Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-03-17
WILL MAKE CHARTER CHANGES
Committee Agrees TO Make Bill Con-
form to Popular Demand.
REoUEsT FOR HEARMG IN OMAHA
n. y. zimman and r. ID. Wead Ask
for Chance TO show People DO
Not want New Charter
= -. 1T All.

l4lINAOA4Nt NlhICH Aus-AeRNNAaA ANANaANlAA'
Although the senate committee on muni-
cipal affsirs agreed last night to make the
Changes IN the Omaha charter which have
been demanded By q number OF business
men and citizens. Harry B. zimman and
Fred D. Wead appeared before IL and
asked for q hearing in Omaha Saturday
night to show a sentiment In Omaha strong
enough TO discard the charter altogether.
Mr. Zimman declared that the charter,
even, with the amendments. was entirely
out of harmony with the wishes OF Omaha
people and that II a meeting could be held
Omaha Saturday night the legislature
would be convinced that the present law
Is much more a Ereeable than the new one
as Il now stands.
Mr. wead spoke for the Real Estate ex-
change and protested against higher taxes
and other elements in the bill. The COM
mittee, through Chairman Horton, agreed
to decide tomorrow morning whether such
a meeting can be held.
City Attorney Rine reviewed the work
Of the municipal committee that drew ub
the charter, and declared that plenty Of
time had been given to hear all reasonable
protests. In that position he was sup
ported by Senators Tanner and Horton Of
the committee! 100 ~~--rr : 800 @.
Three changes Agreed To.
+, The committees agreed upon thres sub
stantial amendments:
The section. Of the law giving property
owners a right by. three-fifths petition
and order it laid, which was struck out
| in the house, was put back.
The provision giving the city government
power to compel the repavng OF streets
! within $500 feet OF the city hall was put
back. as It stands in tile present charter
| Three salaries were raised The mayor Is
10 get IS coo instead OF $4,000: the chief of
| police 5000 instead Of $500 and the
| health commissioner $500 in stead OF $500
John L. Kennedy and w. r. Baxter,
representing property owners and the Com
mercial club, spoke for the amendments.
Only Horton, Tanner and selleck of the
| committee were present
- w. CommIssiOn Form HesrinE.
! After hearing the arguments for com
mission form Of government for Nebraska
cities, particularly under the bill backed
by the Omaha Ad club, the house commit
tee on cities and towns decided last night
to have one more session upon the subject
tomorrow night and final arguments will
then be heard. The bill will probably then
be recommended for passage,
The chairman of the committee. John
Moriarty OF Omaha, and r. L. Sunderland
representing the Ad club, got into a heated
contention just before the Adjournment
over the delay and some members of the
COMMITTEE started to get through a report
at that moment without waiting for the
chairman but moderation finally prevailed
Bill IL Changed.
The bill was amended by McKissck of
Gage to give small cities three commits
sicners instead of five. This change was
seconded by Charles Abbot city attorney
of Fremont and was agreed to by the
COMMITTEE.
The Omaha advocates Of the bill Sunder-
land and Henry Gering OF the Ad club and
THE author of the measure, John p -Breen,
discussed It almost entirely from the
lOmaha standpoint but representatives Of
smaller cities insisted that the bill means
much to them. Beatrice men, w. H.
Canaan and j. A. KEGS succeeded in getting
lin an amendment giving small cities the
fright to fix their commissioners salaries.
The initiative and referendum clause which
has been asked for by number of friends
of the principle was Inserted at the request
iof c. W. Metzger Of Cass county, who in
ltroduced the bin In the house.
Nc riarty wanted delay because city En-
gineer Craig Of Omaha, Mayor Dahiman
and other opponents of the bill desired a
chance to speak. City Attorney Rhine was
Z present. but offered no comments. Cotton
of York. and Eastman OF Franklin urged
, immediate action, but finally agreed "a
wait one more day.