Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-23

power TO negotiate for the purchase of
the waterworks now existing or TO pro-
coed with the construction of new
waterworks, and when the purchase or
construction is completed to operate
these works, purchase the supplies
therefor. collect the rents and in fact
become a government within the gov
eminent. responsible to nobody and re-
movable by nobody after they are in
Quoted into office.
With the exception of issuing bonds
already voted and voting more bonds
hereafter for the consummation Of the
proposed purchase by the commission,
Omaha is to have nothing to say about
the management of the w~aterworks,
which will involve an outlay of any
where from three to six millions until
after the expiration of four years, when
the governor-appointed commission is
to give way to a commission elected
by it's citizens on the gradual Install
ment plan.
The darkey in that woodpile is the
provision requiring the g%overnor-ap-
pointed water commission to appoint a
water commissioner at any salary it
may see fit to pay, and we betray no
secret In saying that the progenitor of
this scheme and author Of Senate File
No. 1 is to be the beneficiary with an
income anywhere from 5000 to $4,000
q WAR That this fo fn ha fhn ont
come If the bill should become a law in
it's present form may be judged from It's
context, which provides only such quail
ifcations as Mr.. Howell believes him.
self possessed Of. In this regard Senate
File No. / is decidedly ingenious. The
creator Of the commission expects, Of
course, to be favored by the commits
sion, and to make sure of this result
he makes it the paramount duty Of the
commission to appoint the water COM
missioner Immediately after its organ
~ization, although by reason Of litiga-
ton, or by a failure Il secure popular
endorsement of the bonds the commits
sion may have no waterworks to man.
age or to plan for from six months to
two years after the induction of the
high-salaried water commissioner. ~.
If the people Of Omaha can be trusted
to elect an honest and capable board
of water commissioners four years
hence, why are they not equally com
petent to elect an honest commission
hafOra tba Doookio4sons for +ho xroAo-
works are submitted for their ratihca
ton? Why should the citizens of
Omaha be deprived Of the right OF home
rule In the selection Of a water com
mission so long as they have a right to
elect their mayors, ~treasurers, comp
t~rollers, police judges ana city councils
If 1t is right for the governor to APP
point a water commission for Omaha
why not also empower him to appoint
a water commission for Lincoln? VIII
not empower him to appoint the mayors
and councils of all other towns in the
state so as to insure nonpartisan gov.
eminent, on the lines laid down by
Senate File No. /? There might be
some excuse for governor-appOinted po
lice commissions on the plea that the
public safety demands the extension OF
police powers over large cities. But nc
Nebraska legislature a ever sought
to deprive the citizens Of any town OF
village Of the right of self-government
which is at the base of our entire fabric
Incidentally, and quite apart from TT
anti-American spirit, Senate File No.
is crude and seriously defective in many
particulars. 1t cOntemplates the pur
chase OF waterworks IN the three ap
praisers plan, which would expose thu
city to the risk Of paying from one Il
two millions more for the works thar
they could be duplicated for, or fore,
it into the quicksands and shoals O
new construction on engineering esd
mates that may fall millions short b,
the time the city got through building
1t ignores and rejects the right to pur
chase the plant by the condemnatiol
process under eminent domain tina
would give the city the privilege o
appointing all the appraisers and re
jecting the appraisement in case it /
deemed too high.
Under the provisions OF the bill n
appraisement Of the works can even b
submitted to the people without the az
prevail Of the govcrnor-appointed waite
board. If this board should be in
duced, by fair means or foul. to bal
the negotiations for the purchase Of tn
works, no proposition could be sui
mitted to the people. While the bi
empowers the board to compel tn
mayor and council by mandamus I
submit a bond proposition. there is n
power given to the courts by the bi
to compel the water board to take a
ton In the premises. They are col
stituted a trust unto themselves. n,
only is this close corporation TO I
; above the mayor and council and cit
r zenship of Omaha, but aboys the go
: ernOr eve
After It has once been installed a
: vacancies are to be filled by It, and n,
1 being removable for misdemeanors
e office by the governor, or by anybod
r II NAV be deDended uDOn 70 hold n