Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-04
FACTS OF CHARTER CHANGES
City Engineer ROsswatsr submits Expla-
nation Of Pending Bill.
WRITES LETTER TO COMMERCIAL CLUB
Relief Needed for Public works De-
partment from Inauence of Pol
itics-ConcentratiOn of RespOn-
sibiIity Also Sought.

City Engineer Rosewater has sent the
following letter to the Omaha Commercial
club:
OMAHA, Feb. 2O.-To the Executive
Committee of the Commercial Club: In
asmuch as members of the city council,
| through the city attorney, have pre-
scented request that the Commercial club
| should use its influence in opposition to
| the passage OF III. r, 157, as recommended
to be passed by the committee of the
deem It proper to submit a general OUT
line of the provisions of that bill. to.
gether with the reasons which prompted
| the drafting of the bill, and trust that in
doing so 1 will have FULLY answered all
the points that have been raised In con-
neetion Herewith.
| thority of the city engineer to employ
| men and teams and all persons connected
with his department without submitting
their names for confirmation to the city
council. This step has been found neces-
sary In order to remove the management
influences of politics and place it on a
| sound business basis. No business house
could be successfully managed IL the
| general manager who had the employing
of laborers and teams. were compelled TO
submit the name Of each laborer and
| owner OF each team to a directory Of the
could act thereon. Especially would this
De the case where the employment OF
| teams or men, as Is Often the case with
the city, is for a few days only
Favored List idea Exploded.
The operation under the present law is
such that II paving gang Is employed
| upon the street and has a roller man go
such roller man suddenly quits. all work
| must necessarily be stopped and the ma
terial that is on hand wasted, until SEES
| sion Of the mayor and council can be held
TO act upon the name of new roller man,
who cannot be employed until his name
Is confirmed II the name of this roller
| man is unsatisfactory to some members of
the council. II is referred to a committee
| and week usually must pass before the
contrmation rs acted upon. In the mean
| time the entire interests of the city must
| suffer. The same is the case where a
gang OF men is employed and a few extra
teams are needed to carry on the work as
| II progresses.
1t has been claimed that the council can
have large number OF teamsters and
teams submitted and approve the same
and the engineer. therefore, can select
| from this list, SO that he need never walt
for the action Of the council to enable him
This assumption in itself shows per-
ricious condition Of afrairs-that laborers
''Favored List" before their engagement
can be considered. II it so happens that
these laborers and teams are. needed on a
railroad nearby, az is frequently the case,
the fact that they are on the Favored list
does not assist the engineer In carrying
the W0TE he must anus hunt up rs Spch Sst
wait until a new Ist Is approved.
Such a procedure Is unprecedented and
the United States The practice is per pefnic-
ious and unwarranted from sound busi-
ness standpoint, #..s
Politics. In the Payroll.
It win be claimed that IL the council
does not have to confirm such employees,
| the engineer can use these men for political
purposes without any check whatever. As
moment that the engineer is compelled
to have the sanction of the council for
prevsi suboTdihate the matter et Of EMPLOY
ment of men ana teams to matters of
friendship and politics with the city coun-
Aside from this the Bill in question con-
tains special provtsions making 1t mis-
man or employee uAdef him, in any way 10
solicit or urge political action OF any kind
on the part of those under them or as
ISOLATED with them In public works
This is the first step that has yet been
taken TO prohibit and eliminate politics
from ,,, the public service In the execution
Independent OF the employment of la
borers and forefnen upon work on the
shall confirm appointees for inspectorships
upon public works is pernicious, because
with d}feSent n menbers 81 the c cons anS
tent persons solely because they are pO-
bers, to whom the latter owe a political
debt or desire to use the appointing
power to pay the same
II also admits Of manipulation by con-
tractors, who WELD political power, TO Sc
cure the appointment of such class OF In
selves. This results to the detrfment OF
the public service The engineer naturally.
to protect his own reputation in the exc
fleet to his credit. This he cannot do il he
Is hampered In that manner.
Finance Question Discussed.
The movement to consolidate the funds
cleaning street repairing and other works
under the direct charge of the engineering
department, was made necessary this year
when the mayor and council in caucus
made the annual appropriation for public
work: II was claimed, in view of ieduc-
ing the tax levy $4,000 below that Uf last
year, that some drastic action had to be
taken to reduce the appointments 1t Is
very strange that every branch OF service
Snst sne control ana direction OF the city
ton below that Of last year notwithstand.
Ing II is openly admitted that the public
work for 1907 Will embrace about $500, 900
as against $500. 900 done in 1906. II IL be
true that this reduction was an enforced
measure in consequence OF the old levy
the same time the apportionment for the
engineering department was reduced tina.
the superintendent for the departments OF
partment was increased
To illustrate forcfbly the injudicious
character Of the apportionment, need hui
cite that the street commissioner was
given sSf,500 TO do the ordinary GRADING
repairs on the outskirts Of the city, while
the city engineer was given only S2I OOC
70 maintain In good repair ninety miles
OF paved streets, representing an outlay
OF nearly S6,000.Oo0. and the maintenance
or $50 miles OF sewers, which represent
considerably over $4,000. 900, was cut down
In the same way. Thus for taking care
or permanent Investments representing
over $4,000. 900 and for which the central
square mile OF the city pays full as per
cent or the taxes, much smaller amount
was provided than for the suburban
streets, which are In need OF very little
expenditure inasmuch as they can be
graded to grade simply by signing a petit
tion and q special assessment. as waa
formerly done In the central section OF
the city.
Economy I'm Employment.
It frequently happens that a few men
and teams can be Conveniently employed
In making slight repairs of sidewalks OF
holes in the street This can be done
by the use OF a few of the men and teams
permanently engaged on street work with
out the employment OF special persons for
few hours at q time, whereas in the
absence OF such consolidation and the d.
vision OF authority as II now exists. the
engineer is obliged 10 delay necessary
/ rAOaira nm ranf xHynr "A ~.