Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-21
PURCHASE OF WATER WORKS
Mayor Moores Addresses Communication to
City Council on Subject.
TIME FOR ACTION BY CITY is At HAND
For the First Time in Its History
Omaha Is I'm ~ Position to Is
sue Bonds to Purchase
the Plant.

Much to the dissatisfaction of some OF
the members who were on hand, ready to
transact the important business pending
there was no quorum of the city council
last night and although a call of the
house was issued and the city clerks force
Of assistants was sent skirmishing in diff
! ferent directions, the missing ones were not
located. Among those present It was freely
declared that at least soue of the absen-
tees had purposely remained away. and
there was much unfavorable comment upon
the fact that Councilman Hascall, after
coming to the chamber, quietly took his
| departure without making any excuse or
| explanation.
| At o'clock the prospects of a quorum
were good, but almost Immediately after
! that hour it was noticed that Mr.. Hascall
had gone. Vice President Mount called the
/ body to order and beside himself Messrs.
Lobeck and Trostler were the only mem
| bers to answer to roll call Only a few
minutes later Mr.. Zimman came in and
| then Mr.. Trostler moved a call of the
! house. The city clerks assistants were
! sent to find the absentees, but one by one
| returned to report that they had not met
| with success. At $50 Mr.. Lobeck moved to
| dispense with the call of the house, but
only Mr.. Trostler voted with him and con-
! StQueully the mOLlOu was lObJ, MeSSTB.
Mount and Zlmman declaring that they
were determined to get meeting IL such a
thing were possible. Soon after this
Messrs. Lobeck and Trostler left, stating
that they would return at once II notified
! by telephone that another member had
been found to complete the quorum. Messrs.
! Zimman and Mount, after waiting until
past 10 O'Clock, gave up the effort and
raised the call of the house.
why They stayed Away.
The absence of some of the members was
attributed to desire to avoid action upon
several pending matters of importance
without the votes of certain other members
| who 1t was known could not be present.
Among these matters was the mayors veto
of the Hascall resolution to withdraw the
! city as intervenor in the fire and police
board contention, now in the supreme court.
| Another matter which was to have come up
last night was the following communication
from the mayor, which explains itself, and
the character of which may suggest rea-
sons why some of the couucilmen snUuld be
| interested in the personnel of the meeting
at which it may be considered;
! OMAHA, Jan. 2O.-To the Honorable the
| City Council of the City of Omaha: Gentle
men-l have always been and am now in
| favor of the municipal ownership OF public
utilities and especially of waterworks, but
! up to this time prevailing conditions made
| any step in that direction impracticable.
| The total amount of outstanding long
| time Indebtedness of the city, as shown by
the figures Of the comptroller, is the sum
| OF S36lS,OOO The assessed valuation OF
property In in Omaha a. under the 40 per cent
basis for 1902 was $S7, ,6l6 l65.
! As will be observed from these figures the
! outstanding long-tim Indebtedness of the
city under the 1902 assessment was only
$4,000 short of the constitutional 10 per
cent limit of indebtedness. While this con-
dition existed 1t would have been impossible
qulred and keep within the constitutional
10 per cent limit This difficulty is now re
moved by the valuation made according to
the standard of real value as. required by
law for the purpose of municipal taxation
for the year 1903. The assessed valuation of
property in Omaha, made for the purpose
of municipal taxation for the year 1903 is
$l29,OO0OOO.
pleted the city is in a situation for the first
time to issue bonds for the acquisition of
the waterworks.
Time to Act is at Hand.
The right of acquiring the waterworks
| by purchase as provided in the contract
city September 4, 1903. 1t therefore becomes
necessary at this time to consider the most
eeGtiXe ana nd certain plan oI Pr3eeGqhTe ire d0 d0r
forcing the right of purchase, which will
accrue September 4, 1893, or proceeding
main as authorized by the charter.
Under the right of eminent domain the
city has the right to select seven appraisers
and the appraisement madt before becom-
ing final and binding on the city, is sub
ject TO approval by the mayor and council
! and also by a vote Of the people. This
gives to the city protection much TO be de-
sired with reference to the amount of the
appraisement
| Whatever course may be decided upon We
should proceed as we have done, with sufti-
cient caution and understanding of the sit-
uation as to adopt the plan which will be
safest and best, so that the waterworks
may be secured for the city at fair and
| reasonable cost
! Now that bonds can be issued and the
time when the right of purchase will soon
arrive. l recommend that an ordinance be
passed declaring the necessity of acquiring
the waterworks plant and providing for the
arDointment of appraisers to determine the
/ value of the same. With this in view,
| would urge that this commu unication be re-
| ferred to the appropriate committee and
! that the question as to the most desirable
| method of procedure for acquiring the
| waterworks be considered without delay by
| the council in general committee and with
| reference TO the proper determination of
! this question l VIII be pleased to confer
/ with Your honorable body. Respectfully
| FRANK z. MOORES, Mayor.