Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-10
ROAD TAX FIGHT UP AGAIN
Colonel Baker Says BE Will E1oend County
Funds Just Where He Pleases.
CHAPTER THREE IN BAR DOCKET CONTEST
Avoca Canning Company Asks Exemp-
tiOn from Taxation for Three
Years SO Far Ms the County
IL Concerned.

The annual controversy between the city
and tho county Supervisors over the ex-
penditure OF the portion OF the county road
. levied within the city limits Is again
TO the fore. When the certified copy OF the
resolution adopted by the city council at
its meeting Monday night directing the
county supervisors to expend this portion
Of the road fund within the city limits I'M
der the direction Of the committee on
streets and alleys was brought up for con-
sideration II was turned over by the other
members to Colonel w F. Baker. the su-
pervisor from Council Bluffs. Colonel
Baker declared with considerable emphasis
that under no circumstances would he
recognize the right OF the city to direct
the expenditure OF the fund, as implied In
the resolution.
Before Colonel Bakers advent on the
county board the city council and the SUI
pervisors succeeded in enecting a COM
promise in the matter by which part OF the
fund collected within the city was turned
over to the committee on streets and al
leys and the other part expended by the
supervisors wherever 1t desired. Colonel
Baker, however, declined to enter into any
such arrangement and the result has been
a constant controversy between the board
and the city council. The state law says
that the portion OF the county road fund
raised from the levy within the city limits
shall be expended under the direction"
OF the city council. Colonel Baker, how
ever, contends that this only gives TO the
city council the right to object to any
alienation Of the fund to other parts of
the county, but does not give 1t the right
to dictate as to what streets or in what
way the money shall be expended.
The question has once before been taken
into the courts, with the result that the
court held that the city council had the
right to designate on what streets in the
city limits this portion Of the county road
should be expended and unless Colonel
Baker recedes from the position which he
asserted at the meeting of the board yes
terday he would take in the matter, further
litigation may be looked for.
The board yesterday decided to establish
the Fensler ditch in Rockford township
as petioned for and appointed Thorn Tos-
tevin as engineer in charge. The ditch. 1t
is estimated, will cost about $4,000 and is
only a little over two miles In length.
There was another chapter in the con-
troversy between the board and Clerk Reed
of the district court over the printing of
the Avoca bar docket. The Globe Publish
ing company, publishers OF the Avoca
Tribune, filed a bill for s34.s5 for the print
ing of the docket and the board ordered 1t
laid on the table. kt
The application of recently incor-
porated Avoca Canning company to be ex-
empt from county and school taxes for the
next three years as an inducement for
erecting the canning plant in that town
was referred to the county attorney. The
city council of Avoca has exempted the
company from city taxes for the frst three
years.
o. B. Mcbride, president OF the Honey
Creek Farmers Mutual Telephone COM
pany, was given permission to erect poles
and string wires in Boomer and Rockford
townships. frt sta-tia
The auditor was authorized to pay D.
o'Grady, the cAretaker and nurse at the
eity's new isolation hospital, $50 a month
when certified to by the city clerk.
Among the claims referred to special
committees were those OF DR.. @. A. Spauld-
ing and DR.. d. F. Emmert from the east
end Of the county. DR.. spaulding claimed
$1,000 for attending one case OF scarlet
fever and DR.. Emmert claimed $205 for
attending four cases OF smallpox.
Today the board will hold the hearing in
the matter OF the Joint drainage ditch
scheme for Harrison and Pottawattamie
countiesg