Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-01
AFFAIRS AT SOUTH OMAHA
A. N. Gallagher Discusses Eject Of
Annexation on Realty Values
COMMITTEE DISCUSSES CHARTER CHANGES
Mayor Hector and Member of Park
Board Discuss the secret Meeting
20 Consider the OFFERS of
Land for Parks.

II would be for annexation" said A. NJ.
Gallagher Wednesday night. IF / could
be assured on one point, that with the
merging of the two cities there would be
no decrease of real estate values On this
point think the argument is largely
theoretical Actual trial would be the test
ing Of the matter; but it is the uncer-
tainty of the matter which has stuck In my
mind On many other grounds the speedy
annexation of the city would be fun OF
advantage. In the matter of railroad rates
an example came under my notice. 1 was
coming in from out in the state on a stock
train. on my advice a man I happened
to meet consigned to South Omaha. Eight
cen cars of stock were picked up before
we reached Lincoln. At Lincoln all but
the car I had managed by personal effort
20 direct this way, were switched of and
went to st. Joseph. 1t struck me as queer
that with South Omaha so near that the
shippers would prefer to go the greater
distance to st. Joseph. When / arrived
In Omaha I spoke to w. J. G. Kenyon
about It. He said that the st. Joseph mar
kets had greater influence with the rail-
roads. South Omaha with its live stock
exchange as the only potent factor OF in
fiuence, backed by a rather weak munich
pality, compared with the heavy interests
of st. Joseph is unable to command the
concessions which should be given by the
Nebraska railroads. The exchange is alive
to the needs of this market, but they can
not do It alone. The powerful interests OF
Omaha should be added to that OF South
Omaha and then they would be felt"
This from A. M. Gallagher, who has
always been considered the proudest cham
pion of the anti-annexation forces, Is sig
nifcant of the fact that the terrors of an
nexation are not real; and that the whole
question is one of good-natured specula-
ton and debate rather than of the vital
interests at stake. It Is conceded now that
real estate in a live and healthy city COM
mands its price by the use It Is put to.
In times Of fictitious prices and booms the
case Is different, but In periods OF steady
development real estate is not purchased
purely as a speculation. When man
buys acreage property as the Bradford
Kennedy company are doing this week, 1t
| is for a practical use. Coal yards and
! lumber yards are to occupy the lots. The
Lucerne Food products and the Gate City
Malt works. and, in fact the purchases
| for the last year in South Omaha have
| been made for use. The real estate can
| be used and II will be used the more. For
every lawyer who might move his Offices
| up to Omaha after annexation commits
sion man would seek a residence in the
| Highland park district. People are not
| going to hurry out of South Omaha. 1t
! is as near to Omahas center as Walnut
HILL This fact should insure every prop
| erty owner that there can be no great
fuctuation of prices. They will rise rather
than fall. The residence district about
Highland park will in five years time
| equal that splendid streets of the Hanscom
| park district.
Charter Change Discussion.
The meeting of the general committees
of the South Omaha Improvement clubs
was not as generally attended as was an.
ticipated last night. About fifteen people
were in attendance to receive the report
of the executive committee Of ten mer
who were to draft the amendments to the
city charter. 1t was discovered that the
amendments had been sent to Lincoln al
ready. One was that the city be granted
the power to grade two blocks Of any
street where the cost of grading would
exceed the value of the abutting property
OF this grading the city should pay two
thirds and the property owners one-thlrd
Another proposition was that the electors
be required to show a tax receipt for per
sonal taxes before being allowed to vot,
at municipal elections There were
number of exceptions to this rule. A ta'
Of g. or poll tax should be exacted. l
was explained that the committee of tel
I had been made an executive committe
with power to act and that there was
| manifest necessity for haste in the mat
| ter, so that the needs of the city coul
be presented before the generally i'm
portant bills occupy the legislature.
Some diversion was occasioned in tn
virulent attack on the present administra
) ton and its methods INDUCED in by job
, Macmillan. He charged that the sewe
! propositions had been Juggled from star
! to finish and declared that one whole tuu
mel section had been eliminated from tn
. sewers after the proclamation had bee
made for the sewer bond election and ths
It was the intention that the $4,000 shoul
include this. This was the north tunns
section Of the sewer system as define
by Andrew Rosewater. On this he base
his argument that the contracts had bee
juggled to the tune of $4,000 at the leas
and now the legislature was being aske
for $4,000 more. Mr.. Macmillan gre
heated in his remarks and as a hns
clincher he presented the original repoI
of Andrew Rosewater TO the city counc
On lnt Cost Ol lne beWeT bJbieui. belOi
the conclusion 1t was conclusively show
that this tunnel section had been droppe
before the mayor issued his proclamatio
last year
AS a side issue a resolution was passe
Endorsing the Cassidy park site as a "a
vOrable proposition.
story of Secret Meeting.
Mayor Hector gave the full history yes
terday afternoon of the session OF the cit
council and the park board last Wednei
day night. He said all the members
the council and the park board were pref
ent and that the map OF the city wa
spread out on the engineers table for II
vestigation and comparison Since not a
the property owners were present TO pre-
sent the merits OF their propositions It wa
determined to close the doors and keep a
parties out The propositions were dii
cussed at some length; but no action wa
taken on any of-the propositions. One res
son was that the money for the bonds ha
not been received and until that time It wa
not thought advisable TO express any pr
ference for any property until the actui
time OF the purchase. 1t is evident tbs
there is likely to be sharp difference
opinion before the sites are determines