Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-12

tically was OF no use. This big plant has
been cleaned. repaired and put in shape N
perform the work for which II was built.
Caring for the streets.
The city lies in a soil which makes black
mud in rainy periods, and as only the
business portion has been paved as II
should be. this mud was hauled on the
pavements and there caked, NoausinR the
streets to have an untidy Appearance and
the dirt generally found its way into the
storm sewers, choking them. There IL now
not only a perfect system OF cleaning the
streets at a small expense, but the com
mission has bought with cash from the
revenues tall other paving has been done
by issuing bonds) three million brick with
which to do a lot Of additional paving
the coming year.
In the residence quarter a number Of
men are kept employed on the streets
ditchlng them, so that the water may not
stand, and grading them, SO that the water
may flow into the bitches and prevent the
accumulation Of mud. Just as many men
were employed under the old system but
they didn't do the work, being partisans
of one alderman or another Now they
are hired by the day, and II they don't
work they are turned off at once.
Dividing the city is Buffalo bayou an arm
Of Galveston bay. A number OF bridges
span this at different points. and under
the old system these bridges had fallen
Into such condition that some Of them
were actually unsafe. 1t was no ones bust
ness to see that they we're repaired and
kept in order. and there wasn't any money
to spare with which to do the work
Under the new system one Of the COM
missioners is in charge of the streets and
bridges. The commissioners have spent
$4,000 on the bridges all of them have been
repaired and reprinted and are adjudged
safe by the inspector. - Such a sum as
$4,000 would not under the old system
have done one-third the work or done II
one-third as well.
School Houses nre Provided.
For the last several years there has been
a crying need for more school houses. A
number of them have been built at con-
siderable expense but they were no more
than completed than another was needed
The old council was frank in saying that
II any more school houses were built there
would have to be more bond issues. The
commission has promised to spend 500. 900
on three new school buildings the coming
year and is already advertising for bids
for the first one. That sum would have
built two schools under the old system and
there would have been bonds to pay per
cent per annum on for forty years. The
commission will get the money out Of the
general revenue.
Under the old system there was much
property that escaped taxation altogether
some Of It never having been on the assess
ment rolls. The commission has instituted
system whereby every bit of the land
within the city's limits has been listed
and put on the rolls. A general raising
of the assessment values has been made
Though there is a lack Of system to this
which amounts to injustice), the tax rate
has been slightly reduced and the reve-
nues OF the city will be considerably In
creased another year. The tax department
for the first time in the history Of the efty
is being run on a business basis.
All employees Work by Month.
The greatest reform which has been in
stituted lies in the fact that, aside from
the mayor and four aldermen there is no
employe of the city who has a term
The chief Of police. the chief OF the fire
department, the tax assessor and collector.
the heads of departments and the men
working under them are employed by the
month II they do not do their work they
may be removed at any time, just as
the employe of a business house Is re-
moved, paid of and told that his services
are no longer needed. In that one thing
lies more of the success OF commission
government than , in any other reform
which has been instituted. Under the old
system the-htaas- of departments were
elected; they had terms of two years, and
II would have taken two years to remove