1
fin
0
A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO
POLITICS, AGRICULTURE AND HOME LIFE
Twentieth Year.
RAILROAD BILLS
JQIXT COMMITTEE VOTES TOR A
" TWO-CENT HATE.
WILSEY DECIDES THE TIE
HOUSE MEMBERS FOR TWO AND
OXE-IIALF CENTS.
SUB-COMMITTEES ARE NAMED
TO FORMULATE ANTI-PASS AND
COMMISSION BILLS.
Commissioner' Salary Fixed ut
.".,000 House Kills Tlaii to
Give, State Fair a" Levy of.
One-eighth 3H1I.
WEDNESDAY
Sub-committees to draft bills were
appointed by the joint railroad com
mission at a meeting last night held
In the senate chamber. It was decided
to draft separate 'measures providing
for a two-cent passenger fare; for an
anii-pass law; and to empower the
railroad commissioners to have au
thority over all rates. The committee
decided to fix the salaries of the com
missioners at $3,000.
Walsh of Douglas started the work
of the evening by moving that it be
the sense of the committee that a
sub-committee be named to draft a
bill providing for a two and one-half
certt passenger fare. Of the members
present, Representatives Marsh of
Seward, Harrison of Otoe, Keifet of
Nuckolls and Walsh of Douglas were
favorable and Senators Gibson of
Douglas, Aldrich of Butler, Epperson
of Clay and Hanna of Cherry were
opposed. Chairman Wilsey, senator
from Frontier, voting to remove the
tie decided against the motion.
Senator Aldrich then moved that a
committee of four draft a two-cent
passenger fare and the proposition
carried, the committee naming Sena
tors WiltFe of Cedar, Ilanna of Cherry
and Representatives Keifor of Nuck
olls and March of Seward.
Walsh of Douglas moved that t
compensation of the commissioners be
fixed at $3,000 each per annum. Sen
ator Wilsey rose to interpose the ob
jection that he was opposed to any
offlTr of the state receiving greater
compensation than the governor. Com
missioners Winnet and Williams were
present and they were asked what they
nridred to state to the committee to i
Vfmhiff compensation. Dr. WinnHt
raid hs would merely give the figures
paid In other Mate. Out of flftcn
Htates north and isnuth win r there
war elective commission, f north"
rrn state paid an average of $3,133 and
nine southern states paid an average
of 2.00.
The QraRe salary paid where there
t elective itnmnlsin was Jilti
itHl average of Appointive and Uc
the t 'r-r:! vi"n wan l.'.SbS.
..iiHters Aldrich, llanru and lieprc
Mntnttvr Kcifcr, Wal.-h and Haiti
noil otd f..r the J 1.009 Kifrit y and it
Prter of Cmiiilln.
Thrrt foliowel U Kt"d d .tl . f .!!
CtiNdn Ri to Mie proper way t pro
Cefd to draft u Mil empowering th"
i-onlion with authority to ru late.
tfenitr lit r.. f iviuc.i m j uli'd
Mil. tittf n the organisation mid cum
Lincoln, Nebraska,
pensation . of commissioners and
another defining their duties and the
mode of procedure. Senator Aldiicli
was just as much in favor of one bill
as Senator Epperson was in favor of
two. Senator Epperson said the con
stitution expressly stated that only one
subject could be included in a bill and
he feared that If the whole matter was
covered in a single bill the constitu
tionality might be successfully at
tacked. Senator Aldrich said that the
laws of Texas, Iowa and Florida had
been in effect a long time and that
they had withstood attacks in . court.
These were single comprehensive bills.
He thought by far the better way was
to' cover the entire subject at one lime.
Walsh of Douglas moved that a com
mittee consisting of two from the
house and two from the senate be ap
pointed to draft a single bill covering
the commission's duties. This carried
and Senators Aldrich and Epperson,
with Representatives Walsh and Har
rison were named by Chairman Wil
sey. More discussion followed as to the ad
visability of one or two bills and Ep
person made a motion for the second
committee Mvhich was seconded by
Keifer. This motion failed.
On motion of Walsh' of Douglas a
committee of four on anti-pass bill was
appointed 'consisting' of Gibson of
Douglas, Gould of Greeley, Farley of
Hamilton and Knowles- of Dodge.
This completed the business of the
evening. It wa3 understood that the
action of toe evening was simply to
get the committees at work at some
thing definite. The vote does not bind
the entire committee to the determi
nation arrived, at as to vital points
but simply divides the members up to
the .end that progress may be made.
The committee " adjourned subject to
the call of the chairman and mean
while the sub-committees are expected
to take steps to cover the duties as
signed them.
Firemen Visit Lincoln.
Four captains of the Omaha fire de
partment with a delegation of firemsu
numbering fifteen in all, held a ses
sion with the house labor committee
yesterday on the Leeder double shift
bill, which Omaha business men have
been opposing. They stated that the
cost of the innovation for Omaha has
been overestimated and that in taxa
tion it will amount only to a tax of 75
cents on every $2,000 of property. The
committee will meet this morning to
act on the measure.
Telephone Bill In Committee.
.The standing committee on railroads
of the senate, Wilsey, chairman, which
has the Epperson telephone bille be
fore it, met during the afternoon and
after considerable discussion, which
disclosed much opposition to the bill,
adjourned without action. The bill
places telephone companies under the
control of the state railway commis
sion and requires such companies to
connect for the transmission of mes
sages. The provision regarding ' con
nection is "viewed with alarm" by
many members of the committee. Some
say it is unfair to require a big company
to connect with an exchange compris
ing a few members, such as many of
the farmers' exchanges. The ind?
pendend telephone companies are said
not to desire such a bill and the Hell
company opposed anything of the kind
two v ars ago, but not a few senators
belhve tin1 Hell favors the bill more
than the Independents do. The Hell
Is reported to have connections at the
presuu time with 170 independent
companies In Nebraska, representing
37,noo p!une. A man is on the rnd
constantly making contracts of this
kind. The fate of the bill I hi jet
unknown.
hrch l vnr County option.
At the First Haptlst church last Sun
day morning, the membership and con
grcxalion adopted unumlously by a ris
ing vote, resolutions referring to the
county option bill, known a.i hoinse roll
No. f. The resolution are jim follow:
'"Whereas, A measure known th
county option bill, houe roll No. !, H
n-iw pending In the legislature, lelng
in" the hand of the judiciary commit
ti. UH,
"Whi t, as, Wo believe that thl
measure Is an eminently fair and re
on !! one, L-in,t c ilcul itrd to place
some nuhitary restriction upon the
1! pjor traffic, placing the responsibili
January 24, 1907
ty for the saloon, where If properly be
longs, and gives promise of doing much
to eliminate the whole saloon problem
from partisan politics, therefore,
"Resolved, That we hereby express
our hearty endorsement of this meas
ure and trust that it may receive fav
orable action in both houses of the
legislature.
"Resolved, That we hereby earnestly
and respectfully request our represent
ative, Hon E. P. Brown, chtlrman of
the judiciary committee, with our oth
er representatives and senators, to use
their utmost endeavors to secure fav
orable ;,?tion on this bill In the com
mittee, and in both the senate and the
house.
"Resolved. That a committee of three
be named to convey to the gentlemen
named above, the resolutions herewith
offered." ' .
E. E. Bennett, M. J. Waugh and R.
Q. Williams were appointed by the
chair' as a committee to present the
resolutions passed.
Impeachment for Keeping Lid Off.
Senator Saekett of Gage, has intro
duced S. F. No. 180, which if it be
comes a law, will place the responsi
bility of. enforcing all laws directly up
on the governor. That officer will no
longer be able to do as Governor Mick
ey did when asked to enforce laws,
say that the local officers are respon
sible and if they do not carry out the
intent of the law the people must go
into court to get redress. The act
makes it the duty of the attorney gen
eral of th state, when directed by the
governor to oust from offlco any of
ficer, including mayors, wlio wilfully
neglects to enforce a law and it makes
such neglect punishable by ouster from
office. During the first three years of
Governor Mickey's term of. office he
was appealed to by citizens of Omaha
to remove the Omaha fire and police
commissioners because they neglected
to enforce the laws against gambling
and the sale of intoxicants. Ho replied
that he had no power to do so and told
the citizens to get reJress in the
courts. He was asked to stop prize
fights and he usually notified the sher
iff of the county where the complaint
came from of the provisions of the law
prohibiting such contests. He was
asked to prevent the exhibition of a
carnival company in a town where the
local officers had declined to act, and
he replied, bucked up by a decision of
the attorney general, that he had no
power to do so. The Sackett bill is In
tended to remove local officers who re
fuse to enforce a law and it is made
stronger by making it the duty of the
attorney general to proceed against
such ofiiccrs, when directed by the gov
ernor. The bill is as follows:
Section 1 Any county attorney or
prosecuting officer, sheriff, police judge,
mayor, police ofneer, or police commis
sioner or other, officer who shall wil-
fully fail, r.egloet or refuse to enforce
any law which it Is made his duty to
enforce shall thereby forfeit his office
and may be removed therefrom.
Section - 2 The attorney general of
the. state, when directed by the gover
nor, shall institute and prosecute quo
wairar.to proceedings in the supreme
court against any such county attor
ney or prosecuting officer, 'sheriff,
police judge, police officer or police
commissioner, mayor or other officer,
and if the court shall tind that such
officii" has wilfully filled or refused
to enforce any law which It is his duty
ns sur.'h officer to enforce, thn the
tour, shall ivr.der judgment of ouster
au ii.i t Mich officer and the office .-hall
th-ir!;y lnvorue vacant.
nnf' Funny Mnn.
S- ! t?..r Kt pe-"! of t'lny county I
add in;; to hi reputation as the funny
nun of the Miute, Although ;. is
lawyer, it is difficult to tell when he Is
joking and v,h-n he Is in earnest. 0
is chaitin-Mi of th committee on taili
tary ' affair and recently aiu:..uneed
that he Intended to have a J. -Jut tn-et-log
of Ids Committee with the SUva
tlm ant.y. Y-sterd.iy a irKoiutlon wiut
Irtro-'ueod by ;iie q t,f D,,iiK!,t uu.
th"i Wing ;, i,.u-.r K j rr.ton to borrow
and we-ir a unlf. ttit of the rank of ad
Jut ins tfn!al and to ait -cort of
the t.-i'.e to t!i - MeKtr.'.ey banquet at
onah.v
Senator ltpj erson dlstinauh".. -d him.
s lf two j ".irs auto by making un at
t.u U ott a bdl to nuk it ilawe ca won
f"f the UUtf. of nquirrvls, YU-rd,y
Subscription $1.00
when a bill came up for consideration
providing for an open season of two
months in the year, Senator Epperson
said:
"Mr. Chairman, two years ago I
made a very able and eloquent speech
on this subject. I have forgotten what
I said, but I ask that the clerk of the
committee of the whole read the speech
from the records to apply to this oc
casion." Gibson of Douglas who was . In the
chair, said: "The gentleman from Clay
must remember that his speech two
years ago was made in committee, of
the whole where no records are sup
posed to be kept. Therefore his speech
would not have been printed unless a
special act of the legislature had been
passed embalming It in print. I have
heard of no such special act, so the
speech will probably be lost to pos
terity." ,'
The gentleman from Clay informed
the senate that he hardly ever said
the same thing twice sto he would not
endeavor to repeat the speech.
The failure of, the bill to make 'an
open season of two months will be sad
news to ex-Senator Jones of Otoe who
is now -living on the Pacific coast
There was no closed season in the Ne
braska game laws and he Introduced a
bill two years ago to close a portion of4
the year. The senata got Into a wrangle
over it and closed the entire year
against the introducer's wishes, and
the house passed the bill in that form
and it became a law. "By all means,
repeal that law," said Mr. Jones to
Senator Buck of Otoe when the former
left for his new home on the Pacific
coast. "Carry the news to Jones," said
a senator, yesterday after that .body
refused td change' the 'law which he
admitted ho was responsible for by
mistake. V ; : , ' -
AN ISLAND WAS ENGULFED
Tidal Wave of January 11 Caused
Great Loss of Life.
THE HAGUE, Jan. .22. The tidal
wave which devastated some of the
Dutch East Indian islands south of
Atchin, as announced January 11,
practically engulfed - the island of
Siniaiu. According to the latest infor
mation received here Simalu has al
most disappeared. It Ls said that prob
ably 1,GC0 persons lost their lives. Vio
lent earth shocks continue to be felt
daily.
According to the' brief official dis
patch which first announced the de
struction wrought by the tidal wave
in some of the Dutch East Indian is
lands, 300 persons perished on the In
land of Tana and forty on Simalu.
Simalu is situated off the northwest
coast of the island of Sumatra.
MORE PAY FOR MAIL MEN
Tto 1itllojt Needed for this I'ur
lione Sujk Hitchcock.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 22. -First Assist
ant Postmaaler General Hitchcock recom
monded in his annual report that the sal
aries of the officials and clerks in past
offices anl the salaries of letter carriers
bo increased to enable them to meet the
Increased expense of living.
In Ills testimony before tlio house commute-
vn n.n t.. (Tit t a unil nostroada, Mr,
Htlchccck ha re ! rated that recommen
dation, supplying the committee with
centsi fer ible data u:i the .ubj ct. At thd
recommendation of the comn:ilte h- ha
estimated th ttniount u-eesjry to carry
his proposition Into ehW.. According tu
tl ee t'mo s the KSHcm of Increase which
( Mr HluheocU 'tc.l will require
oO,i fur the oiHct-rs and clerks ol post-ott'e-v.
not tnclti!!j"; j a r :.i -t- r and
their lep,ul- nrnj $.V '.' r t r lett.'r ear
rl. ri. The c'linidtt'-e li i - n it yel teache.J
a dfi--;itri on the mailt r.
I TWENTY-NINE WERE KILLED
i .....
Itrkult of )lNMroti Uteek mi (lit
IliC l our Itontl,
Ti;uni; hai ti:. ind.. Jan. :ia
rld li.it of irad and lajuird ft out
th ep!.ion and wr-ck of Big Four
t'...ie!iii r train Mo. .". "N.itiir.l iv
J at Sanford. li,d., Miomm twenty -ntn
! -i.i . I t: itty-itto Injured.
Ul llie tM eighteen have ftcen
Identified. CVt rotter K. 11. LeaMtt bo
K u- work on the cause of the dluir
to b y. The jiue ,f the etpKt,lau U 44
mud a tnytery rvir.
