Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-02-11
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
Steps to Purchase Water Plant are Ordered
10 Be Taken.
TO PROCEED UNDER HowELL-GlLBERT LAW
Mayor In His Message Recommends
Purchase Under Clause of Fran-
chise THAT Becomes Oper-
ative This Year.

Steps preliminary to the requirement Of
the water works under the provisions Of
the Howell l-Gilbert law we're taken by the
city council last night on the motion Of
Councilman Hascall. The mayor had scarce
finished reading his annual message when
Mr.. Hascall moved that the city attorney
be instructed to prepare an ordinance de-
claring IT advisable and necessary to ac-
quire the water plant by purchase as di-
rected by the new law, the ordinance TO
provide that the question Of value Of the
plant be submitted under the arbitration
clause Of the act. IL a mutual understand
ing cannot be reached between the city
council and the Omaha Water company
The motion was seconded by Mr.. Trostler
and passed without debate or dissent
Councilman Mount who was excused, was
the only member not present
The reading OF his annual message to the
council by Mayor Moores required more
| than half an hour, as it covered the work
done by each department during 1902, and
making numerous recommenda tions for the
| future. The mayor explained that it had
been delayed by the slow arrival of re-
ports from the subordinate departments.
| Close attention was given to the message.
Personal Injury Responsibility.
| Upon the motion Of Councilman HaseaIl
| the following concurrent resolution was
passed:
That the city attorney be and hereby is
/ of and in the name of the city of Omaha,
/ to give notice I'm writing Of the commence
! ment Of any action to recover damages
and lessees in front Of or adjacent to any
| property where such accident occurred, and
Igrther to notify @ said parties that the city tt
! the amount, II any. recovered In any such
/ action: and that the amount recovered in
| parties and that they will be estopped
| from denying the amount thereof, and or
! ertng to allow such parties to defend any
! such action.
The Taxpayers club asked in a communi-
cation that 1t be reimbursed through its
treasurer. Alfred Millard, for S245 spent in
securing the location Of the market house
! on Capitol avenue east OF Fourteenth street
| The club holds that IL is no more than
right that this payment shall be made
from the appropriation for the building
The matter was referred to the committee
on buildings and property.
Hauck Wants More Money.
Jacob Hauck, in a letter to the mayor
and council, rejected the allowance Of So
made to him for engrossing the resolutions
adopted by the council concerning the late
]. Sterling Morton. Mr.. Hauck set forth
that four weeks time was required In
designing and executing the artistic and
very appropriate heading and, kaligraph
| ical writing" He says further that ex-
perts and critics have said that 1t is the
best work of the kind ever produced IN
Nebraska and worth 800. settlement fol-
SIS is requested and the claim was placed
| l., h. oF h.
The ordinance regulating runners FOL
hotels, mercantile and other establishment
was amended and passed on third reading
SO that the itinerant solicitors for business
are prohibited from doing so in front Of tn,
houses competing with those that emplo!
them. The annual license fee Of $50 II
made the same as formerly.
City Attorney Connell reported that h
had considered the offer from former Mayo
George p. Bemis for an amicable settle
ment of his personal injury claim agains
the city. He recommended that the eoun
ell inquire into the matter and arrang
such settlement as It deemed fair ant
satisfactory. No proposition as to bearing
their share of the damages has been re
ceived from Harrison & Morton. the firm
that owned the sign that was blown dow
upon Mr. Bemis.
For More Engine Houses.
Estimates as to the amount Of bonds re
quired for the construction of FIRE engin
houses and a garbage crematory. as recon
mended by the mayor, will be prepared b.
the Board OF Public Works and the cit!
attorney will prepare suitable ordinance
by order OF the council. The motion wa
made by Mr.. Hascall toward the close o
the session and met with no opposing votes
The appointment of W. o. Bartholomew
Charles p. Thomas and Joseph Redman a
appraisers OF the property to be condemne'
for the opening Of an alley betweeI
Twenty eighth and Park avenues from Har
ney TO Dewey avenue, and OF William F
Wappich, George W. Wareham and Johi
c. Willis for a similar improvement be
tween Hamilton street and Lafayette ave
nue. from Thirt third to Thirty-fourtl
streets, were confirmed by the council. !
petition requesting the grading of Twenty
seventh avenue from Lake to Grant streets
|