Omaha daily bee., 1912-07-15
AFFAIRS AT SOUTH OMAHA
City Treasurer Gillin Persists in
Trying to Increase Office Force.
COMES BEFORE COUNCIL MONDAY
City Attorney Gives Opinion Munici-
pality Cannot Legally Farm Out
Collection-Ringer Takes
! Part In Custer Case.
COMES BEFORE COUNCIL MONDAY


With the expenses of his office much
larger than under any other administra
ton, City Treasurer Gillin persists in try
ing to increase his already large force
by the addition Of two tax collectors
Although he has been defeated twice In
the fight for the appointment OF these
two deputies, he is going to bring the
matter up before the city council at the
meeting Monday night
The law department has drafted the
following letter to the mayor and city
council informing them wat acton they
can take in the matter and offering the
assistance free Of charge to enforce the
payment Of delinquent taxes:
According to the statement of City
Treasurer Gillin, there remains uncol-
lected personal taxes to the amount of
$25,oO0 or more, and the city treasurer has
publicly confessed his failure and inabil-
ity to collect these personal taxes and
mas applied to your honorable body for
the appointment of two collectors and
has suggested that they be paid at least
70 per cent of the amount collected by
them.
Your honorable body is not authorized
tion OF personal taxes in this city; in
fact, any effort on the part of your
honorable body, under the insistence of
the city treasurer to appoint such per-
sons to collect taxes or farm OUT to
private persons duties which are per-
sonal to the city treasurer of this city,
would be promptly declared void by the
courts
In order that the taxpayers of this city
may not lose this enormous sum Of un-
collected taxes, the legal department now
asks your honorable body to direct the
city treasurer to provide the law depart
ment with list and statement of the de-
ltnquent taxes referred to, and this de-
partment shall proceed forthwith with
out 20 per cent charge to the city and
without costs whatever, to enforce imme-
date payment Of these delinquent taxes
Ringer Made Assistant.
Dean Ringer has been appointed assist
ant to Attorney General Ayers in the
custer proceedings against Fire and Po-
: lice Commissioners Ryan and Pivonka.
1t was he who worked up the custer pro-
ceedings against the two officials and
who brought evidence before the grand
jury on which they were indicted.
Judge Silas Holcomb, who has been ap-
pointed referee in the proceedings, has
notified Smyth, Smith & Schall, attorneys
for the defense, to be ready for hearing
either July 16 or %. although they wanted
it set for July 20.
Evidence viii! be taken both in Omaha
and in Lincoln in the case.
Lodgers Crowded Together.
Acting under instructions from Mayor
Hector. Assistant Sanitary Inspector
Henry Schmeling paid a visit to the
rooning houses and residences of Greeks
and Roumanians in the vicinity of Twen-
ty-sixth and P streets yesterday evening.
The filth and dirt found in these places
permeated the houses with unhealthful
odors. In many places he found thirty
and forty people huddled together in one
house. In some places there were beds
and In other houses planks laid crosswise
were used. Many Of the houses were de-
void of beds, an old mattress or bundle
Of clothes being used instead.
In an eight-room house Inspector
Sohmeling found twenty-one beds occu-
pied by forty-two persons. In two other
places there were two beds and eight
men in each room.
Mayor Hoctor said this was but the