Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-28
COUNClLMEN ON A VACATION
Again City Council Fail to Get Quorum for
Regular Meeting.
SEVERAL MEMBERS ARE REPORTED SICK
Ordinances said by some Mem
bers 20 he Reason for Alb
sence of others.

Again last night the city council failed
OF quorum, and on this occasion II was
Counclmen Burkley, Zimman and Trostler
who were on hand. Hoye, it was known,
was too i'll to attend and Mount had not
come in from his Wyoming sheep ranch
for this meeting. Dobeck had announced
that he would have to be out of the city,
but last night it was said at the council
chamber that he had been unable TO take
his intended trip by reason of Illness. The
reason given for the absence of President
Karr was illness, but as he had been able
to attend the committee meeting Monday
afternoon but little credence was given
TO that excuse by the members present,
particularly when Mr. Zimman reported
that Mr.. Karr had told him at the commit
tee room Monday that he did not know
whether he would be at the council meet
ing. Hascall and Whitehorn were totally
unaccounted for, and having learned some
thing by the experience Of the previous
Tuesday evening the members who were on
hand made no effort to send for them.
Franchise Ordinance Pending.
Those members Of the council who are
willing and ready TO meet have now become
convinced that the continued absence of
several Of the others is due to solictude
as to what might be done with the Rose
water franchise ordinance in case a meet
ing should be held without the presence
of Mr.. Hoye. There are now two of these
franchise ordinances in the hands of the
council, both of which have had their first
and second readings, and full official pub
lication, and either of which might be
passed at a regular meeting.
One Of these is the so-called open-door
franchise, which extends to any persons or
company who shall comply with certain re-
quirements the right f-way in the streets,
alleys and boulevards of the city for un-
derground and overhead wires for the dis
tribution of electricity for light and power.
This is the measure which Councilman Has
call and some of his colleagues have urg-
emily advocated and have hoped to pass.
The other ordinance is similar in nearly all
of it's terms, but would grant the franchise
specifically to Andrew Rosewater. After it
was supposed to have been permanently
shelved with no further progress than it's
first and second reading, it was revived at
a meeting when Councilman Hascall was
not present and ordered published; and
therefore it now has the same standing be-
fore the council as the other.
HOye's Presence Desired.
without councilman Hoye 1t is believed
that the open door ordinance could not pass
no matter which of the other members
might be present, and a meeting might
easily be SO constituted as to attendance
that the Andrew Rosewater ordinance
would pass. Therefore it has been con-
cluded that Mr.. Hascall and the other sup
porters of the open-door ordinance will try
to prevent a regular meeting of the body
until Mr.. Hoye is well enough to attend.
In the meantime business has been ac-
cumulating and several urgent matters are
in the hands of the clerk. Most important
Of these are the forms of the tax levy or
dinance, which must be given their first and
second reading that they may be passed,
in accordance with the law, at the first
regular meeting in February, which will be
the next regular meeting of the coun-
Gil.
Call Special Meeting.
To provide for this the members who
were present last night have issued a call
for a special meeting to be held this after
noon at o'clock, and as the franchise or
dinance is not included in the call and
therefore could not be acted upon at this
time 1t is expected that there will be no
difficulty in getting a quorum.
The call for this meeting comprises in
the business to be considered the report Of
the tax commissioner as to the appraise-
ment of taxable property, the report Of
the Board of Equalization and the appro-
priation ordinance to pay the expense bills
for last month, besides the tax levy ordi-