Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-18
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
Thirty-Fivs Hundred Dollars fer the Police
Fund is Located
COMPTROLLER LoBEcE EXPLAINS MATTER
Back Taxes Collected During First
Three Months of Year VIII he
Applied and Another COu-
tributiOn is Likely.

has been shown a way to dig up $500
toward relieving the police fund deficit Of
$500. The council promptly took the tip
This amount alone will enable retention of
three -fourths, instead of a little over one
half of the force for the remainder of the
year But the comptroller has figured out
another plan to get 1870 more which the
attorney will consider as to legality before
recomme nding to the council. That body
will meet today at 4:SO to take the matter
up, A letter from the comptroller as fol-
lows explains:
Relative to the funds necessary for the
use Of the police department as intended by
your honorable body in making your levy
February 5. 1905, for the annual expenses |
have this suggestion to make:
on account of the action Of the legisla-
ture in changing the charter. the back taxes
and interest collected on regular taxes were
diverted from their usual channels to the
sinking fund, thereby causing a shortage in
all funds, based on the receipts of last
year, of a sum exceeding 100000.
The police fund durinb the year 1904 re-
ceived from this $1O,52SS7 which was cred
tied to that fund and in making the ap-
portonment for the year 1906. this source
of revenue was estimated and taken into
account, in making your levy to cover the
expenses of the police department for 1905.
The law was changed and 1t is accepted as
fact that all moneys that came in after
the approval of the law making the new
charter. from back taxes and regular inter-
a.
so been credited by this department, but
believe, and in this the city attorney agrees
with me, that the moneys collected during
January, February and March from back
taxes and interest should be credited in the
manner provided for by the charter OF pre-.
vious years. AS it is we'll known there will
be shortage in the police department of
over 5000
There came to the city in January. Feb
ruary and March, from back taxes, the sum
of S32 22O.62. Estimating on a basis OF col
lections for the year 1904, the police depart
ment would be entitled to about $500
Therefore, | think that this council could
safely pass a resolution crediting the police
fund from this source the sum of $500.
At the end of the year 1904 there was cred
tied to the general levy fund from the po-
lice fund the sum of S4,9l5. OF this sum
there were outstanding claims that had not
been presented, amounting to N,494.70, which
after being paid left a balance in the gem
eral fund properly belonging to the police
orable body will deem it wise to adopt a
First. crediting the sum of $500 to the po-
lice fund from back taxes and also the bal
| ance of So, 20.39 above mentioned. there
would then be a total of $6,920.39 available
| for the use of the police department.
| believe that by strict economy and a
| little sacrifice OF time on the part of the
| police officials and commissioners, that the
| city could be fairly policed and its property
protected to the end of the year.
Breen Claims Credit.
80 far as ! can see the $500 transfer
| is perfectly legal" said the city attorney.
''The suggestion was mine In the first
! plaza Tha-coHsptp0iler and tl..ynYSelf wsrlSed
it out in Joint conference Sunday. l think
the last mentioned transfer can be made.
! too. but want to inquire closely into IL
| first"
The resolution making the $500 transfer
was adopted.
No Referendum Wanted.
For the second time the ffty-year inde-
| pendent telephone franchise wanted by
A. B. Hunt. T. E. Parmele and T. H. Pol
| lock was turned down with a thud spec
tacular for its remarkable dullness. To
back up the demand for passage of the
ordinance delegation of union laborlng
men was present. Louis V. Guye, president
| of the Central Labor union, said:
In behalf of organized labor we ask for
| the exercise OF an underlying principle, the
people. The charter has arranged that
| franchises shall be granted or refused by
the people, and we think the people should
| have a chance to express their wishes in
are selfish because we think second
pie. We do not believe the council car
Judge for all the people, and should not
try to do so,
As soon as Mr. Guye was heard Council.
man Huntington moved that the ordinance
be laid on the table indefinitely. Council
man Hoye made a fight for the ordinance
TO have II referred TO n committee so II
could be discussed, and said that C. r
Scott wished to talk but 1t was discovered
that Scott had left the room. Hoye sait
the tabling of the resolution was the dirti
est slap the people ever received from tn,
council. Only he and Zimman voted agains
the Huntington motion. Nicholson was alb
sent
Reassessing Special Taxes.
The first move in the long talked Of re
assessment for special taxes to pay fo
various improvements, which have beef
cancelled by the courts subsequent to Iiti
CATION was made in the adoption of ,
resolution presented by the legal depart
ment directing the treasurer to supply tn
engineer with all information necessary
in all cases where sewer levles had beef
declared invalid, TO make new levies Thes
are TO be considered by the Board o
Equalization in December. The amount O
taxes involved is possibly 100000 Othe
re-assessments Of the same nature vii
follow quickly.
Percy J. Mundy Of the Mundy show
wants to establish a zoo In the Capito
avenue market house for the winter MI
Mundy offers to pay 500 a month rem
for six months from the last of Octobe,
l
council referred the matter to the com
mittee on fire, water and police.
Mayor Moores approved the ordinanc
granting a years more time for the stree
railway 10 bury its light and power wire
I'm the downtown district,
Sewer Contract Awarded
g A contract for building a sewer In dis
' trct 34 was awarded to Hans ]. Peterso
4 for H,334.44. as the lowest bidder. He wa
also the lowest bidder in sewer district 81
offering 10 do that work for S2OS3. 43. bu
= the contract was held up because propert
! owners are protesting that they don't wan
r the sewer until they get water.
% Dean Noyes and II. w. CoWduroy wer
placed on the permanent payroll as super
intendent and street foreman Of the aspha
repair plant respectively, for so long a
their services shall be satisfactory to tb
, engineer, mayor and council This is don
20 take care Of the men during the winte
when the plant is idle.
Taft Forming Panama Party
WASHINGTON. Oct l7.-secretary Tat