Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-19
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
Aldermen Apply Faith Cure to Fire and
Police Commissioner.
RESOLVE TO PROVIDE FOR ANY OVERLAP
Hnscail and ZimmRn Censure Fire
and Police Board for Lack Of
Backbone and Display
OF selhshness.

Inspired by an appeal from the Com
mercial club and assured Of the moral sup
port OF that body, the city council has de-
cided to apply the faith cure to the Board
Of Fire and Police Commissioner as a
remedy for it's attack OF nervous pros
tration over the condition Of the FIRE fund.
As a first application OF this treatment
the council at its meeting Of last evening
adopted the following resolution, intro
duced by Councilman Hascall:
Resolved. by the city council OF the city
of Omaha, that any necessary expense that
the Board Of Fire and Police Commission-
the fire department In good working order
and up to the present standard Of efficiency
advisable, VIII be duly honored by this
council and provision. made for the pay
The present funds available for that pur.
pose so soon as the levy for 1903 Is MADE.
This question Of the FIRE fund was in
troduced on this occasion by the committee
from the Commercial club appointed yester-
day to confer with the council. G. II.
Pickens, who acted as spokesman of the
committee, said that the club had com
municated with the Board Of Fire and
Police Commissioners, but had not been
able to get much satisfaction out OF that
body and had therefore decided to appeal
TO the council. Il had been stated that the
Board Of Fire and Police Commissioner
had talked Of dropping about sixty men
from the FIRE department and the club felt
that something must be done. as the de-
partment at its best was not suficiently
large to cope with emergencies that might
easily arise. The committee, he said, had
come to say that anything that the council
might do in the way Of transferring money
from one fund to another to meet this
contingency would be upheld by the Com
mercial club even though the action might
be a little irregular. He had been In
formed that a way had been suggested
whereby the council could replenish the fire
fund by refunding the money paid in sala-
ries TO the members OF the fire and police
board and it's secretary. and II the council
would do this the club would stand behind
Il.
Says Board Lacks Backbone.
Judge Hascall referred back to the report
of the judiciary committee and Mr.. Lobeck't
resolution adopted by the council at &
former meeting assuring the Board of Fire
and Police Commissioners that the council
would look after the police fund He said
that what the Board Of Fire and Police
Commissioners needed was a little back.
bone and courage to go right ahead in the
usual way and have faith in the city coun'
ell. They appeared TO be very much afraid
of getting into trouble. but II they would
trust the council and the Commercial clut
and the business men of the city generally
they would come out all right.
Councilman Zimman censured the mem.
bers Of the fire and police board severely
for their lack OF courage and said that Il
they we're too timid to meet the present
pTiafa thav would do uvalI IN roet0p anf
there would be plenty Of men found witt
would be willing to take chances Of goin.
to prison for the sake of serving the citI
as members. of that board. The members
b. AAld ,-rDfghtsat least forego the collection
of their salaries until after January 1 anC
let the money go to the ffremen insteaC
of bringing mandamus proceedings to com
pei the council to pay them. He suggeste,
as one solution OF the trouble that tn
hremen might be permitted to continue a
work and take their chances Of gettinI
their pay, relying upon the council to SCI
that they should get II. Under those cir
cumstances, he said, they could receive Of
credit any commodities they might need.
70 In this last statement Mr.. zimman wa
supported by Robert Cowell Of the XII
patrick dry goods store, who was presen
as one of the members Of the committe,
from the Commercial club.
Messrs. Hoye, Trostler, Whitehorn
Mount, Lobeck and President Karr all de
eisred themselves in favor of the continu
alton Of the fire department at its presen
strength and expressed a willingness t
act with their fellow councilmen to pro
vide the necessary funds.
Thanks Commercial Club.
After the adoption of Mr.. HascalI'
resolution, given above, a vote Of thank
was rendered the Commercial club an
the members Of the committee for theI
interest in the matter.
The mayor returned without his ap
proval the resolution Of last Tuesda
night directing the building inspector I