Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-21
AFFAIRS AT SOUTH OMAHA
Mayor Discloses Record Of Retrenohment Ia
Offset Gains of Extravaganza.
cURTAILs EXPENSE WHEREVER POSSIBLE
KOutsky Thinks People who Com
plain HabituaIIy wouId Pront by
Attending city Council
Meetings oftener.


There has been considerable comment Of
late by members Of the Taxpayers league
and others in connection with the man
agement Of city affairs. In more than one
instance Mayor Koutsky has been charged
with not looking after affairs closely
enough and with extravaganza in the ex-
penditure Of city money.
when the attention OF Mayor Koutsky
was called to these reports yesterday by a
Bee reporter he said; I'm connection with
the expenditure Of money l want to say
to the members OF the Taxpayers league
and citizens and taxpayers in general that
South Omaha now has less office g~rafters
than for years past. Since have occupied
the chair Of the chief executive I have
vacated all Offices which we're previously
maintained for purely political purposes.
By the v~acating Of these of1ces l am saw
ing TO the taxpayers about 1 1000 a year.
The records in the city clerks ONCE will
bear me out in this statement. AS this is
quite a large amount, | will explain that I
, have consolidated the work in many Of
the departments. In the first place, by not
appointing a street commissioner, the city
Is saved a salary OF $S5 a month. Then
the services of a building inspector, a
plumbing inspector and a stock inspector
we're done away with. The work OF these
inspectors is now performed by the city
engineer and a clerk,
Every taxpayer, and citizen as well,
knows that my FIRE and police departments
are good workers. The members Of these
departments attend strictly to their duties.
They know that this must be done, as /
notified them at the time of appointment
that any neglect would mean immediate
relief from duty. l have made few changes
in either Of these departments, and the
changes were not for political reasons.
THE street department has done excel
lent work this year and at a much less
cost than for any summer in the history
OF the city. From what l can hear, tho
citizens generally we're satisfied with tho
condition Of the streets when cold weather
set in.
II believe that II the people OF South
Omaha would attend council meetings
oftener and see for themselves just what
is being done by the executive and the
council. there would be fewer complaints.
AS for the klckers, not one in ten has any
idea how affairs are conducted, how taxes
are levied and collected or how appropria.
lions are made"
When asked about a fire and police board
the mayor said: Those who advocate q
fire and police board are, in my opinion,
only trying to boost themselves or their
friends into jobs. There is no need Of a
source Of expense Of this kind, especially
when 1t is considered that the combined
departments consist of only thirty men.
II the people OF South Omaha want a fire
and police board, I am willing, but I favor
the selection Of members by the voters Of
the city and not by the governor OF the
state.
"As far as calling a special election in
the spring is concerned-and l have heard
1t rumored that certain politicians want
one-I am perfectly willing. The only OBJ
lection l have to the move is the expense.
AS everyone knows, this expense would
have to be borne by the taxpayers"
Charter Revision Committee.
Mayor Koutsky has issued a call for a
meeting Of the charter revision committee
to be held at the council chamber on Mon
day night, This committee is msde up Of
these members: Mayor Frank Koutsky, Z.
L. Howe. city treasurer; S. C. Shrigley,
city clerk; ]. J. Fitzgerald. tax commits
s%ioner; A. Fl. Murdoch, city attorney; II.
L. Cohn. assistant city attorney; Herman
Beal, city engineer; members of the coun-
Gil, ]. M. Tanner, Edward Copenharve,
Denna Allbery, r. B. Montgomery, ]. ].
Breen. w. c.. Lambert, T. ]. O'Neill, John
Mcmillan, F. ]. Freitag, H. NJ. Christie,
Dana Morrill,, p. A. Wells, Joseph Murphy,
C. NJ. Hunt, B. e. Wilcox and A.. L. Sutton.
An organization is to be perfected at
this meeting and possibly s~ubcommittees
may be appointed. When the subcommit-
tees are named the members of the general
committee will be asked TO send In recon-
mendations in writing in order that they
may be considered. In making the call
for the meeting to be held Monday night
the mayor expressed the desire that every
member of the committee be present. Tho
committee was named by the council by a
resolution offered by Welsh at the last
meeting and unanimously adopted.
Christmas Program Prepared.
Christmas exercises will be held at the
First Methodist Episcopal church Wednes
day evening. The program will be: In
vocation. Rev. NJ. A. Head; trio, We're
All Polished Up for Christmas" Clara
shumway, Ruth Miller, Harold shevlin +;
whistling 500, Lady OF Quality waltEes.'
Alice F. stire; song and chorus, when
Good Old Kris Comes Round" interme-
date classes; whistling solo, Alice r.
Stire; concert recitation, "Telephoning
Santa Claus primary classes; recitation
christmas Eve in a Mining Camp
Bertha E. Clark, Albert B.. Paine; solo.
"A Quiet Night Mrs. H. c. Richmond;
remarks by Superintendent Jay Laverty;
whistling solo, "old Kentucky Home -
Alice F. stire. Following the program
there will be a general distribution OF
presents by Santa Claus and his assistants.
Reported.
The recent rain caused two bad wash
outs, one in Missouri avenue at Sixteenth
street and the other in Twentieth street
Just south of N street. AS soon as a re-
port Of these wsshouts reached the city
hall Mayor Koutsky and City Engineer
Besl investigated. An order was at once
Issued for the fencing OF the holes. Re-
pairs will not be made. however. until
there is a change in the weather.
Paying Taxes.
This is the season when the corporations
begin paying taxes. Yesterday the Union
Stock Yards company and two OF the banks
paid in. As a general thing the corpora
lions are taking advantage OF the law and
are paying only one-half Of the 1902 tax.
When the big concerns complete their pay
ments due this year there will be an OPP
portunity given the city treasurer to call