Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-03
~ ROWkLL RtLIEF BILL.

The water works purchase bill, which
passed both houses Of the Legislature
last week and has now been approved
by the governer, at once becomes
n law, as it carries an emergency
clause. The father of this measure,
Senator Howell, has kindly volunteered
to e%nlighten the citizens Of Omaha con-
corning the important features Of the
bill. which are summarized as follows:
Under the terms Of the measure the
governor will be required TO appoint a
water board of six members within thirty
days Of the date Of attaching his sigma
tune TO the bill. Two members will be
appointed for two years, two for four and
two for six years. all of whom must be
electors of the city. The bill also pro-
vides that one member for each term
must be a. republican and one a democrat.
Why representatives of the people
should show such a distrust of the peo-
pie, and especially the taxpayers who
coed $4,OOO,OOO, and should deprive
them of the right to elect their own
water commission, and why they are
to be put on probation under state
guardianship for four years, is not ex-
planned by Mr.. Howell. Neither does
he explain why the commission is made
responsible to. nobody, removable by no.
body and empc wered to appoint its own
successors in case of vacancies by death
or otherwise.
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The provision requiring one-half Of
the commission to be democrats and the
other half republicans affords no safe
guard against ~malfeasance in office.
The purchase and management of the
water works involves no political issue.
Venal democrats and corrupt repub-
licans will combine just as readily for
any Doodle scheme as would dishonest
members of a single party.
The next feature Of Importance, ac-
cording to Mr.. Howell, is the provision
of the law that requires the city coun-
ell to declare by ordinance that it Is
necessary for the city to purchase the
water plant and at the first meeting of
the council after the approval of such
ordinance the council must take the
first steps in the actual acquisition Of
the plant.
The council may proceed under the
terms Of the contract between the city
and the water company, which involves
the appointment Of three engineers as APP
p%raisers, one by the city, one by the water
company and a third by the two appraisers
SO named. Or the council NAV prOcaad 20
acquire the water plant by condemnation
proceedings, as provided in the city char
ter. In such case five appraisers must be
appointed by the mayor and council, as in
the condemnation of right-of-ways for
streets and alleys. If the first method is
adopted nothing will have to be paid for
the unexpired portion of the franchise
claimed by the water company; II the sec
ohd plan is adopted an allowance for the
unexpired franchise will be undoubtedly
claimed by the company.
All these proceedings were within
reach without special legislation. and
the fact that the bill passed both houses
without a dissenting vote indicates that
the water works company is not ad-
verse to such procedure. 1t certainly
could have Influenced at least a few
members of the legislature to antagonize
the bill at some stage.
But while Mr.. Howell is willing to en-.
tighten the people about the mode OF
procedure to purchase the water works
plant, he s%tudiously cmits all reference
to the fact that he has saddled upon
the taxpayers of Omaha a water com.
mission which will drawing
$500 a month out Of the city treasury
for the salary of its members and from
$3.50 to $500 a month for a water com
missioner within thirty days, although
it may be thirty months before tbs
commission will have any water work,
to manage or before the water commits
sioner has anything more to do than t.
draw his salary.
And this is really the milk in thu
water bill cocoanut, which properly
should have been labeled "A Bill to Pro
vide r. b. Howell with a Lucrative Jol
as COMMISSIONS Of Water Works"
II will nov be in order for the papers
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