Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-04
AND THE MoUNTATN LABoRED.

The Omaha charter amendments fab
ricated expressly and exclusively in
star chamber for the benefit of anti
machine pie biters and political mullet-
heads, who aspire to lucrative positions
in the city hall, have been signed by
the governor and are now a law. Close
inspection Of the document recalls the
labor of the mountain that brought
forth a mouse, In this instance, how
ever, it is a big rat that has Its
weather eye on the municipal cheese.
The s%tupendous reforms with which
we have peel favored will increase the
tax burdens Of Omaha anywhere from
twenty to twenty-five thousand dollars
a year. The most conspicuous In
novatlons are an increase of $1,000
a year in the salary of the comp
troller and an enlargement of his
staff regardless of number or expense.
Under the present charter the pay roll
of the comptroller's clerical force is
limited to $1,000 a year. Under the
amended charter the comptroller can
employ as many clerks as he pleases at
whatever salary he may see fit to allow.
Next IL an increase in the salary of
the chief of police and pay of patrolmen
that will aggregate about $1,000 a year
and an increase in the fire department
expenses of about $1,000, without In
creasing either the fire or police force
Inv n utnn1a man Tho ualoru Of fhn
city clerk is increased from $500 to
$1,000 and that of the city prosecutor
$500 a year. From now on the city will
be required to pay for the official bonds
Of every bonded officer or employee.
That means an additional draft on the
general fund Of from $1,000 to $1,000 a
year, Of which the city treasurer win
be the beneficiary of St,4OO a year.
The only pretended saving effected by
the charter reformers is the looping Off
of one Of the two official newspapers,
but that in the end may save very
little. In the years when there was but
one official newspaper, advertisements
of equalization boards and special
levies were always inserted in a second
newspaper hat charged full legal rates,
which are more than three times as
high as the present allowance to the
official paper,
The freak features Of the new charter
are the election of a building inspector
by the people and the provision that
will compel every street sweeper and
every common laborer employed under
the street commissioner to be ap-
pointed by the Board of Public Works
and confirmed by the council before he
can draw pay. Why the building In
spector should be elected instead of
being appointed by the mayor and con-
irmed by the council is still one of the
profound secrets of the Gopher Khan.
There would be just as much consist
eney in~making the city electrician, city
physician, city plumbing inspector or
boiler inspector elective officers.
The provision that all the street
sweepers and laborers be subjected to
the ordeal of q confirmation by the
council is simply idiotic, and it fairly
illustrates the small bore politics that
has dominated the Douglas delegation
in all Its labors at Lincoln.
The manifest object Of this stupid
innovation Is to curtail the power of the
present mayor, who happens to be
offensive, and the pretext for it is that
1t will prevent political street cleaning
and save the city several thousand dol
, lars a year. The political pin head,
who conceived this wonderful idea die
not seem to comprehend hat laws ar,
presumed to be made In the interest o.
good government for all Of the people
for the future as well as the present
Frank e. Modres may or may not b,
the next mayor and the next city ceun
/, ell may be democratic.
. They did not know or want to know
that more money is being s~quandereC
or political walking delegates employed
on the ground floor of the city hall thai
there is wasted upon all political stree
,, sweeps that might be employed in
year Of thirteen months. They did NO
comprehend, either, that their schem
, will be absolutely impractical when pu
to the test. They do not seem to know
. that they have hampered the city Il
meeting emergencies such as floods an
great storms, when streets are block
AIDED by snow or torn up by heav.
rains.
These emergencies may arise owe
night or on Sunday, when the ceunc
cannot be convened first to confirm
; gang of laborers to be temperate
: employed to clear the streets. 1t goe
without saying that men who cannC
draw pay until after they are cOnfrme
will not be disposed to take their chanC
on receiving pay for work lone befor
confirmation should there be a jangl
, between the Board Of Public Work
mayor and council.
SnCh charter tinkerlng is a disgraC
to Omaha. You might as we'll have
blacksmith repair your watch or a gan
, Of carpenters construct a locomotive.
x Our old friend Wooster, who led II