Omaha daily bee., 1912-02-21
CLEAN BILL FOR EVERYBODY
Committee Unable to Find Anything
Crooked in Paving Deal.
NOTHING WRONG, SAYS SHELDON
Report Deplores the Fact that In
situations of Improper Conduct
ON Part Of City Officials Were
Ever Made.

Deploring the action Of the press in
''intimsting improper conduct on the part
Of city officials" oensunng heads Of de-
partments Of city government who per
NIT employees to promote paving dis
tricts and asserting that during a special
Investigation, no improperly on the part
Of any official had been discovered, a
special committee OF three from the city
council submitted a report Of their de-
llberations at the committee Of the whole
meeting yesterday afternoon.
Councilman Sheldon, chairman Of the
committee, made the report. owing to
the absence Of Councilman Bridges who
has not signed the report. We would have
the reading of II postponed until to-
morrow night" he said. At the same
time he assured his colleagues that no
difficulty would be encountered in Sc
curing Mr.. Bridges signature. Follow
ing is the report:
Your committee reports that after a
full, careful and complete Investigation
Of the matter directed TO be investigated
by said resolution. your committee finds
no grounds or justification for any
charges that there has been improper
conduct on the partof any public official
OF this city In connection with public
improvements, or any irreguiaTlty in the
proceedings taken by the city In CON
nection herewith: that all proceedings
taken by the city have been as pro-
vided by law and that there has been
no ground or justification for any charges
Of improper conduct in connection with
pubic Improvements dealing with paw
ing or curbing of streets OF said city,
ar aTN NJ aF ms for far
mittee has been able TO ascertain.
1t appears TO your committee that
within the last three years one or two Of
the employees Of the city have been as
sisting in promoting the proceedings deal
ing with the paving and curblng Of
streets. This being contrary TO one Of
the ordinances Of the city, and contrary
to the policy expressed by the mayor and
city council, We call upon heads of all
departments TO see that this practice be
Immediately discontinued.
We deploTe the fact that charges have
been made in the public press by insinu-
alton and otherwise, intimating improper
conduct on the part Of city ofncials,
which charges, the parties making them,
have been unable to substantiaIe. and we
hope that 1t will be discontinued In the
future, unless the persons or newspapers
making such charges are able 10 substan-
tiate them when called upon.
Your committee OF the whole, to which
was referred tho matter OF investigating
the proceedings taken by tho city Tor the
paving OF Sixteenth street, from Farnam
street to the Sixteenth street viaduct,
with eTeosote wood block, beg leave To
report that said committee proceeded To
examine the parties set forth in said
resolution, and all other persons that
your committee was able to secure who
were in any way connected with said
proceedings or that your committee
thought might have any knowledge rela-
tive thereto.
Your committee endezxored 10 get the
testimony Of A q. Morrison. Who was IAe
western sales Manager OF the keltLs
River Paving eos1pang Al the time the
Proceedings under investigation were in
stifuied IN the CITY Of Omaha, and for
the purpose Of securing his presence be-
fore the committee Offered 10 pay has
expenses from Kansas City To Omaha
where he Was At the time Of the meetinss
Of Lha COMMITTEES located Although
every effort was made to secure his
presence. be refused 10 appear bafore the
committee
The charges ard insnnasions in this
street improvement district arose In the
opinion Of your oommiIIse, from charges
made by Mr.. Morrison. Toe fac mat
be fsiled TO appear before your commit
and after he had Offered 10 give Iexti-
Tpony. leads your committee 10 believe
he possessed DO knowledge of facts re-
necr1ng upon The proceedings dealing
with said Improvement
From The evidence adduced before your
commir1se. your committee Is Of the
opinion that the proceedings dealing with
the sid Improvement we're IN eSery way
regular and that there was DO improper
condncf on the part OF anyone In connec-
tton with the paving OF said street with
creosote wood block