Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-13
AFFAIRS At SOUTH OMAHA
Repairing of Twenty-Fourth Street Pave.
ment Comes Up Again.
BALANCE IN FUND FOR THAT PURPOSE
Additional Number Of Assessors and
Deputies VIII bring Increase in
Cost of Making ANNUAL
County assessment.

The city council will be called upon be-
fore long to make some arrangements for
the repair Of Twenty-fourth street. This
Is an old story, but It comes before the
people once or twice each year and will
until an entirely new pavement Ia laid.
But this year the city is fortunate In hav-
ing a balance on hand to m repairs
with. Last summer the council appropri-
ated $4,000 TO repair portions Of the con-
crete base aud the asphalt surface. OF this
sum IL was found necessary to expend only
81 800, so that there is now in this fund
about $500 which can be applied upon the
work which will have to be done this year.
1t Is estimated that IL the council can see
It's way clear to order the work done II
can provide the additional money needed
when the 1902 levy is made.
AS long as there Is money in the fund a
contract could be let with good grace now
and the street fixed up before the summer
travel commences. The plan Of filling in
the holes with concrete has not been en-
tirely successful, as the asphalt wears away
from around the concrete, leaving a sur
face far from smooth and which is undesir-
able. City Engineer Beal thinks that the
entire street can be placed in good condi-
ton this summer for about the same
amount Of money expended last year and
that the concrete filling used in holes can
be taken out. thus making a smooth sur
face. In places the under filling is sink
ing. This is caused from the fact that the
grading was not allowed to settle and the
under filling of concrete was not as heavy
as Il should be. This settling has caused
mudholes on the east side Of the street
between e and G streets, which can only be
abated by the raising OF the concrete base.
In case this work is undertaken the cost
Of repairs will of course be more than was
originally estimated.
County Assessors Expensive.
Since the redistricting OF the city into
elk wards there is a county assessor for
each ward. Each Of the six assessors
elected has appointed four deputies and
this will make & total working force OF
thirty. The assessors are: First ward,
jay Williams; Second ward, James Kotere;
Third ward, Andrew Mcclure; Fourth
ward, P. J. Trainor; Fifth ward, John
Gillian; Sixth ward, Edward Halpin.
The law provides that assessors and
deputies be paid at the rate Of SO a day.
1t Is also specified that the assessment
must be completed within sixty days. I'm
der former assessors the work has cost the
county less than 81, 900. This year. with
six assessors and four deputies each. the
bill will run up close to II not over IS, 900.
Taking out Sundays, when the assessors
are not supposed to work, the pay, II al
lowed by the commissioners, will cut quite
a hole in the amount Of county taxes col
lected here. The assessors themselves are
doing very little in the labor line, leaving
the detail work to deputies, while they do
the heavy standing around.
slow Dreaming Up.
Although notices have been served upon
quite a number of property owners and res
idents in connection with the cleaning up
Of back yards end alleys little has been
done so far. Since the recent rain the &C
emulation OF tin cans and refuse Of vari-
Gus kinds Is more evident than ever. The
sanitary inspector will be called upon TO at
once devote a portion OF his time each day
in making out and serving notices in order
that the sanitary condition OF the city may
be improved at once. The paved streets
are also in a nlthy condition, but for lack
OF funds the street department cannot give
Twenty-fourth street or any other street a
thorough cleaning.
High Prices for Food.
Hotel people and owners Of restaurants
complain OF the high prices they are being
Conpellou 10 pay toI ioOu PRODUCTS. II IL
asserted that there is no money in the res
taurant business just now because beef, pc.
tatoes. butter and eggs are high. With
few warm days IT is expected that thu
price OF butter and eggs will drop, although
the packers are now out In the countr,
making contracts for eggs for fall and win.
ter use. These eggs will be placed in cole
storage and will be sold when the prizes
goes higher than 1t is now. With the com.
ing of pasture the price of butter will g,
, down. There is no immediate prospect, how
ever. of a reduction in the price of beef a
long as the demand exceeds the supply.
Cavalry Troop Bali.
Under a canopy of the Stars and Strips
the cavalry troop Of South Omaha assem-