Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-12-05
MAY PREVENT PAVING DEALS
Commission Form Looked TN as
Stop to Combinations.
BETTER LEGISLATION ExPECTEl
City Engineer Craig COmmeRds tbs
Position Taken by The nee NJ
Offering the Beet sOlu-
tion TO Date.

City han officials are generally OF the
opinion that the commission plan of gov
eminent will be a good instrument in
preventing other paving deals simi.ar to
the one successfully pulled OFF in Omaha
and South Omaha by the Kettle River
ana IIepdblic oreosote wood block com
panles in conjunction with c. Il. Fan
ming. However" said George w. Grain,
c,tS engineer, The Bee is right In ad-
vocating a charter provision more favor
able to competition" ------
The new commissioners will have a
multitude OF things to consider, said
one official, land while think they will
be able to take care OF them we ought
to 40 some of the work at hand in
stead OF sioughing II with the expecta-
ton that the commissioners will be In
failipie. There has been lot OF smooth
work here to connect with the public
works FUNDS.
The S4O,uOU crsosote wood block paving
Job is only one example of what can be
woi ked by shrewd chaps"
when asked what he believed would be
a good remedy for the condition that has
prevailed here for several years, City EN-
glneer Craig said;
II believe The Bee editorial offers the
best solution. We are looking forward TO
commission form OF governments to help
US in these matters, but until we have an
opportunity to revise our charter. which
| fear can be done only by a concerted
action on the part Of all of us for proper
legislative ena.tmenls. will 1t be fashioned
so as to bring this about.
To stop Combinations.
THE enactment OF laws relating to all
kinds OF combinations is occupying the
minds Of the best people in the country
today. II seems that there are no laws "
e.lectualiy regulate combinations. The law
covering paving in Omaha should be 81
constr ucted that II would give the Wild
est possible latitude in competition.
"On our three-liIths petition whed EN- the
char acter of pavement is changed,
would require bids to be received on al
known paving materials, thus allowing
the property holders an opportunity tc
EJECT by majority petition which OF this
materials they want after the bids are
received. would eliminate the deslgna-
ton of the particular manufacture OIL
make OF material on all the material
petitions.
MY sincere hope is that some day
Omaha will have the right to make her
own charter"
One section of the charter provision
which has been denounced as objection.
able follows:
The advertisement, specifications fot
bids and petitions designating mate. ia
shall not specify the paving material lol
asphalt pavement from any particulai
NINE. place, locality or factory, nor By
any particular name, but snail be m
ply asphalt; but in all other classes OIL
pavement enumerated in TINS section, Of
which may be ordered by the mayor and
council, such petitions may specify the
D .rticular kind of brick, brick block
vitrifled brick. stone, and 30 on, which
| The owner OF the property may ueslIt
But all bidders shall be required to desg
| nate he locality, quarry, kim. or factory
| from which will be furnished the sps cifl'
| material to be used by them, with IL
| commercial designation.