Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-13
AFFAIRS At SOUTH OMAHA
Council Finally Backs Up on Street
Railway Occupation Tax.
CAR LINES TO BE EXTENDED
Five Men Engage In a bloody Cutting
ARRAY and Two Of the PRrtici-
pants Are Seriously
Injured,

Monday nights session OF the city coun-
ell was notable for the entire change Of
front in the matter Of the occupation tax
ordinances. The people Of the west side
were rejoiced because the council by a
vote Of 8 to / suspended the action OF the
occupation tax ordinance upon the Omaha
& Council Bluffs Street Railway com
pany for five years. The reason for the
suspension was that the company should,
in lieu of the tax, extend the line to West
l. street and have the same in operation
by March. T. is understood the company
has agreed to do this. John Larsen voted
against the ordnance. which he character
lzed as a bonus to the street car com
pany. He said the tax would amount In
five years 70 $4,000 or $4,000, and he did
not think it justice to pay the company
for the street car extension. The other
members of the city council were just as
firm in their view OF the case and pre-
vailed. When the ordinance was passed
the women OF the west side, who had
threatened Councilman Jonn Hasburgh and
dared him to appear OF the west side,
lavished smiles upon him.
The council then took up the occupation
tax against the Nebraska Telephone COM
pany., Whereas 8 per cent had been named
as Ane rate IN the IAfbl OIullalCes a new
ordinance introduced last Wednesday
night named 2 per cent. the latter was
passed. This reused the indignation of
Councilman Larsen again. for he said all
the other public service corporations paid
3 per cent royalty and the city should
not discriminate between them.
The council voted down the occupation
tax against the Omaha Water company,
49, ~ NI..4.4 4 F-kN ,,I DawFaW 1Ana-
pany and the Omha Gas company on the
ground that these companies already paid
a 8 per cent royalty, which amounted to
the same thing.
The bids we're opened for the grading
of M street from Twenty-fourth to Thir-
teenth street. Dan Harmon was found to
be the only bidder, at 1874 cents per cubic
yard. The earth to be moved amounts to
nearly 1OO, 900 cubic yards James Murphy
entered a protest against this Improvement
ana threatened to bring an injunction to
prevent the execution of the contract. The
Grcund of the objection was that the value
of the property to be improved would not
pay for the improvement and that 1t
amounted to a confiscation Of property,
holding that the city should be taxed at
large. The city council took another view
and ordered the mayor and city clerk to
proceed with. the contract.
A number Of paving ordinances were ad-
vanced to second and third reading. The
bond ordinances for the completed con-
tracts were introduced. The engineer was
ordered to present plans and specifications
at the earliest moment for the new paving
districts.
The engineer was ordered TO prepare
plans for the F street viaduct.
H.. T. Brass offered to furnish the city
a copy. of the record of vitality statistics
at Is cents. per, name. which Is the fee
granted in all save cities of the first class.
Offerman Bros. withdrew their bids for
several paving contracts, owing to diff
culties with the patent right on "sarco"
paving.
An ordinance was introduced %forbiddinR
the use OF milk or the selling OF the same
by dairymen when the product shall be
proved to be obtained from COWS having
tuberculosis. The ordinance provides that
all South Omaha dairy cows must submit
to the tuberculine test and the owners
abide by the results IL they wish to retain
a license and do business in the city.
A number of estimates for work COM
pleted on the several sewers and some OF
the paving districts were allowed.
The council will sit today and tomorrow
as a board Of equalization.
Men Fight with Knives.
One OF the most desperate fights OF the
year was pulled off at Charles Carlson's
saloon at Twenty-slxth and N streets at 5
D. m. yesterday. The combatants were
Peter Green, Twenty-sixth and N streets;
C. Nj. Tracy. 3n North Twe Ifth stree, Chris
Ch~ristianson, Frank Hatfield and JChn
Seidel.
Green, Tracy, Hatfield, seldel and Chris
Hanson all received knife Wounds. Tracy
was hurt the worst and is in The South
Omaha hospital with the muscle of his / Il
arm ripped from the shoulder to the elbo
and with a cross cut on the same shoulder
and a stab In the right breast. He lost
much blood and showed signs OF collapse
for hours. DIR. Koutsky attended him.
Green received a bad cut almost as deep In.
his left arm and another stab wound was
inflicted in the back Of his neck several
| inches deem and passing under the ahoulder