Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-16
ENDORSE POWER FRANCHISE
Council in Committee Of the Whole Acts on
Andrew Rosewater Proposition.
SEVERAL MINOR AMENDMENTS ARE MADE
Mr.. Babcock of Columbus, Union Labor
Representative, e. Rosewater
and other Address the
Committed.

The general committee Of the city council
at its meeting Of yesterday afternoon took
action. recommending for passage the form
Of franchise ordinance proposed by Andrew
Rosewater, with two amendments, to which
Mr.. Rosewater has agreed. One of these
amendments, proposed by Mr.. Lobeck, pro-
vides that after January 1, 1885, the city
shall have the right to acquire by pur-
chase, at an appraised price, all OF the
property Of the power plant both inside
and outside the city Of Omaha. without any
money consideration for the franchise. and
provision is made for the appointment OF
two appraisers by the mayor and city
council, two by the owners OF the plant and
the selection Of a hfth by those four, In
case the city shall decide to make this
purchase.
The other amendment binds the grantees
Of the franchise to pay to the city a per-
centage Of the earnings OF the plant In
stead Of the specified annuity proposed by
Mr.. Rosewater in the original draft Of the
ordinance. This clause as amended fixes
the subsidy at 1 per cent Of the earnings
Of the company for the FIRST 1--WE years, 2
per cent for the next ensuing 1--WE years
and 3 per cent thereafter.
The vote whereby the committee deter
mined TO recommend the ordinance was
4 to 2, Messrs. Mount and Whitehorn being
absent from the meeting. The Affirmative
votes were those OF Councilman Zimman.
Trostler, Burnley and Lobeck and the
others are not recorded as opposed to the
ordinance, as Mr.. Hascali declined to vote
and Messrs. Karr and Hoye in voting
against the accommodation explained that
they would prefer to wait until the ordi-
nance had been amended as agreed before
voting for it.
Manufactures Are Needed.
The ordinance was fully discussed IN the
meeting before the committee took it's
action. e. Rosewater was present. and
when asked by the committee IL there was
anything he would like to say, said he
wished to state that individually he was
not interested with his brother in this
project in any way. He was not even famil-
lar with the details, but he had been in
formed that the ordinance proposed a plan
for supplying cheaper power in this city.
He said he was interested in a general way
in overcoming any obstacles (which would
stand in the way of Omaha becoming a
great manufacturing center, and as long as
manufacturing was as expensive in this
city as now no great Roadway In that direc-
tion could be made. He said that a dozen
jobbing houses would not contribute SO
much to the welfare Of the city as one good
mandatory.
The council, he said, was expected to
protect the interests OF the people by pro-
viding the proper safeguards In granting
any franchise, but, on the other hand, a
measure of this III could be SO burdened
with conditions as u make it useless to
anybody. There could be nothing In the
granting of this franchise to prevent any
other company from coming in, and with
the large industries Of Omaha and the
surrounding places there, should be suf-
hcient patronage for other companies. He
would consider 1t deplorable and indie
feasible for the council to close the door
against any project which would pay a
subsidy to the city and AFFORD competition
which would result in cheaper power
throughout the city. The future growth
and Welfare .of Omaha, he said, depended
on reduction of the cost Of power.
H. E. Babcock Of Columbus, Neb., who
is interested in a competing water power
company, whose rights are located at the
mouth Of the Loup river, spoke at some
length in an effort to influence the coun-
ell against the granting OF the franchise
to Mr.. Rosewater and there was some dis
cussion between Mr.. Babcock and Andrew
NootNaNbA ANbaAuihb II pAoNNANabAAANy VI
their prospective plans.
Union Labor FavOrs.
W. Britton appeared on behalf Of the
machinists' union to say that organized
labor favored the plan Of Mr.. Rosewater,
as it appeared to be the best that had
been offered, but IL a more favorable plan
for the city should turn up that would be
the one to be favored.
City Attorney Cornell was asked by
Councilman Trostler as to the Rosewater
ordinance and said he had examined II
and made several little changes and now
believed 1t to be in proper legal form and
It's terms to be highly advantageous to the
city.
AS to Mr.. Lobeck's proposed amend
ment to limit the time OF the franchise
and provide for the city's purchase of the
plant, Mr.. Connell said that from the very
nature Of the franchise itself the council
need place no limit upon it, as the city
council could not take any action which