Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-12
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
County Will Be Asked to Join in the Pur'
chase Of Voting Machines
PUBLIC INSPECTION OF PAVING PLANT
Date Named when Reception VIII BE
Held and People Asked to Take
Look over the New
Acquisition.

The city council last night formally re-
solved to buy, in conjunction with the
county, a sufficient number of United
States Standard voting machines to equip
Omaha, the contract to be prepared after
a special committee of three confers with
the county commissioners and arranges
the proportion Of expense and the amount
of the annual installments, which are to be
based on the estimated saving in election
expenses. The machines will cost $3.50
apiece and will have room for forty candi-
dates. This particular machine was prac-
tically approved by the council last sum-
mer and has just been officially approved
by the state voting machine commission. 1t
is now on exhibition at the city hail.
Now that the municipal asphalt plant
the first actual experiment of the city in
the ownership of public utilities, is In
working order, Councilman Nicholson, who
carried the innovation through the council,
thinks public inspection is in order BY
a resolution adopted last night an invita-
tion is given the public to call and see
what the thing is like on the afternoon OF
Wednesday, July 10, between the hours Of
? and o'clock. During this time city hall
Offices will be closed so that officers and
employees can form the receiving lines.
Hose for street Brigade.
A large part OF the time of the session
was used talking about awarding a con-
tract for 500 feet OF rubber hose for the
street department for flushing pavements.
Councilmen Evans, Back, Dyball and
Schroeder again reversed themselves by re-
jecting report from the committee on
buildings and property recommending
Maltese Cross hose. After variety OF mo-
| tions and amendments the matter was
recommended for the second time, to be
taken up at the general committee meeting
Monday, with the understanding that the
| contract will be given to one of the four
/ other firms making bids. The Maltese
Cross people did not present a sample and
| this was held to technically bar their pro-
posal. President zimman made an effort to
have immediate action taken, but failed.
Councilman Backs resolution of a week
ago requiring heads of departments to
| secure permission from the council before
| leaving the city or reporting to the city
| clerk in emergencies was rescinded upon
| the motion of President Zimman, who said
| that in his opinion departmental heads are
! accountable only to the mayor He said
! his experience in the mayors chair had
shown him that city officers never go away
| without consulting the mayor first and
| arranging to keep in touch with him. Also
| that departmental heads make 1t business
| to stay at home and attend to the city's
affairs and are not making the side trips
which the resolution seemed to imply.
Water Bill Goes to Board.
City Attorney Breen recommended that
the water hydrant rent bill for the first
half of the year be referred to the Water
board. which, he said, under the new
charter has entire Jurisdiction over such
matters well all others pertaining to
water. His advice was followed by the
council. The Water board has no funds
available to meet the $4,000 claim, which
may be seized by it as another club to
force along the appraisement.
Economy Again EnJOIned.
Comptroller Lobeck again called atten.
tion to the depleted condition of the gen.
eral fund due to increases in salaries OF
officers by the charter the mayors illness
and the large amount of grading and re-
pairing of unpaved streets. He said thai
while the saving from the abolition of the
tax commissioners Office may cover the
increases only the practice of the mos
rigid economy will enable the city to ge
through the year without overlapping OF
the general fund. President Zimman spoke
in favor of cutting off repairs and grading
} on unpaved streets, saying that no money
at all is available at the present time fol
the purpose. One order was given fo
putting Bancroft street for a block nortl
of Nineteenth street in condition, however
because Councilman Hoye said it is dan
gerous.
A pet proposition of the Park board
that of the condemnation of a strip o
property through J. G. Megeaths lanC
south of Hanscom park, so as to make
direct connection from the Southeast boule
ward to the park, was put to sleep b!
placing the recommendation of the board ol
file. Mr.. Megeath, who gave part of tn
/ land for the park, is very much oppose,
to the scheme. He has refused to donat
the property and promised to resist con
. demnation proceedings.
JohnstOn's Sytem Jared.
, Thomas Johnston, president of the Cllfto
Hin Improvement club, sent in lette
telling what happened to him and a ceTtai
! wooden sidewalk near his home at 4l4
3 Burdette street a few evenings ago. Afte
speaking of his sorrow and regret at hav
ing to call the matter to mind, he says
I while no bones were broken, the jar I
my whole system is beyond description. /
fact 1t is the hardest proposition 1 eve
j / experienced. lie refers 10 phySlcla
= for an adequate recital Of his injuries
. As the result OF bids opened In the cit
9 engineers Office contracts for sewers wer
directed awarded as follows: District 90
e Hickory street from Sixth to Ninth Jane
4 Jensen $1.49OH; district 3OS, DavenpoI
9 street, Forty first to Saddle creek, John i
{ Daley, S1,496SO; district 300, Dodge, Forty
first to Saddle creek, Forty-first, Forty
second. Forty-third and Forty-third ave
nue. from Dodge TO Davenport John /
= Daley, S41l9ls; district 80. Seventeent
street, Central boulevard to B street. Joh
I f. Daley, $l,O76.5l. These are the low Pre-
posals in each instance out OF t%o or thre
4 bids.
d Zimman's Paving Ordinance PasEei
- President Zimman's ordinance for III
- protection of paving and sidewalks an
r detailing how corporations and privat
parties destroying or mutilating pavement
shall file bonds and make deposits
cover the costs Of repairs, all OF whic
= are 10 be made by the city, and prescril
j. ing a complete regulation for long exis
r ing evils of this character was passed b
a a unanimous vote. Il is designed to say
e loss from this cause in the future,
y The ordinance defining new lines Il
voting precincts vas introduced. II wi
probably he amended at the next NEE
ing so as 20 double the size OF precinct
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