The Washington times., 1922-05-23

York city - but
has been broadened. Republican and
Democratic politicians here in Omaha
regard Judge Wrays candidacy for
the Senate as destined to failure. but
they regard IL also as a political fac
tor in calculations OF the States i'm.
mediate future in national affairs.
Here | find also the candidacy OF
a strong and popular Roosevelt
ubliCan-Progressive In the Re
publican primary for the office OF
United States Senator. This man
is r. B. Howell, OF Omaha. man.
ager of Omaha's municipal water.
works. manager OF Omohas munich
pal gas works, manager of Omaha's
municipal ice plant. and member OF
the Republican National Committee
from Nebraska. Mr.. Howell sells
municipality made ice-at thirty.
six municipal ice stores in Omaha.
He sells 1t on the cash and carry
plan. People come and get It in
little wagons that Mr.. Howell sells
them to get II in: or they get 1t in
motor cars. perambulators. baskets,
or tin pans He sells II to them in
scent chunks at the rate Of 80
cents per 100 pounds. The delivery
price charged by the private fee
companies has meanwhile been as
high as 10 cents per 100 pounds.
Mr.. Howell started his municipal
ice plant without being obliged TO
ask the city government of Omaha
to put up a cent for IL. His mu-
nicipal water works had a big sur
plus in the bank. The met gain"
OF his municipal water works in the
last fiscal year, after allowance for
all expenses and also for all de-
| probation in plant value, was along
about a quarter million Of dollars.
Mr.. Howell borrowed money from
the municipal water works to start
the municipal ice plant. The total
| investment in the ice plant-whiCh
was started three years ago-was
about S2S7, 900. In three years
since then the profits OF the ice
plant. after paying all expenses and
all interest on the money borrowed
| from the water works, have been
about $4,000.
| In other words, this municipal ice
plant has more than paid for jtself in
| three years and at the same time las
been selling ice at prices previously
thought impossible. Mr.. Howell IS q
man of large and powerful body,
with n marvellous memory for the
price of ice picks, the trend Of TIE
coal and coke market. and the meth
DDS of computing the value of by
drants for water FOR fire prott ction
| for gentlemen who want the munich
pal water works to put those ny.
drants in front OF their business
premises. Mr.. Howells mind is a
| business mans mind, except III so far
as II is the mind of an engineer. He
is a graduate of the Annapolis Naval
Academy.
He went back into the navy for
the Spa nish- American war and for
the world war. He became city en-
gineer OF Omaha back in 1895. He
was the leading figure in the strug-
gle which gave Omaha its ownership
of its water, works, which previously
had been owned by a private com.
pany. He tells me, however, that
he does not favor public ownership
| for the sake Of public ownership.
He favors II only as an alternative
to a situation in which the public is
being plundered without remedy and
In which the task of changing the
business over from a private busi.
ness spirit to a public business
spirit may seem to be really feasible.
Mr.. Howell Is a formidable candi-
date, having served the public on
the popular side and having been
elected Republican national commit
teeman in 1912 and again in 1916
and again in 1920. He did not leave
the Republican party for Roosevelt.
but he was strong follower Of
Roosevelt's, within the party, and
he may be regarded in n way as
being the Nebraska equivalent for
Beveridge In Indiana and for Pin
chot in Pennsylvania.
His principal opponent in the Re.
publican primary for United States
Senator is Congressman A. w. JEFF
| ferris. Mr.. Jefferis belongs TO the