Omaha daily bee., 1914-07-29
AFFAIRS AT SOUTH OMAHA
Attorney J, P. Breen Files Bill for
Services in Tax Suit.
CITY ATTORNEY TO FIGHT IT
Announces that Case. wiz ne Car
ried 90 Last Court, otherwise
city Attorneys office
would ne Useless.


city Attorneys office
would ne Useless.
Prompt to the day John Paul Breeu,
Mayor Hoctor's special Omaha attorney
for getting hold Of back taxes. presented
his bill Of 5000 for payment by the city
last night to the honorable council To
be exact the bill amounted to sos II
was accompanied by the judgment Gecrec
of District Judge Leslie. That part Of
the judgment which dealt with the pay
ment of the fee was specially lined off
by Attorney Breen. The decree simply
said that as far as the hiring Of the spe.
cial attorney went Judge Leslie would
rot disturb the ruling of Judge Sears, who
Cverruled motion of City Attorney Muir
ply to dismiss the suit brought by
Hoctor in the name of the city II did
rot, however, state that Judge Leslie
had said that he had grave doubts as
to whether or not the mayor and council
ever had any right to begin the suit with
out tho authority Of city Attorney Muir
ply, the regularly constituted law officer
OF the city"
When the bill was presented yesterday
! evening it was referred to the committee
of the whole. The city attorney has
signfied his intention to fight the pay
ment of the bill even to the court of
/ last resort In effect the payment
/ Of the present bill would open the
door for the mayor and council to ap-
| point special attorneys and pay them
special fees every time the opinion of
| the city attorney was adverse to the
/ wishes OF the mayor and council City
Clerk Wheeler and city Treasury Martin
both stand between the special attorney
al d his SEQ.
The appropriation bill for 1914 was
passed at last nights meeting. Five con-
tractors bid on the paving of three streets.
Raising Assessments.
Perhaps an indication of what the small
taxpayers may expect was hinted yester-
day when the council, sitting as a board
! of equalization, attempted to raise the
assessment of A. a. Wright from 1925 to
! 81 200 on the Rockaway restaurant. Wright
appeared before the celebrating body and
when he left he had caused the delibera-
lions to become more or less deiberative.
That feathers will fly for the week while
the board sits is indicated. II am going
to see just how far they will get with
this stuff" said Mr. Wright as he left
works for something like $500 he
stormed. but the equalization board
wants me to pay on $1,000
The packers and others will be cited in
as rapidly as possible. This year there is
need to raise something like million
over last years assessment, 1t Is said
Find Way to Pay Police.
Disproving the oft-rcpeated statement
that the city attorney and the city treas
urer stood between the policemen ana
their nav. the city attorney and the city
treasurer have been at work in an en-
deavor to find some way to pay the
policemen. The treasurer said YESTERDAY
that a way had been worked out we
only need about 500 for the rest OF the
wear" said Martin, and We think we
have that much in view without the back
taxes which are now safe in the interest
and sinking fund"
Scrap over Paving.
For three hours the Board of Educa-
lion last night listened to men and
women scrappng over the merits OF df-
ferent kinds of pavement which the
board was asked to subscribe to FOR the
having of Sixteenth street. Egyptian
block from Lincoln or Buffalo brick
block from South Omaha, In the long run
maid promoters and circulators of petit
tions to nave were the vaes who had
cooked up the strife, The board wanted
. TO keep out of the mess and after us
tening TO the complaints of one side ana
, the other, ordered the signatures counted
In the meantime the board got busy on
, other things One of the things was
resolution to reduce the school term 20
nine months in accord with the many
complaints of parents and patrons OF
wear ago, who insisted that the westher
was too hot to begin study. The term
this year will open September and Will
continue for nine months
Koutsky-Pavlik again drew the prize
l in school repair works. The painting
and papering of several schools was
awarded to the local firm.
Magic city Gossip.
: office space for rent in Bee ottice, ~
/ n street. Terms reasonable wen hho"i
location. Tel. South n.
Peter spence of stanton was ,h at tn,
! stock yards yesterday morning WIN
! consignment of heavy steers
? Jacob SEVERN of Utica was at the stocl
4 | Yards market yesterday on business. ~
: returned home yesterday altelhoon'
w. NJ. Van Alstine, veteran stockm,sl
= or Columbus. was a visitor in the cit
/ Yesterday lie shook hands with man!
Q of his friends
: Mrs. l.. D. Holmes is reported to o.
yerv sick with qunsy at her home IN TN
0 citv. She has been in serious state 10
r the last ten days.
, NIrs Mary Jelinek. the woman who sho
. herself last week is reported TO be 7
good condition. She is at the Souu
Omaha hospital.
Lew G.. Ferguson, well known IN ioSa
circles is the weekend guest OF M
brother, {. r. Ferguson, of the stocI
yards Mr., Ferguson now travels out o
! Rock Island