Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-06-21
Pay Net ii Exceed that Amount for
Erecting New Building.
MUST HIRE SUPERINTENDENT
Latter Shall Be Man Approved by the
County Commission.
PANG BIDS GET NEW CHANCE
After Van Court Exhibits His Modus
Opernndi the Board Decides to
Reconsidcr Action on
Contracts.

BY a vote Of to 2John Latenser was
appointed architect and superintendent Of
the new 81 900 600 court house by the
county board Saturday afternoon. The
rd also voted to reconsider the tesolu-
ton passed Thursday rejecting aids for
paving county roads and will decide
whether or not It will give the contracts
to the local contractors who submitted
propositions at special muatins to be
held next Tuesday
The resolution appointing Mr.. Latenser
architect for the court house was intro
duced by Mr. Kennard. II provides for
compensation TO the amount not to eX'
ceed per cent of the money voted foi
constructing the court house. Out of this
he must employ a superintendent of con
struction who must be approved by the
board
Bruning and TIRE cast the two vote:
against the resolution. the former explain
ing he did not believe in paying out tha,
amount Of money for the work aud Tho
latter because he objected to the form OF
the resolution.
Paving Matter in old Form.
! he action Of the board in reconsidcrin,
the paving resolution leaves the matter
| in the same shape it was in before the
| bids were rejected. At the meeting Tues
| day the question of accepting the bids
the Forest Lawn, the Briggs and tnc Cen.
ter street roads will he taken up Tho
board at its last meeting rejected these
bids holding they were too high and d.
rected the county clerk to advertise In ma.
tional trade papers for new bids on thest
and half a dozen other roads in the hope
of attracting outside competition. At the
meeting Saturday the board decided to ad'
vertise for foreign competition on all but
81 H. .,1V /, TN..
already in on these three roads will be
considered Tuesday.
f. d. Van Court the low bidder two
of the three roads, appeared before the
committee of the whole and asked that
the action be reconsdered. He asserted
If the bids were rejected it would mean
that the county could not do any paving
this year
Il control two-thrds Of the output OF
stone in this district" he said. and
can dispose of all my product at any time.
If the board rejects these bids l Will have
to make contracts with other concerns to
furnish the full capacity Of my quarries.
II do this the county will be dnable to
get 500 of the 1000 cars of crushed stone
necessary to do the work can't wait
until August to make contracts for my
output II you do let the bids to outside
contractors, W here can they get their
stone? If you can get more than 500 cars
from my competitors will eat it.
Argument Brings Results.
1t was after this argument the board de-
cidcd to reconsider. What the board will
do is problematical. 1t may let the bids on
: the Forest Lawn, the Briggs and the Cen
ter roads to Van Court and the Katz-CraiR
Contracting company and invite outside
competition on the rest of the work, or Il
may finally reject the bids again and try
for outside competition on the entire work.
Members of the board are doubtful II II
will be possible to do all the work laid out
.. by the board for the summer campaign
this summer because Of the scarcity OF
stone.
, The board will pay fitting tribute to the
, memory of William r. Turner of Elk City,
a former member Of the board, who died
, recently. on motion of Riggs, a COMMITTEES
! consisting of Riggs, Trainor and Ure was
' appointed to draw up suitable resolutions.
: County employees will not have their sal
= aries doCked to the amount Of the fees they
. may receive as witnesses and jurors in dis
$ trct court. After a discussion in which
. IRE. who favored the docking process and
e Trainor, who opposed It. got into ''spat
that looked Ike old times the resolutiSe
the table, but this motion was voted down
Riggs, Kennard and IRE voting against
, this method OF disposing OF II. On the mo-
ton to adopt the resolution IRE was the
only one who voted aye
To strnIEhten EIkhorn River.
I The board adopted a motion by Riggs
y asking the county engineer to investigate a
b plan on foot among the residents Of Water
j. loo precinct looking to the Strengthening OF
s the Elkhorn river near what is known as
j. the Snyder bridge II will cost the county
about $500 to move the bridge, according
i To Mr.. Boa'.
g The contract 10 wire the tuberculosil
ward al the county hospital was let 10 th'
, , American Electric company for $50
= Trees are not weeds within the meaning
" Of the law, according to an opinion hy Dep
uty County Attorney Magncy, and there
10 fore property owners cannot be required 4
=, cut brush and trees on the highways al
. joining their property. The board adoptat
% a resolution directing road supervisors O
clear the brush and trees out Of the dtcho
q In their districts at the expense OF the roa,
1 ]