Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-02
LOBECK SUGGESTS WAY OUT
City Comptroller Has Plan to Save Possibly
Disastrous Gut.
BOSS OF CITY FINANCES OUTLINES SCHEME
COmptrOIIer's Proposition Appeals to
the City Attorney in Business
Way, but Legality May
he Doubtful.

Lying awake at night, City Comptroller
Lobeck has formulated a scheme for help
ing the fire and police funds out of the
slough of deficiency in which they have
been discovered. He presented his views
to the council in a letter, in which he
suggested g. way out of the financial difh-
Guilty staring the continuation of asphalt
repairs in the face. His first two PROPOSE
tions, as formulated herewith, were sub
mitted to City Attorney Breen, who viewed
them somewhat askance, from a legal
standpoint. Mr.. Lobecks third sugges-
tion was accepted. These are the ideas Of
the comptroller:
To the Honorable. the Mayor and City
the fire department shall maintain It's pres
ent efficiency, the necessity OF which can
not be denied or disputed, there VIII be
deficiency in the tre fund at the end or
the year of uearly $4,000.
see only one way that this can be reme-
died; for instance, the bill for hre ap-
paratus bought OF Seagrave & Co. was an
Indebtedness Incurred during the year 1904.
amounting to sl5,l25 This was paid out Of
the levy for 1906, the appropriation ordi-
nance being passed February 20, 1905. II the
law had not been changed so that the eN-
cess OF 80 per cent and interest collected on
regular taxes must go to the sinking fund,
a sum OF over $4,000, based on the receipts
of 1904, would have been credited this year
to the fire fund, which would have made a
great difference in the account for the
year.
the approval of your honorable body and
the law department, that the N5,l25
charged to the fre fund for the hook and
/ ladder trucks and hose wagons be credited
| to the fire fund and charged to the general
| levy fund. which is, as you know, an ac-
eumulation Of delinquent tax collections
| the services OF the fire department need
not be seriously crippled as it otherwise
! In regard to the curb, gutter and paving
| fund which means the maintenance OF the
asphalt repair plant, and the safety Of our
| streets, II seems to me that this could be
| provided for by the Issuance Of a certih-
cate from the proper department that it is
Of. and / believe some way will be pro-
| vided TO pay for the repairs on our asphalt
streets, the necessity Of which cannot be
Relative to the police fund there was at
the end of the year 1904 A9l5.09 trans
be credited to the police fund for the year
1905 and charged TO the general levy fund
City Attorney skepticaI.
Manipulation OF the seagrave bill. 50
as to charge II back to the general levy
fund, which now takes up all back taxes
coming in, may be accomplished" said
the city attorney. but hardly in the man.
ner suggested.
The police fund cannot be recouped
in the manner suggested. I shall take the
whole matter up, however. and do all
| can TO effect a solution.
"on the asphalt matter / have come 10
the conclusion that we may go ahead
with the work and issue warrants under
the emergency clause Of the charter The
work is necessary to the public welfare
and 10 protect the city against damage
suits The city engineer has Informed me
that IL will take not 10 exceed $500 &c
complete the repairs in good shape. War
] rants issued In the manner stated can b,