Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-01
Up TO WATER COMPANY NOW
Council Makes Offer of Three Hundred
Fifty Thousand for Plant.
MANAGER SENDS IT TO OFFICERS
Bid Of the city H. and Fifty
Thousand Less Than COmpany's
Bonded Debt-Two Weeks
Granted for Reply.

The city council last night gave the water
works company two weeks time in which
TO decide to accept or reject an offer from
the city to purchase its plant for the sum
OF $4,000. At least that Is in substance
the amount Of the offer made for the plant
by the wafer works committee, OF when
Councilman Jensen is chairman.
Tho committee, assisted by City Engineer
Etnyre, reached the conclusion that the
value OF TIE present water works plant
was about $4,000, but not desiring to be
considered close, decided TO make an offer
of $4,000.
The two weeks time was given on motion
of Councilman Younkerman, the
having in its report suggested that the
compary be allowed a reasonable time IN
which to accept or reject it's proposition
for purchase"
wickham objects.
+. A. Wickham objected to having MS
contract for the construction Of a new
plant hung up" any longer. He told the
council that he did not feet that It was
treating MIN fairly. a contract calling
for the expenditure Of 100000 was too
big a thing, he said, to be hung up for
fifty days OF more. lie also objected to
the council using the figures contained in
his bid. which were secret until the bid
was opened, TO decker with the water
works company. He said it had cost him
$1,000 Of his hard earned money to pre-
pare the bid.
Councilman Morgan wanted Manager
Hart Of the water works company to
state whether there was any probability
of his company accepting the offer Of
the committee. While Mr.. Hart did not
make any direct answer to this, he in
$1,000 tk. ,at,,aKl tlA pttnGtiAn of An-
cepting an offer Of S35O,0O0 for a plant
on which there was a first mortgage Of
$500, 900 was for the bondholders 10 de-
eide and not the officers of the company.
He had forwarded, he said, the proposition
Of the committed to the officers of the
company without any recommendation.
Contractor Wlckham supplemented his
earlier remarks with a statement to the
effect that he was perfectly willing, If
the city would make a fair contract with
the water works company. not 10 be con-
sidered at all, but he still objected to
having his contract hung up any longer.
Attorney w. II. Killpack and w. B. Reed.
a frSm the Board of Education,
appeared before the council with the re-
quest that low lying lots in the immediate
vicinity of the North Eighth street and
Third street school houses, which were full
OF stagnant water and a menace to the
health of children attending these schools,
be filled. The matter was referred to the
committee of the whole.
Afraid of Light Towers.
Residents, in the vicinity of Twenty-third
street and Avenue c filed a petition re-
questing that the electric light tower at
that intersection be taken down and the
lights distributed. The recent windstorms
alarmed the petitioners and they are fear
full that during some similar storm the
tower will be blown down and possibly
on the nearby residences. The petition
was referred to the committee on fire and
light, and the councilman from the Sixth
ward.
The First Christian church which is plan
ning to erect a new house Of worship at the
corner Of MINISTER and Scott streets, asked
that 1t be permitted to use a strip three
feet wide off the sidewalk on Scott street
for the building and eight feet on MINISTER
street for the steps to the front entrance
The petition was sent to the committee of
the whole. .,-
The ordinance giving ]. G. Wadsworth
and f. II. poolittlf, trustees, the right to
use TIE space under the sidewalk in front
OF the building at the corner Of Broadway
and Main street, now being remodeled for
a bank by C.. r. Hannah, jr, and asso-
g Ciates, was passed. When the ordinance
was first introduced. it was held up at
the request Of f. A, Wickham, who has a
suit in the district court pending against
the owners OF the property claiming 10
have a half interest in It. Mr. Wickham
made no objection TO the passage of the
measure last night,
Relative to the matter Of opening Twenty
fourth street from Broadway to First ave-
nue., the city solicitor submitted a form OF
contract to he entered into between the
city and the owners Of the property needed
for tie thoroughfare. The strip needed will
cost 81 100 and the owners agree to accept
payment in five annual installments to b'
paid out Of the city poll tax fund II
being understood that the Council Bluffs
aerie Of Eagles will advance the money a
6 per cent interest.
s A. Schuck, living at Pomona and
Glenn avenues, filed a claim for $lSl. 70 FOL
the flooding OF his dwelling during the re
cent heavy rains. He alleges that tn,
faulty construction Of the curbing was re
sponslble for the damage.
The council will meet as a committee c
the whole Thursday afternoon.
r. Marriage Licenses.
Licensees to wed were issued yesterday e