Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-24
LAID FOR CHARTER
Committee Meets to Discuss Changes
hat Are Needed.
MANY CLUBS SEND DELEGATES
Harry Zimman Attends with List of
Suggestions and IL Given Place
in DOdy-Many Ideas
Presented.

Paving troubles are TO be no more. hard
earned tax money is to be boarded and
conserved and all the woes that the mu-
nicipality Of Omaha is heir to are to be
eradicated herewith-if the plans of the
charter revision committee all pan out.
The preliminary meeting was held in the
city council chamber Wednesday evening
and about twenty-five delegates were pres
ent. President Malone Of the Federation OF
Improvement Clubs took the chair and w.
H. Green was elected permanent presi .
dent. NJ. F. Funkhouser was chosen as
vice president, and J. G. KuhLs as secre-
tary. A credentials committee consisting
Of Messrs. Funkhouser, Patterson and Ma
lone received the registration of the dele
gates as follows: From the Real Estate
exchange, c. f. Harrison, ]. w. Robbins
and D.. G. Patterson; Commercial club.
]. A. Sunderland, r. e. Sanborn and II. w.
Yates; Federation Of Improvement Clubs,
F. w. Fitch. ]. w Malone, Anton linda.
s. Arion Lewis and Fred w. Hoyer; South
west Improvement club, w. II. Green, John
G. Kuhns, f. HaaTman and Fred Schamel;
Central Labor union, H. S. Jewell and II.
c. Jacks; Omaha View Improvement club,
A. N. Yost; Hanscom Park club, G. ].
kleffner; city council, Willard +. Funk
houser and Harry Burnam.
Harry Zimman of the city council APP
peared and on being asked to address the
meeting made a number of suggestions
from a printed list which so met with the
views Of the committee as a whole that
he was voted a member of the committee
TO act as expert on the matter of city pro-
cedure and charters.
amendments Proposed.
Among the amendments to the present
system which he proposed were; TO have
the people vote directly on the granting
and modifying of all franchises; to raise
the salary of the mayor to 5000, the salary
OF the city attorney to $1,000 and to in
crease the pay of the attorneys assistants;
making the city prosecutor a regular mem
Der of the staff, receiving a higher re-
Enumeration than he does at present when
his duties consist only of prosecuting
police court complaints. Mr.. Zimman also
wanted the paving within about a mile
OF the city hall to be entirely within the
jurisdiction Of the city council, without re-
gard to the protests of property owners,
and the paving outside of that limit to be
subject to the property owners only by
protest. He would have the mayor and
council appoint the city clerk, the city at
torney, members Of the Fire and Police
board and the park commissioners.
The idea of increasing the number Of APP
p~ointive offices will meet with some oDposi-
ton in the committee, as II. C. Jacks Of
the Central Labor union had made some
remarks before Mr.. ZImman's talk advanc-
ing the view that the. offices which are
at present appointive ought all to be made
elective so that all city officials will be
chosen in regular election by the vote Of
the people.
Yates Complains OF streets
H. w. Yates pointed out the chief COM
plant Of the taxpayer against the present
system In the fact that although taxes are
high the funds are 30 administered by law
that the streets are Kept in poor condition,
a state far worse, according to Mr.. Yates,
than in any other city Of Omaha's size.
He complained also of the fact that under
the present assessing laws property Is
very frequently taxed more than It is worth
to pay for paving adjoining it and thereby
confiscated.
A committee on rules was appointed con-
sisting Of Harry Zimman, d. C. Patterson
and F. w. Fitch, ard 1t was decided on
a motion by Mr.. Patterson that the charter
will be taken up section by section at the
next meeting, which will be held In the
same place next Wednesday evening at s
o'clock.
All Improvement clubs or other organiza-
tions which desire to send delegates must
have them present with their credentials
at this meeting, as no new men will be
taken upon the committee after that. All
citizens OF the city are entitled, however.
to appear before the committee and take
part in all the discussions. the limit being
placed only upon the voting.