The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-07-13
CITY OWNERSHIP FAILED
OMAHA HAS HAD SORRY ExPERI
ENcE IN ASPHALT PLANT.
THING GOT INTO POLITICS
Now Il Is the Bone Of Contention Be-
tween Two Wings Of the Democratic
Party-mayor's Appointment Is Not
Confirmed Because of Politics.

CohHrfAed BECAUSE OF folltICS.
Omaha, Neb., July 7. - Special to
The News: Advocates of municipal
ownership of public utilities in Omaha
are much discouraged over the "fall
down" of the municiply owned asphalt
paving plant in which the city invest
cd three years ago and which has got
ten into politics to such an extent as
to be of very little use to the citizens,
although eating up the usual amount
of taxes and being maintained at much
expense to. the city. Members of the
city council are seriously considering
disposing of the plant and having the
work done by contract as before the
acquisition of the municipal factory.
Three years ago Omaha purchased
the asphalt plant at cost of $1,000
and placed 1t In charge of the city en-
gineer's office. But the city engineer
had his hands full of other business
and could not give the new depart
ment the necessary time. Today the
plant is wreck and can scarcely last
through the summer, when 1t must be
entirely renewed or abandoned alto
gether.
High priced chemists were engaged
to properly test and mix the asphalt
and superintendents of the works
were installed at high wages. The
first year of its existence much paving
was done but this year large part of
the work must be gone over again.
The patches do not last as long as
repair work usually does and repair
work usually takes time.
Then the plant got into politics. 1t
has been charged that the employment
rolls were utilized to colonize and in
iluence voters during and before cleo
tions. While there was no padding
of the payroll, 1t was understood that
the workmen must vote fright" II they
expected to continue in the service.
A law was passed by the city coun,
Gil that only men whose names were
on the list could secure work at the
plant. Thereafter hundreds of names
could be added to the list although
only few could secure work. But by
by this means they were kept in line
and were expected to help maintain
the machine" in power.
The one redeeming feature of the
Omaha plant is that the city authori
ties can have regular repair paving
done just when they want 1t, provided
they happen to have the material or
hand with which to do the work. AnC
this is not always the case, as at time.
the plant is idle for month or more
while the managers are trying to Sc
cure asphaltum and other necessar,
paving materials,
Just now the asphalt plant is tn,
bore Of contention over which the tw,
. wings of the democratic party ar,
lighting, as control of the works car
rfes with 1t hong list of voters an,
, heavy influences at the polls.
. Although the democrats are in cor
!, troll of the mayoralty and council 70
: the first time. in 16 years, the mayo
!. desires to retain the republican cit
= engineer in office and the counc
. refuses to confirm the appointment
y claiming that the position carries to
. much politically at the polls to permi
|. of republican welding it.
And while the politicians are squal
bling over the municipal plant, the ia
: payers are declaring municipal owl
Z ership to be failure.