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The Commoner
14
0L. 17, NO. 5
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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
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