Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-22
WATER WORKS BILL PASSED
Council Rsfuses 10 Entertain Proposition
from the Wafer Company,
DISPUTE OVER SIDEWALK CONTRACT
Wickhnm Refuses to sign IL with the
Penalty Clause Attached and
Finally Carries Has Point
and II f. Left Out.

erShtp OF the WaterwOrks either by pur-
chase Of the existing plant or the construc-
tion OF new system. Aldermen Olson and
Msloney voted against the measure. Tho
ordinance, which had passed to its third
reading at the previous session, was taken
up section by section and several slight
changes made in some OF the sections. The
most important change made was to in
crease the interest rate on the bonds to be
issued TO pay for the plant from to per
cent This change was made at the in-
stance OF Alderman Weaver, because Of the
uncertainty Of the money market"
Just prior to the ordinance being brought
up Alderman Olson, ohairman-of the stand
ing committee on waterWorks. handed the
city. clerk a communication from the water
works company and asked that 1t be read.
To this Alderman Weaver objected and
insisted on the ordinance being read first
and he carried his point. When at the
conclusion OF the reading he moved the
final passage Of the ordinance Attorney
Wright on behalf OF the waterworks COM
pany asked that the communication be read
before the motion be put. To this Alder
man Weaver supported by Alderman Tin
ley, refused TO listen and he called for the
motion on the passage of the ordinance.
Attorney wright Protests.
Attorney Wright protested at what he
termed the arbitrary and unheard of action
on the part of the council in refu-'7g to
read the communication which had q 5aar-
ing on the question before the cour ! and
charged Alderman Weaver with 'mpt-
ing to gag everything and everyone who
did not think exactly as he, did. Mayor
Macrae took hand in the discussion and
claimed that the communication was
handed in at that time merely to obstruct
the passage Of the ordinance without which
the council could not take any steps to-
wards settling the waterworks question
Attorney Wright denied this and stated
that authority from the eastern owners of
! the w9terworks to make the proposition
embodied in the communication had only
been received that day.
Alderman Weaver insisted that the COM
municatiop could not be introduced at that
time and insister on his motion being put
Mayor Maerae ruled the communication
was out Of order and on the motion being
put, the ordinance passed by vote Of 6
| to q
Communication from Water Company.
The communication from the waterworks
company was as follows
The Council Bluffs City Waterworks
company in view of the provisions OF the
proposed ordinance to provide for the ac-
| QUESTION by the city of Council Bluns, by
| purchase. or erection, of system of water
/ represents that said water company has
never at any time paid any dividends or
! prohts in ANY form to It's stockholders or
The Company offers to sell all its prop
| erty to the city for cash at such price
| as may be agreed upon by three thoroughly
| competent hydraulic engineers of good
| standing in their profession; one to be
S9Y the the t 0RS bS If
| sale is finally consummated under such
| arbitration, the city and the water COM
| pany TO bear the expense OF the arbltraI
| ton in equal shares. But should either
] the city or the water company ran or re
fuse for any reason TO abide by sHeh arpi,
bear all of such expense
| II the city is unwilling or unable to ac-
resppectfuilv REQUESTS that the council au-
| thoriZe one OF its committees to confer Win
| the water company to see whether q mu-
| tual understanding can be reached for an
| extension of the company's franchise upon
| condition that fair and reasonable rates
| Tor public and private consumption Of
| water be hxed by the ordinance extend
ing the franchise, or In such other manner ,ne
as the council may deem best. ana upoT
the further condition that the city shaI
have The right TO buy the water plant AZ
its fair value at any time during the me
of the franchise
DIspute over Sidewalk Contract.
In the early part of the session consid
erable time was spent in dispute with
for brick sidewalks. Wiokham refused tC
accept the contract II a penalty CLAUSE
for not completing the work by the tint
specined, January 1905, was inserted II
signing the contract Wickham had eraseC
this clause and this Mayor Macrae in
sisted should not have been done.
well, it's no use talking about It, be
cause l won't sign 1t. l don't ask for an!
better contract than anyone else. but
won't accept a worse one and that is al
there is to It," retorted Wickham.
The motion TO omit the penalty claus
was lost by a vote of TO g.. Then 1t wa
: moved that a penalty Of ! cent per linea
foot uncompleted be inserted in the con
tract and this brought Wickham again t
, his feet with the declaration that II wa
/ no use inserting the clause as he woul
, never sign the contract Wickham's elo
quence prevailed, for when the motion t
insert the penalty was put IL failed t
carry by a vote of for and against
The mayor was then instructed TO sign tn
contract without any penalty attached.
Little Change in Paving.
Only the alley west OF Sixth street be
tween Fifth and Seventh avenues was Gu
5 out of the paving contract with. Wickhau
City Attorney Snyder suggested that Par
avenue from Pomona street TO the park en-
o trance be cut out on account of the larg
amount Of the cost the city would have I
bear, but the aldermen declined to do 81
Q The mayor was Instructed to sign tn
contract under which Wickham is to CON
plete the paving of several streets b
o November o. although there Is no penalt
attached II he fails TO do SO.
On recommendation OF the committee
! the whole IL was decided not to order tn
: laying of sewer on Vorhis street on a,
y count OF the expense IL would be to n
city, owing 10 the abutting property beln
unable 60 bear the entire cost The san
y recommendation was made as to the s.l
teenth street sewer, but on several res
: dents In that portion of the city urgin
4 the need OF such an improvement n
4 matter was referred to the city engine,
3 for further investigation.
8 The request Of property owners on Ma,
= ison avenue, ordered paved. that the roa,
q way be reduced from thirty to twenty-si
> feet was referred TO the committee ,
= the whole.