept within Ineome Last
Year Through strict vigilance,
and Promise Renewed for
Current Year.
CONTINUED from First Psge.)
BALANCE on The RIGHT SIDE

CONTINUED from First Page.)
wholesale district during the past few years
have demonstrated the necessity OF iocat-
ing a new engine house In that territory.
Accordingly The city has purchased re-
Gently q lot on. the northwest corner OF
Eleventh and Jackson oo s1TeedI; we Unto
date fire house 10, accommodate an engine
and hose company And a hook and ladder
No. / steam hre engine OF the latest i'm
proved type, having the new Fox boiler,
Az" foot hSok and ladder truck like the
one recently purchased for No. . engine
During recent years the equipment OF
the department has not been replenished
and much OF the rubber hose Is rotten
worn out. It will be necessary to Pur.
chase at once four new Hose wagons and
that are not better Supplied with Are apl
Rarss1s and wor1 isre; ;Rsfri0I. i tseilit yssr than bhSnn,
orabie body to take into consideration the
needs of the fire department when you
make the annual levy.
work of other Departments.
Mayor Moores alludes in complimentary
terms OF the work Of the legal department,
especially remarking the vigilance observed
In protecting the city's interests In damage
suits. The matter Of special tax litigation
receives a paragraph. At present there are
1893 suits OF this nature pending in the
district court of Douglas county and
seventy-six in the supreme court.
Reference Is made to decision Of
the district court on the point
raised by Assistant City Attorney Adams
TO the effect that persons purchasing
property since the special taxes were levied
are stopped from contestlng the validity of
those taxes II they had purchased subject
TO and deducted the amount OF such as
sessments from the agreed purchase price.
II has also been held by the supreme court
that purchasers at judicial sales where
special assessments are deducted in the
appraisement as valid prior liens are
estopped from contesting the validity Of
such assessments. The report of the as
sistant city attorney on this special tax
litigation shows the following results for
the year:
Cash paid treasurer in settlement
Assessments established by de-. .
crees or dismissals. ..-..,.u... 25,227 IS
Estoppeis pleaded in i1 of the ...-
Estimated. sstoppeIs to be- pleaded
in " remaining pending cases
not yet distracted ..............., 1900 %
IOLdl ,t1so,tl z IL
Both the engineering and health depart
ments are compiimented by the mayor for
work accomplished. Under the direction OF
the engineer the sewer system has been
extended, much bad pavement has been re-
placed by good, the mileage of permanent
sidewalk has been increased, and a new
viaduct on Twenty-fourth street has been
constructed. The health department had
an usually busy year. owing to the pres
ence. of smallpox. The construction OF an
emergency hospital and the action of the
county commissioner In agreeing to pro-
vide supplies for guaranteed INDECENT fam
HES is reported. p r
Union Pacific Settlement.
An important event OF the year was tn
final settlement arrived at between tn
city and the Union Pacific Railroad com
federal courts a number OF suits agains
SfSims cay Th .@s0 Eers also ! sa nsmD ssr os Sue 3
lions In dispute which were not IN nuga
sS 500 T 9s s specisiotuS SSSmp Warrants nssa w aRGS
they surrendered in the settlement. The:
also withdrew their objections to esrtaii
paid the same In full The city also OBJ
tained title to a number of properties be
pany and in consideration for the sam
vacated certain streets within the pre-
SnS certain lots owned by It to the com
For many years there has been a con
slant fear among business men that tn
Union Pacinc shops might be removed q
whole or In part from omsha,, Under tn
Company has agreed to sSgend s75O,OO q
shops and improvements this year, an.
s sssz pls ssSss 's By them the total Siil 's sscs St ' ss.oS SSS|
Once more the mayor urges the councI
IN nrovfdaf auitahla atraaf ai0ua Tho ne
cessity OF completing the compilation {
city ordinances Is also urged. Failure I
publish annual reports is misdirected econ
omy. says the mayor. and he suggests tn
necessity Of printing the compilation
for the several departments in book form
On the market house question, after al
hitting tho immediate desirability OF sue
an institution. the mayor says: while
would not advocate any plan Of extravl
sances yet We must not forget that we al
not building fer the present alone, but Il
the future as well. II q market house is
be built. n should be a creditable one ar
not . mere mAkeshift." The message COZ
cludes as follows;
Electric Lighting.
The contract which the city now ms
with the New Omaha Thomson-Housto
eember al 81 the PRESENT. yeara AZ S Sr
arc lamp and receives no royalty frol
the company.
The experience OF other cities prov,
that this rate Is excessive. l believe tbs
any new contract TO be entered into shouI
be at a rate OF about $50 per annum d.
light and should provide for a roySiIy
be paid the city on the companys groi
Ths disastrous loss Of life oecaDloned
recent years by overhead light wires hi
demonstrated the necessity OF pIacir
these wires underground, and any ne
contract should make this a reouiremei
- -