Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-26
WANTSCONTRACTFEED
All sOunty Commissioners but Trainor
Come Out for Tucker Bill.
THINK PRESENT GRAFT SHOULD STOP
Say Throw Business Open to Bids
on Competitive Basis and Let
sheriff Submit HIS
Figures.

The members OF the Board of County
Commissioners are practically a unit in
favor of the Tucker bill introduced into
the house last week to cut off the county
jail feeding graft" by providing the board
ing of prisoners shall be done by con-
tract. OF the members of the board in
terviewed Monday all endorsed the bill but
Trainor and he said he did not care to
make a statement at present because he
was not familiar with the provisions of
the bill
At present the law allows the sheriff to
furnish the feed for the prisoners and the
county pays him a stipulated amount. This
has led to a long standing scrap between
the county board and the sheriff over the
amount to be allowed him.
1.-THE only fair way to the commissioners
is to let It by contract" declared Com
missioner Ure. THAT is the way we do
with every other material expenditure and
there Is no good reason why we should
not do II in that way in this case. There
are only two men in the county who know
what It costs to feed the prisoners and
they won't tell They are Sheriff Mcdonald
and ex-Sheriff Power. We have asked
Sheriff Mcdonald to make a showing, but
he has not done so. The commissioners
have TO make an estimate and that is not
a
Under the present price OF 80 cents day
think there is fair prcft in 1t. But we
could get at II in a more accurate manner
by contract. Let the sheriff bid II he wants
10 and then give the contract to the lowest
bidder In this case the specifications
should show in detail what the county
wants to have furnished.
FavOrS More Pay for sheriff.
q.
salary OF the sheriff II the boarding job
is taken from him. but I am in favor of
this bill regardless OF whether the salary
/ is raised or not"
| Commissioner Solomon declared he was
unqualihedly in favor of the provisions OF
the bill.
IT have estimated" he said. that It
would save the county from 100 to $500 a
/ year TO put the boarding Of prisoners on
a competitive basis. II is the only BUSH
! nesslike way to do IT, Let the sheriff bid
/ II he wants to, and II he bids low enough
| give him the contract but award the con-
/ tract on open bids"
The only fair way to the taxpayers and
! the sheriff Is to let the boarding of prison.
ers by contract" declared Commissioner
Kennard That method would cut out
every semblanoe and possibility Of graft
and would put II on a busfnesslike basis. q"
Mr.. Bruning also declared I'm favor of the
bill. He favored allowing the sheriff TO bid
on the job the same as any other person.
The sheriff. he said. would have TO oversee
the distribution Of the food in order to
prevent friends OF prisoners getting
weapons and dope into the Jail. but he
though this could be arranged without any
trouble.
AZ the sheriff's ONCE they are not saying
much about the bill. Sheriff Mcdonald
declared he was not going TO do anything
10 prevent the passage OF the bill, and his
chief deputy and brother Henry Mcdonald,
said he had not given the matter enough
thought TO discuss IT,