Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-03-05
Electric Light Company Gets Two Good
Points in Its Favor.
NEW CONTRACT WITH CITY IS APPROVED
Ordinance Giving It's subway Plan
Life Introduced In New Form ana
Put over 10 Special Meet
tng Today.

providing for putting its wires underground.
The subway ordinance is, in spirit, the
same as that passed last January, against
which permanent injunction now exists,
but several technicallties to which the court
took exceptions In the first are avoided In
the second. For example, the name New
Omaha Thomson Houston Electric Light
company" doesn't appear In the ordinance
introduced last night. II is entitled "An
ordnance providing for placing underground
all electric wires except telegraph and tel
ephone wires and wires used for propelling
street cars" The wires affected by the
measure are those used for the transmits
sion of light, heat or power, and It is stip-
ulated that these be underground by May
1, 1903.
Goes 20 Special Session.
This ordinance was put upon it's first and
second readings last night and referred to
the judiciary committee. and special meet
ing OF the city council was called for this
morning ito act upon the judiciary commit
tees report" The hour set for the special
meeting is 10 o'clock, which is believed to
be early enough to anticipate possible in
junction.
The city's new contract with the electric
light company, accompanied by a $4,000
bond. was received from the mayor with his
approval. Ae the contract had been amended
since 1t was last before the council, another
vote was taken on it. with the result that
1t was approved by a unanimous vote of
eight. Lobeck, who had voted against It a
week ago, changed his vote.
All the members of the council were
present with the exception of President
Karr, who is Ill, and Vice President Mount
presided in his place.
Market House Middle.
A new market house ordinance was intro
duced by Zimman, the purpose of which
was to extend the property to be condemned
for market purposes one block further east.
making the market district from Twelfth to
Fourteenth on Capitol avenue instead of
from Thirteenth to Fourteenth, as the first
ordinance provided Upon motion of Has
call, this measure was killed in its incip-
lent state and the market district stands
as originally defined.
Hascall said: IF we pass this substitute
ordinance the effect will be to kill the en-
tire market house project. since it leaves
1t uncertain where the building is to be
erected. II you want to take In more tor
ritory do 1t by means Of an independen,
ordinance, but don't repeal the FIRST ordi-
nance" ~ tJ
Trostler said: IT find that there is an
element in Omaha that is trying to tbwar,
this councils market house plans, and n
we hope to successfully combat IL we've got
to stand by our original ordinance and not
let them dictate to us. It may as well be
understood first as last that the market
house is to be on Capitol avenue, and not
on Howard or Jones Streets"
Object to New Ordinance.
City Engineer Rosewater, author Of the
second ordinance, said: This ordinance "a
the same as the other, except that IL adds
another block Of space to the territory al |
ready defined. 1t was drawn In good faith |
and for the purpose Of giving the gardeners
and others what they want. There Is room |
for only seventy booths in the territory now |
denned and this ordinance Just doubles tina, |
number"
LObeck said: 'I think we should stand by
the nrst ordinance. Most Of the objections |
to the Capitol avenue site, as understand |
it, come from the Council BLUFFS peonIe |
and II they don't like our arrangements let |
them stay away"
Zimman said "The reason we're no, |
getting good prices for our booth priyi- |
ieges on the Capitol avenue site is that a |
great many OF these hucksters and others 1
tnink there is going to be a wholesale market |
established In the Howard street district |
which would tend to divide patronage with |
the new house. This, of course, is a mis-
take. The Capitol avenue market is to be |
both wholesale and retail market"
When vote was called on Hascall's mo- |
tion to kill the ordinance extending the |
territory Of the Capitol avenue site ali |
voted for 1t except zimman.
For Omaha Beautiful.
An ordinance providing for the planting
OF shade trees and for sodding along street
margins, between the sidewalk and the curb |
and for the levying OF special taxes against
abutting property to pay for the same. was
introduced and placed upon its first and
second readings, after which it was referred
TO the judiciary committee Major d. n.
wheeler, author OF the measure, made this
explanation; When I was a member of
the council In 1884" said he, ian ordinance
or this kind was passed, but was killed BY
Mayor Bemis' veto. Since then, until now.
no attempt has been made to revive the
project. When the request came to me to
write this ordinance. dug up the old one. /
and have used great many OF it's features.
1t Is the only way to preserve a uniform
appearance Of street. Unless the cItv
takes hold of 1t and places the planting OF
shade trees and the laying OF sod in the
same category with grading, paving and
similar improvements. to be paid for in
special taxes assessed against abutting
property. nonresident property owners win
neglect to plant trees and lay sod and the
result Will be that the street will have a
ragged, uneven appearance To overcome
this dinculty is the principal purpose OF this
ordinance. II plans that the work a to
be done by contract"
samuel l. GOrdOn's salary.
The city clerk announced that 8. l.
Gordon has sent in bill for his February
salary" which was the signal for a voIley
OF humorous oratory, the burden OF It being
that there was no money at hand to pay
for actual labor, to say nothing OF paying
for the maintenance OF mosquito COURT
down In the city jail building.
8. @. Walkup. deputy city clerk. said be
had embodied the dominant spirit OF the
''eity hall crowd" in four stanzas OF dog
serei. He passed them to Councilman Zim-
man, who read the effusion, which plain
lively recites the well known fact that the
pay roll has been held up pending the tax
levy settlement.
The city comptroller submitted the fol-
ScOntinued on Second Pagsl |,