Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-30
NEWS OF INTEREST FROM IOWA

bens thereof in regard to their intention In
the matter, and as the members of the COM
mittee regard the immediate issue OF a pOr-
tion of these bonds as the first and most
important step in the construction of a
water plant, your committee did not feel
matter, as we already know his position
through his statement in the public press.
We do not understand that the law con-
templates that the mavor should be a part
OF the legislative branch OF the city govern
ment, that being vested in the city council,
the mayor having the right to approve or
veto all measures passed by the council,
but ! do not think he ts supposed TO IN
fluence the actions of the council or the
mittee meetings. as suggested by the mayor
In his veto message now before us.
Mayor Makes Reply.
When Councilman Jensen concluded the
reading Of the statement Mayor Maloney
said with some warmth: II told you and
every member OF the council that when
you had got your plans completed, had
advertised for bids, had awarded the con-
tract and same had been ratified by the
people ! would at once sign the bonds.
This is what l have told everybody. /
have been and am now ready to sign the
bonds at the proper time"
Councilman Jensen replied by saying
that he and the other members of the
council regarded the course of the mayor
merely as an attempt to thwart their eff
forts to secure municipal ownership and
that II they followed the mayors sug-
g~estions they might as we'll abandon the
proposition entirely.
When the vote was taken on the resolu-
ton authorizing the expenditure of 500
to test the validity of the bond issue
Councilman Jensen read the following
statement in explanation OF the overruling
of the veto:
We do not think that the mayor is
Justlried in questioning the good faith
Of the attorney engaged in this case by
the Plaintiff to test the validity of the
bonds, simply because the amount of
money appropriated by the council does
not appear to be sufficiently large in the
estimation of the mayor for the service
70 be rendered. as many Of our citizens
nave given freely both of their time and
money to further the cause of municipal
ownership of our water works system,
without any expectation of financial re-
We think the mayor is mistaken when
he says in his veto message that the city
council assured the people through its
tanning to the bond issue were legal-as
the special election, the bond resolution.
the form of the bond and many other
matters have taken place after the issuing
of the book referred to, it would not
have been possible for the committee in
charge Of the printing of the book to
nave HCluueu any opinion on these mat
ters. do not think that the resolution
referred to reflects on the legal ability
OF our city attorney in this matter, as il
should be well known that no purchasers
or municipal bonds would take the bonds
on the advice of the attorney for the CITY
that Is offering the bonds for sale.
That II Is in good faith and on the adj
vice OF our city attorney that the council
passed the resolution under consideration
so that we could get an Adjudication on
the validity of the bonds as soon as pos
sible. P"S
We do not think that the position Of the
mayor is well taken in regard to makine
the purchasers of the bonds test the
validity of the issue, as the bidders for
these. bonds will no doubt offer a larger
premlum II the bonds have been passed
Signs One Resolution.
In attaching his signature to the resolu-
ton asking the representatives from Pot
tawattamte county to secure IL possible the
enactment OF an amendment to the present
law to enable the payment of preliminary
expenses attendant on the purchase or con-
struction of a municipal water works plant
by the city out Of the sinking fund. Mayor