Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-23
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
Gas Lighting Matter is Laid Over for
Another WeeE.
EORASr RENTAL srlRs UP oaAToBY
City Attorney Breen Advises that
Claim Of Company Be Resisted
and Makes soine Serious
AccusntfOns.

I dent. was used as an excuse Tor not taking
/ action on the gas street lighting contract
/ matter by the council last night Council
/ man Hoye and others said the Eighth
/ ward member had made special request
\ 20 defer the gas contract until he could
/ be present which he thinks will be next
/ Tuesday night Only Zimrhan Nicholson
/ and HOye voted against deferring action
and they made no real protest Chairman
! O'Brien Of the lighting committee. watch
[ ing the course taken on City Attorney
/ Breen's report on the legal phases o. the
/ bids and the resolution submitted by him
/ directing readvertisement. withheld his re
! port and the return OF papers. The re-
/ port signed by O'Brien and Zimman
merely recommended Reimbursement
Attorney Breen's suEEestion.
Neither the bids received from the
/ Omaha Gas company nor the proposals
asked for IN the advertisement calling for
/ propositions for gas street lighting are IN
] harmony with the terms Of the gas COM
! pany's franchise. according 90 the city at
| toFhey He quoted the section of the fran
| chise ordnance that requires the gas
| company 20 submit bids whenever re-
CURED for street lighting. az a price not
70 exceed SO a year for lamps consuming
/ not more than FIVE cubic feet Of gas an
] @~+iAN'N .DAA litAA ilDNhlfb was
said about burners or other equipment.
! He advised that all bids should be rejected
/ ana new ones called for. not only for gas
/ lighting. but open % the eclectric com
/ pany and other conpa nies controlling
various lighting appliances used with sue
! cess I'm other cities"
! Whether or not anything definite will be
/ done next Tuesday night Is rendered uues-
| uonable by the leave Of absence for that
| meeting granted 20 Councilman Back az
his request lie and his wife will 20 20
Bennington and then west for a short
I vacation. II is barely possible that he
may return for the meeting. The leaders
| OF both sides say they are confident OF
winning, but those best Informed say the
gas company has votes 70 spare 70 put
| through the t2S contract whenever il is
| ready 20 DO So
| water Company Accused.
| That the Omaha Water company has
been systematically defrauding the city for
years In charges for fire hydrants where
no water was available was the alton
| made by city Attorney Breen IN a speech
| urging the council 10 override the mayors
! veto 70 resolution resembling d resolu-
| 'lon adopted In February authorizing the
| confession Of judgment for hydrant bills
ior the last half Of 1874, amounting 70
| &46,u7
The city attorney was asked point blank
W Councilmen Nicholson and Evans
whether the city owes the money.
IL Is my honest belief that il does not"
| replied the attorney. 1T has been discov-
eIeo that number Of hydrants put in
nave not been available for a drop Of water
for the fire department. Not only this b,t
I that some OF them have been in this con-
oiuon for years, but the city has been
! paying Tor them just the same. | want
tils original resolution rescinded so / can
contest the case IN the federal court with
out any handicap.
! About Meter Rates.
This water company has gone out OF It's
| way 70 harass and embarrass the city and
| particularly In preventing the requirement
OF the water works system. II attempted
TO compel consumers 20 put in meter boxes
| at the curb line when danger appeared
| That the meter rates would be reduced
this 80 the water would be sold on the fat
rate plan. We have just had a bill pre-
sented for water used for street flushing
at 80 cents per loo gallons, when the
water company last spring. after we almost
had to force them by means Of the police
70 let US use their hydrants for the pur-
pose, agreed 20 let US have the water at
cents per 100 gallons.
! i tell you that the people of this city
propose 20 purchase these water works
and they do not propose 10 be hampered
any longer. II the company will proceed
talrly and decently. as a man ought to- we
will treat them equitably and right"
Mayors Veto Sustained.
mayor Moores vetoed the resembling reso-
luton, declaring that II the amount was
correct In February # Ought to be cor
rect now" He said he thought the matter
was part Of the night between the Water
board and the water company" and he
thought as long as the matter Is In court
they ought 10 night IT out among them
selves"
Hoye was not present when the vote was
taken. but all the other members except
Zimman ana OBrien voted 10 sustain the
veto and II was made good by nve votes
Later on plain resolution directing the
attorney 10 defend the suit as he saw nj
was adopted Later Councilmen Dyball and
Evans manifested desire to 20 back on
the deal. but after Mr.. Breen had spoken
as above quoted they withdrew As the
matter rests, he says, he is left badly handi-
caPoed In the case.
some other VetOes
II rained vetoes from the executive Of
nee. The first one was against the allow
ance OF $500 as expense money for dele
gates to the Municipal League convention
II was sustained The mayor denounced
the appropriation as a species OF graft
and said he did not approve OF the use Of
city funds for junketing trips
Another veto was leveled against two gas
lamps on Twenty street between
Farnam and Dodge which Councilman Mich
olson protested were old lamps In new
places that had been displaced by new arc
lamps. The mayor said he estimated the
lighting fund would be overdrawn a. s98 at
the end OF the year and for this reason
cut on the expenditure. The council sus-
tanned the veto. but Immediately took con
trary action on a veto against a new arc
lamp at Twenty-hfth and Pratt streets
objected to for the same reasons Then
authority was given for another arc lamp
at Thirtieth and Evans streets.
Western Unions Franchise.
No one appeared 10 represent the Western
= Union Telegraph company In the hearing
set for Il 10 show cause why It's Omaha
franchise should not be assessed az $780, OOg
for two years A resolution was adopted
at the request OF President Zimman order.
ing subpoenas for c. h. Horton. J, G. Mel
son and W. w. Umsted. offieers OF the com
pany. 20 appear az 10 O'Clock Thursday
Al.