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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1917)
H ( , iw . j' '" w 14. . The Commoner 14 0L. 17, NO. 5 ,,i , Wi, hvr ' - ft A- f- I chased and Is being sown on tlio tract. The four sandstone, drum columns which were used to support tho east wing of tho old treasury build ing at Washington wero purchased by Hon. Cotter T. Brido of Washington, D. C, and pre sented to tho city of Lincoln to uso in tho park entrance. Theso sandstone columns aro tho columns botweon which Abraham Lincoln stood to review tho troops during tho civil war and wepo presonted to tho city of Lincoln because tho city was named for tho martyred president. Theso four columns, weighing forty tons each and standing thirty-two feet high, almost five foot in diameter, havo been transported to this city and havo been erected as a part of tho O street entranco to Antelope park. Gompleto de tailed plans havo been prepared by a landscape architect for the Antelope park extension and aro on file in tho engineer's ofllco. They include tho plans for straightening tho Antelope creek channel tho work .on which has been com pleted grading plans which have been prac tically completed boulevards which havo been already laid opt and almost completed plant ing, seeding, plans for grass, shrubs, trees, flowers, etc., the work on which is under way. Tho plans also provide for wading pools, play grounds, etc. Elaborato plans havo been mado and approved by the council, and aro on file in the engineer's office, for tho entire Antelope park extension from O street to J street. These plana includo a beautiful mall that will extend from tho park ontrance at O street, of which the historic columns form the central part, to M street, at which point a pergola will bo erected. Theso park plans includo walks, ornamental lighting system, fountains, etc., tho work on which can be carried out as soon as additional funds aro supplied. Tho contract has been let for tho completion of the park entranco on O street, amounting to $4,300, and the masonry work on tho same which extends the full width of tho park tract on O street a distanco of 300 feet and connecting up the historic columns is practically completed. Tho grill work is under construction and wiU bo shortly put in place, completing a most beautiful and artistio park extension, tho total cost of which, including tho transportation and erection of tho columns will amount to about $6,000. The purchaso of tho ground, tho completion and approval of detailed park plans, and the clearing of the ground, cutting a new creek channel, grading and filling and road building which is practically com pleted the sowing of grass seed, the planting of shrubbery and trees which is well under way, tho erection of the park entrance which Will soon bo completed . has carried out the Antelope park extension from O street to J street, which was financially provided for by a $50,000 bond issue and by the $10,000 park levy, making a total of $60,000, which amount was placed in my hands by the council to carry out tho plans outlined and .pledges mado when I urgod the bond issue be submitted and voted to extend the Antelope park frpm J street to O street, for the purpose of opening up a beautiful park system that would bring the city park within easy walking distance of the heart of the city for the convenience of the wage earners DOLLAR GAS CASE During tho past year the suit by the city of Lincoln against the Lincoln Gas Company to compel the gas company to return to the gas consumers about $500,000 illegally collected by tho gas company in overcharge's, and which was won by the city in the federal district court, as set forth in my report of last year, was appealed to the United States supreme court. The United States supreme court has recently granted the city's request to advance tho hear ing of tho gas case and set tho hearing for the first of October, 1917. The supreme court at tho samo time refused the request of the gas company to have the case reopened for further testimony This is another Important victory for the city and the gas patrons of Lincoln have now every reason to expect that the gas case will shortly be decided in their favor and that the upwards of $500,000, held by tho federal district court In tho form of a bond, will be dis tributed to the gas patrons who aro entitled to. the refund. IMPROVEMENTS AT CITY JAIL ' 4 Constructed new jnodern cell house with six cells, with abundance of natural light, fresh air, and provided each cell with city water to rem edy tho conditions, which were inhuman. Provided additional ventilation in "bull pen" at tho city Jan. Constructed a threo car garage for police sta tion. constructed a threo car garage and a store room adjoining new coll house for tho water and light department. S Put in now steam heating system that heats by steam tho now cell house, "bull pen," polico station garage, woman's ward, polico court room, health department office, No. 1 fire station and office of superintendent of streets. Tho construction of a new jail kitchen with hot and cold water, with kitchen sink, natural light and ventilation, and heated by steam. The city has been enjoined from selling and issuing the $50,000 garbage disposal bonds voted by tho people, tho court holding that the city charter did not give tho city authority to issue bonds for tho construction of a garbage plant. , The city will carry the contest to a higher court, belioving that the position taken by tho district judge is not correct. Y FREE LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT " The freo legal aid department established In, 1915, has handled upwards of 600 cases for tho weaker members of society, who wero unablo to employ an attorney of their own. These cases include the collection of wages, settlement of disputes, requiring the county commissioners to put into effect the widow's pension act, protec tion against chattel mortgage sharks, which havo given this class of people a different con ception of what protection the government can afford and has resulted in making go6d, law abiding citizens out of a number of people who formerly believed that it was necessary to tak the law Into their own hands in order to pro tect themselves from people who take advantage of them. MUNICIPAL EMPLOYMENT BUREAU The free municipal employment bureau es tablished in 1915, has received more than 600 applications for work and has found employ ment for more than one-half' of the applicants. The work in these two departments is growing in volume as more and more people learn that these bureaus were organized for the purpose of" protecting wage earners and to assist them in finding employment. The passage of a milk ordinance that would have permitted grocery stores, meat shops, fruit stands, etc., to sell milk without license or in spection, was successfully resisted. Prevented tho construction or re-location of lunch cars within the fire district, v City employes vacation with pay was limited to two weeks. f City employes sick leave on pay was limited to two weeks, which resulted in keeping more men in active servico dn the police department. y City hall employes given half holidays on Sat urday during summer months, for the purpose of increasing efficiency. Initiated the movement and assisted in secur ing a hearing in the city of Lincoln by the mem bers of the farm loan banking board for the. location of a farm loan bank at the capital city of Nebraska. SETTLEMENT OP STRIKE S The strike of day laborers on the Terminal bunding In the spring of 1916, which extended tolfll the day labor o'n construction work in the city and threatened to cause a strike of all the labor employed in the city in the building trades was amicably settled through an arbitration plan suggested by the mayor in conference with the labor organizations, owners o buildings on which strikes were in progress, and the building contractors. " Acceptance of cash bonds by the police de partment was prohibited to prevent possible graft. Depositing cash with police department to be " paid as reward, prohibited. Double pay for police department while work ing on city's time prohibited. Require financial report be made to the coun cil showing the receipts and disbursements of all money coming Into the hands of the police department. y Police department instructed by resolution of the council to remove slot machines and punch boards, on account of being gambling devices, from all places of business In the citv ,i enforce the ordinances against other toml lt gambling, and to enforce tho law aealnS f social evil. against the y Secured the passage of an ordinance i,v , council prohibiting the use in pool hafls of ! machines, punch boards, chips, check ?ot miums, prizes, or giving of merchandise !r l' other form of gambling. u"nsef or any LEGAL DEPARTMENT A The legal department has successfully hamiin , many important lawsuits for the city anS ? d tected the city against loss in unjust T" suits. In addition to the reports mkde bv S legal department and filed the first of Jan 1917, tho department during the fore pan of t' present administration prepared forms t bonds in the police court which has preventer straw bonds being accepted .by the poRdRe , during the past year and a half. gQ Has discontinued the custom of tho citv ing the cost of transcript in appeal cases IZ the police court to the district court theS greatly reducing the number of casespptie The city legal department has-handled I w fit out additional paid help or expense to too uy 600 cases for the legal aid department; h handled without additional expense ti, than 600 applications in the tolZrm ployment bureau; has disposed of about twen five cases in tho district court that were an pealed from the police court under former ad" m nistrations, and has disposed of practically all of the appeal cases from the police court that have been carried up under this administration The doing of work other than attending to the city a legal business on the city's time, with the city's stenographic help, or at the city's ex pense, was discontinued at the beginning of this administration. b 3 y SIDEWALK DEPARTMENT Thfi niriownllr nanoitn ai- -. .. -"I'wi uh me neau or a sep arate department was abolished at tho begin ning of this administration, the sidewalk busi ness placed under the city engineer, and tho business pertaining to sidewalks has been handled by a deputy engineer under tho gen eral direction of the mayor, on whom tho side walk department was wished immediately fol lowing his election. The handling of the sidewalk business through the engineer's office has been very suc cessful and satisfactory. More miles of side walk have been laid and more miles of side walks have been straightened in tho past eighteen months than have probably been done in any three years of the city's history. J Some of tho more important improvements in sidewalk construction, sidewalk lines, grades, and in sidewalk widths, were the straightening of the sidewalks on South Twelfth street, from L to J streets, the building of sidewalks on either side of Seventeenth street from Vine street to the entrance of the state fair grounds and tho construction of sidewalks from lot line to curb stone on either side of O street from Sixteenth street to the Rock Island tracks. GREATER LINCOLN . The mayor suggested and publicly advocated the merging of College View, University Place, and Bethany with Lincoln. Realizing that this consolidation will have to be brought about in the not distant future-to protect the health of the people of Lincoln and to protect tho tax payers of Lincoln and suburban towns against the expense of duplication of schools without regard to location, duplication of all forms of public utility service and expense of mainta'n ing four separate governments, a bill was pre pared and introduced in the legislature provid ing for the merger, subject to the approval of tho voters of the suburban towns affected, but through sincere but misinformed opposition the bill was defeated. After investigating 'the available men in the ten different cities to fill the position of Are chief of the city of Lincolnj to succeed Chief Clements, who resigned, the niayor came to the conclusion that Neill T. Sommer, captain of the St. Joseph, Mo., fire department, was the best all round man for the position. He recommenc ed to the members of the Lincoln city council the appointment of Captain Sommer for the position of chief of the Lincoln fire department and tho council mado the appointment. Since . ('4l
