Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-12
AFFAIRS AT SOUTH OMAHA
Anti-Merger Forces Unite to Fight
Plan to Combine Cities.
LIKELY TO GET INTO COURTS
Claim Made Now Many Names on
Petitions Are without Authority
Need of Water Mains
KeenIy Felt.

The swearing of affidavlts by ]. w.
3 Parsley, eO6. North Twenty-first street, and
4. James Sproul, Twenty-ffth and Nj
d streets, charging that their names were
forged to the petitions in favor of an
Z nexatlon, is the most sensational develop
.ment in the fight between the annexation
lists and the anti-merger forces. The affl4
lnavits we're filed yesterday before Notary
Public James J''1SaSp ar. and The affFauts
& not only repudiate their signatures, but say
that their names were appended to the pc
titons by fraud.
strong fight is being made to- reduce
4the number Of names obtained in support
aof the movement, and several committees
are at work In, the city hall and elsewhere
EscrutihizinB the Vpewritteh copies of the
lists supplied by the county clerk The
sstatement is made that when minors and
gnon-registered voters have been excised
from the lists the sos names secured will
be cut one-hah The Observation-Disclosures
appear confident Of this and declare that
the board of county commissioners, when
they come to deal with the matter Friday
viii not find the petition supported by the
requisite degst pumber Of voters. Under
the law the petition must contain the
tnames OF 10 per cent OF those who regis
tered or voted at the last election. The
number was 4,5O0 Whatever way things
30 IT looks as II the courts may yet be
factor in Determining the Issues involved
The Commercial club has placed itself on
record against annexation at the present
time The meeting at which this de-
eison was arrived at was held yesterday
afternoon. 1t was largely attended and
the thirty odd members who met to dis
cuss the question were unanimous The
feeling OF the club is that merger upon
the terms OF the existing charter of
Omaha would be unfair to the sister city
aud TO educate the electorate upon the
situation, as the club views It. a com
mittee will be appointed today to conduct
literature campaign should II be decided
by the county commissions that the
special election viii be held The club in
tends to draft a bill for submiss on 10
atle next legislature TO bring about an
AVIATION on conditions that will be eqult-
liable to South Omaha
City Council DOinEs.
~ the meeting OF the council last night
Mayor Trainor called attention to the
taot that the water company had failed
70 give effect to the orders Of the council
snent the placing OF hydrants and the
laying OF mains In certain districts OF the
city. The orders, Ne said. had been given
eVNie lihe ago OUT nothing hho vet been
done. The extensions OF the mains were
greatly required and the people were
complaining He appointed a committee
consisting Of COuncilmen Franek. Miller
and T. p. Peterson to interview the water
company and said be would go with them
at any time to see What could be done.
acquisitions by the Highland Improve
ment club TO have the sidewalk on Mon
roe street, from Twenty-sixth TO Twenty
seventh streets, repaired as II is In a
dangerous condition, and to have the wire
fence ana distractions on Twenty-ssventh
street from Madison 20 Jackson streets
removed. were referred TO the committee OF
the whole house and the street commits
sioner.
protest was received from property
owners In the locality against the closing
OF the alley from Railroad avenue 10