Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-04
MAYOR jim STRIKES SNAC
DShlmsn Fails to Compensate for LOp-0H
Of General Fund.
PROMISED WAY DOES NOT MATERlAllzE
While Pleading for More Facilities
of City Government DahIman
Curtails Resources Fifty
Thousand Dollars.

| department appointments for 1907, these
| appointments making up what is known
| as the general fund. The fund Is fixed by
| charter at a maximum sum of S24S,O0O. OF
| the $4,000 which was cut from this years
city levy, 10000 was taken from the gen.
eral fund and the balance from the fire. po-
lice, lighting, library, park cleaning and
sweeping and curb. gutter and paving
funds. Most of yesterday was spent in dis
cusson with Mayor Dahlman as to how the
self-imposed shortage might best be met.
| The finance committee had statement pre-
pared, such statement being adopted with
but few changes.
The disposition OF the inspection of pub
lie works and inspection Of street cuts funds
| came up and there was considerable discus
| ton on these matters. Councilmap Bridges
revived his charges regarding finding two
| inspectors watching four men on the Jones
i street big relief sewer and Councilman
Brucker said he had seen two inspectors
supervising two workmen on a paving Job
on Twenty-fourth street. So the first mem
toned fund was cut from 1900, as the
| finance committee had 1t. to 5000, the lat
ter amount being the 1906 figure, The street
cut fund was wiped out entirely.
The council will meet this morning to
formally ratify the action of yesterday aft
ernoon.
When the 1907 city levy was established
last spring at the instigation of Mayor
Dahlman, who wanted a reduction Of $4,000
in the various funds, the mayor told the
! council he had a way" and would make
good when the time would arrive. That
1 time arrived in the council chamber Thurs
day morning, when the council and mayor
met to fix the appointments for this year
and Mayor James was called upon to ex-
plain his way" He said 1t was as easy
as rolling down hill
Just lop off $4,000 as proposed in the
statement prepared" the mayor said. II
feel the same today about this matter as
1 felt when first brought the matter be-
fore the council, and no real estate ex-
| change, commercial club or any set of
men can tell me we cannot the city
| on $4,000 less in 1907" he continued.
| And yet the mayor loudly declared in the
| council chamber Thursday morning that the
| city needs at least fifty more men on the
police force, a larger fire department and
strengthening in other departments such
as park system. But he maintained the
legislature should give relief. Many in
| close touch with the situation aver that
the mayor jumped in on the impulse of
the moment last spring and reduced the
levy to make good on the democratic plat
economical city government
All Vote to Give Him Chance.
When the levy was fixed several of the
Icouncilmen and city officials told the mayor
he was trying to practice false economy
to make showing. But the records show
that when the resolution came up for con-
sideration every councllmen voted for It
Just to give the mayor a chance to make
good and shoulder the responsibility.
Although in session over two hours
Thursday morning, at noon the council
made no real Roadway with the
apportionment matter, further than to hear
from the heads of various departments and
talk over a proposed plan of apportionment
as submitted by the finance committee of
the council for action. This statement was
prepared In consultation with the mayor,
who called on each department for a re-
port with estimated amount necessary for
1907 In the statements practically every
department called for more than was al
lowed during 1906, but in view of the
$4,000 deficit there was nothing to do but
to distribute the 10000 reduction through
the various funds.
How the Cut Was Made.
The proposed reduction was made in this
. manner: Fire fund, $780, police fund,
5000; lighting fund, $4,000; library fund,
s. 900; park fund, 5000; cleaning and sweep
ing fund. $1,000; curb, gutter and paving
. fund 50, 900; general fund, $4,000 The pro-
posed reduction Of the fire and police funds
brought objections from Chiefs Salter and
Donahue, who outlined the needs of their
departments. But the mayor interposed by
saying that s, 200 from the police fund and
600 from the fire fund would not make any
material difference, in view of the fact that
Inath rfr 70 In If LAT fva
relief anyway. There was little. contention on
the lighting fund reduction, as 1906 col
lections showed that the proposed cut Of
$4,000 could be stood in some way
There was no one present to espouse the
cause OF the library fund, e. j. Cornish
of the Park board gave an exposition OF
present conditions of Omaha's park sys-
tenn, what had been done and what is
needed. He cited that Omaha expends an
nually only one-hfth of the amount spent
by other cities of the same class. ITO cut
the park fund would be a pound foolish
and penny wise policy" he said. Mr.,
Cornish said there never was time when
the public of Omaha was more enthusiastic
over enlargement OF the park system than
at the present time.
Engineer is Hit Hard.
The reduction of the city levy by
departments, the engineering department
being cut from $26.5OO to $225OO Engineer
Rosewater told the councilmen that 1907
would be unusually large year for pub
lie improvements, about 100000 being on
the tapis. In some instances last years
allowance in the department funds were
increased, for Instance the city electrician
was given $1,000 more for his department
for salary OF assistant, recently appointed.
Councilman Elsassser rose TO ask the
mayor, in view of a reduction of $4,000
I In running expenses Of the city this year.
how the city officials could consistently
go before the legislature and ask for relief
as suggested by the mayor.
{ Then the mayor said the charter is all
} wrong and that the council and mayor
should have the power to hx the various
> funds.
Councilman Zimman suggested letting
: the fire and police funds alone and cut the
$4,000 out of the other departments; reduce
the working force. or go before the legis-
J lature and ask that the council and mayor
! be given authority TO issue $4,000 in bonds.