Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-19
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
Grand Jury Inquisition Has a Salu-
tary Effect on the Members.
NO MORE DONATIONS OF PROPERTY
Sauhtters ON city Property TO he
Elected and city TO Come Into
Its Own-Barbers want
Ordinance Repealed.

we do not consider il advisable to va
cate any more city property at this time.
Committee report signed by Thomas Nc
Govern, Peter Elsasser and Lee Bridges,
committee on street improvements, and pre-
sented to and adopted by the city council
last evening.
The democratic city council has felt the
lash OF the county grand jury. II has dis
covered that its direct violation of the city
charter cannot be continued unnoticed. 1t
has decided to pay more strict attention to
law in the future. or at least at this time
while the grand jury is in session.
The O'Keefe Real Estate company sent a
communicates to the council last evening
skiing that a triangular strip OF ground
on the southeast corner of T~wenty-third
and Cass streets be vacated In its favor.
The communication was referred to the
street Improvement committee, of which
Thomas McGovern. singled out to do duty
before the grand Jury and explain the un-
lawful vacation Of city property, IL chair
man. The committee promptly decided not
to comply with the request and brought in
a report to that effect. The report was re-
celved and adopted without the culver Of
an eyelash on the part Of a single council
man.
But this was not the only grand jury
sting which the democratic council at
tempted to extract by means OF resolution.
~squatters TO he Elected.
A petition from the George Real Estate
company. which laid dormant for a time,
was last night referred to the city at
torney with instructions to eject squatters
occupying city land on the river bottoms.
Act third was the ordering Of the city
engineer to at once cause the removal OF
piles Of lumber belonging to the Chicago
Lumber company and occupying city land
at Pierce and Fifteenth streets. The lum-
Der company has been occupying a large
plat of land at this place for some time
without paying any rent for the same.
City Abstractor Hartley called the coun-
ellis attention to this in his report of last
May, which report rested calmly and
serenely in the pocket OF Chairman Nc
Govern from May 19 until the grand jury
met.
The curtain was rung down on the
comedy which to some of the councilmen
contained elements Of a tragedy In the
passing of a resolution instructing the city
attorney to ascertain what right the Omaha
Van company has to claim ownership to
the vacated realty at Sixteenth and Leav-
enworth streets and build thereon a re-
tanning wall in preparation to erecting q
large storage warehouse. The land was
vacated for the accommodation of the
Great Western Railway company and was
by it sold for a good price to the van COM
pany. The city, however, shared not in the
sale of the property.
Three Of the resolutions were introduced
by Councilman McGovern and one by
Councilman Elsasser.
AS an encore. Councilman Davis intro
duced a resolution instructing the city comp
troller to take possession Of what is known
as the Cornelius Leary house at Twenty
fourth and Webster streets which became
city property when Twenty fourth street
was opened. DR.. Davis explained that the
house is occupied, but that the city is re-
ceiving no rent, and further that the &C.
cupants would not allow the city's apprais-
ers to enter so as to do their work. The
resolution was passed over the objection
OF Councilman Elsasser who wished to pro-
tect one of his BARRIERS who lives in the
house.