Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-02
AFFAIRS AT SOUTH OMAHA
Council and Electric Light Company
Get Together on a Com
tract.

F. A. Nash and S. p, Schweltzer of the
Omaha Electric Light and Power company
were in South Omaha yesterday afternoon
In conference with the city council on the
matter of extending the contract, of the
city for five years.
The proposition, briefly stated, is that
the company will place South Omaha on
the same basis as Omaha for the public
light, or S5 per arc lamp, beginning Au-
gust l, 1908. and continuing through the
term Of the extended contract. A clause
is inserted in the contract to the effect that
II any other company comes within reach
of the city with electric light supply, the
prices Of the new company will be dupli-
Gated.
Mr.. Nash took considerable time to dis
cuss the proposed water power scheme. He
said. he had spent much money in that
company himself without result. He said
that with the demand in sight for such
power, taking all the territory covered at
present rates, the income would not yield
interest on a S,oOO.COO investment. There
fore, he said, no company would care to
spend that much money to bring a power
plant into the city in competition.
He argued that the company paid the city
6 per cent of it's gross income in taxes
ohN iOydlNiSs' "ilCu COsl NHt CITY no eN-
penditure. This he thought a good invest
ment for the city.
He further argued that in case any other
scheme were tried 1t would be several
years before the power could be utilized
on account of the requirements of construc-
ton.
The new contract introduced at the meet
ing OF the council in the evening sets forth
the features of the agreement. The city
under the proposed reduction in the price
OF public lights will save $500 annually.
This will be used in the establishment Of
twenty new lights, If the proposition goes
into effect. There Is little likelihood OF Its
failing.
The Union Pacific issued its ultimatum
yesterday afternoon to the city with regard
to the condemnation Of a grade crossing at
Twenty-fifth street abf u. The proposed
condemnation c~ontemplates making use of
a part OF Railroad avenue. which was form
erly vacated, with a perpetual clause, to
the railroad. The council was waited on
by Edison Rich and member OF the engi-
neering staff, and they raised the obJec-
tion to the portion of the condemnation
upon Railroad avenue, but consented freely
to the part OF the proposed street south Of
U street. The part on Railroad avenue
makes the connection with the southern
termination Of Twenty-fitth street, lying
north of the railroad. The company wants
this strip, containing about half an acre,
for shifting it's main line farther east to
accommodate the Northwestern and The
Milwaukee railroads in their proposed new
tracks through South Omaha. The property
owners on the south side were Just as In
sistent in their demand for the strip In
controversy. They objected to the use OF
Twenty-fourth street on the ground that
It was not the most direct route 10 the
business section OF South Omaha. The OBJ
ject OF the action is TO force the Rock
Island railroad TO build a viaduct, which
the road has not appeared willing TO do.
The Union Pacific has recently assured
the city that II is willing to construct It's
part Of the viaduct. The ordinance con-
demning the street was introduced two
weeks ago. In spite OF the protest of the
railroad company the ordinance condemn
Ing the property was finally passed at the
council meeting In the evening. This will.
according to the statement Of the Union
Pacific representative, force a law suit in
the federal court.
Except for the action taken on the
public lighting contract, and the passage
OF the ordinance condemning a street across
the Rock Island and the Union Pacific
risht-of-way at Twenty-nfth and L streets.
the session Of the city council last night
was confined chiefly 10 routine. The con-