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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 1897)
&:"& i k F I; f! N- . A" IU l , r. im7-!m$m&& y??-v-r.'p&sri -& rw"-- VOL 12 0 47 , T tn"p -,.. .a. .-.- ESTABLISHED IN 1998.. - ac-ow- :. ., RKICE f:IVECBNJS - s sap LINCOLN. NEB., SATURDAY, NOVEMUh'R -. 1807 "BCTS5! - Entered is- the i'Ostofficb at lincol . hEC'l.ND CLASS MATTEC. PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY BT THE COURIER PRINTING HID PIMK 9 Office 1132 X street. Up Stain Telephone 384. SARAH I'. HARRIS. DORA BACHELLER Bnsinres Efiter Subscription Rates In Advance. Per annum 2W Sir months 100 Three months 50 One month 28 Single copies 05 OBSERVATIONS. 8 J Last week The Covkieic priutedat. few questions in these columns espe cially interesting to the signers of the state auditor's howl. In this issue the results of the examination or the: state's account with this committee are printed. The constitution of this state-provides that the term of office of mem bers of the legislature shall be tvu years: that their pay shall heabthe rate of live dollars: that they shall not receive pay for more than one hundred! days during their term; that tliey shall not receive any pay rpernius ites other than their salary and mile age; that they shall not receive anvr civil apjraiiitiiient within this atafe from the governor and seuate during; the term for which they were e&cted and that they shall not c interested", cither directly or indirectly, inany conlract with the state, county or city, authorized by any law passed during the term for which, they were elected, or within one year after the expiration thereof. The legislature at iLs last session appropriated ten thousand rtoltarsand placed the same under the control nC the governor, to hoby hiiuused tj defray the expenses of an investiga tion of the accounts in the different executive offices of the state, and the. expenses of investigating the several state institutions and for the iHirpose of prosecuting criminal and clviL cases .wherein the state has been de frauded. UndT the constitution nu member of the legislature could lie appointed C make this investigation by the jcovernor and senate, hence in order to get around the constitutional in hibition and to jiermit taemlters of the legislature to receive the appoint ntejttand Income recipients of the ap propriation, a joint resolution, so called, was (Kissed providing that the Speaker should appoint three mem bers ut the house of representatives and the lieutenant-governor should appoint two members of the senate and then ve should constitute a com mittee for the purpose of investigat ing the accounts in the different ex ecutive offices and for the purpose of investigating the several state insti tutions under the control of said ex ecutive offices. By providing that these luemlters of the legislature should be appointed by the Speaker and lieutenant-governor the provision of the constitution prohibiting mem bers from receiving a civil appoint ment from the governor was avoided. Under this resolution Senators Bcal nnd Mutz and Hepresentati VC3 Moniu, Wlieeler and Zimmerman were ap pointed, and they constitute the in vestigating committee. The salary these members of the legislature were entitled to receive during their term it two years was five hundred dollars each; this was the legal limit of their unjpensation,exchiMveof mileage. As per diem during the legislative session fliey each received from thestate three hundred dollars exclusive of the amount paid them a mileage: since lihe adjournment of the legislature tliey liave been paid b the state a nicmljers of the committee, as follow?: Bel.$i6),lW, total $UWi; exo over le- eal limit .. $W. Matx,$T!ii.4, total SIUOC. 17: excess. oer legal limit .. . -C;.I7 Morao, $7!-rO, total S1UH.3U; exce&j ot er te;al limit .... . 5JJJJO Vioeeler, S.3CU), total $tMi ; excess over Icrl limit 105. Zimmerman, SJ20-U). total $3; excels over leal limit ... .. . 1-0. The committee still continue to draw pay from the state. The secre tary of slate must have known that he had no authority to approve the claim upon which these excessive pay ments were made: the auditor must have known that he had no authority to examine or adjust the claim or to draw a warrant therefor, and the jcovernor, under whose control the ai propriation was placed, mut have known that these meml)ers of the legislature were by the constitution prohibited from receiving from the state on account of their salary more thait five hundred dollars each during their term of two years. If five mem bers of the legislature may draw pay from, the state at the rat of five dol lars per day for two years by the sub terfuge of making them members of a committee, why mat not one hundred and thirty-thiee memlters do the sime thing? Among the many subjects of legis lation which will le considered by the congress which convenes on the sixth proxim. none will !e of more general interest or importance than some of the many amendments that will Ik- promised to the existing law relative to national banks. It is with in the iwer of congress to create in the public mind a confidence in these asscciat Ions which they do not now enjoy and to practically prevent bank panics. This can Itc accomplished by legislation which will require each national bank to ay to the govern ment a small annual tax on its de posits which shall be held a a trust fund and from which the government shall pay thedejtositors in such banks as fail, as scon as the liability to its deiositors can lie ascertained, and from the assets of the bank the fund shall le reimbursed as far and as fast as iiossible. An annual tax of one-twelfth of one per cent ier annum on the deposits in national banks if paid during the past thirty-three years would have raised a fund large enough to have reimbursed every depositor for money lost by the failure of national banks. It is not proposed that the government shall guarantee the deposits, but that it shall by law. comjtel the banks to pay a sum which will lie used by the gov ernment in (laying the depositors. The result of such legislation would lie to at once increase the deposits in this class of banks and to put in cir culation large sums of money now in hoarding. ruder the law as it. now exists national banks iay government offi cials for examinations and it would he equally fair and far more beneficial to the patrons of these institutions if t'ley were required to guarantee their depesits bra fund which should lie in. the (Kissession of the government as t rustee. National banks are chartered by congressional legislation and are un der governmental supervision, but it is an unfavorable comment on the bank. ingsstem that none of these bankscan liecome depositories- of government money until they dcoit with the t reasury government bondsassecurity for the (Kiyiueut of government funds entrusted to them. It is more than probable that the next congress will enact a law which will make de (icsits in national banks absolutely safe. The council's acceptance of Mr Stephenson's proposition to settle the claim or the city against him for a cjish payment of SUJ-l.iit; was a meas ure of ex(dieney rather than of exact Justice, and only as a measure of ex (tedieucy is It acceptable. Mr. Stepli enson asked for a third term in order IhaHic might make good the loss oc casioned by the wrecking or t he Cap! tal National bank, lie secured a third term on this (ilea alone and failed to make his promises good. The whole amount of the deficit, is probably less than the Interest received by Mr. Stephenson, over and above his stipu lated salary during his incumbency or the office of city treasurer and he or his bondsmen should be compelled to pay it. But the extreme uncertain ty of t he outcome of t he legal pn.cess necessary to collect it. makes the ac ceptance of the ex-treasurer's offer, as I said before, expedient The proposition to employ an extra lawyer to assist the city attorney in the legal proceedings about to begin in the case of the City or Lincoln against the Street Hallway Company for delinquent taxes, is another lam entable indication of the desire of certain meinliers of the council to sjiend money and plenty of it. With out consulting the city attorney as to whether he needed aid. it was pro posed by Mr. Wood- that the city spend from .".onn tolo.ooo in employ ing an extra attorney to assist the city attorney In the case against the Street Railwav Company. Mr. A1h bott's legal services to the city have been distinguished In conservative efforts to. save the citv from exjiense. His advice. when followed by the council, has proved sound and has lieen justified by events. Among the city officers he has been distinguished by an unwillingness to recommend the spending or money on fanciful schemes originated by members or the council who think that is what they are there for. In recognition of Mr. AblMts position as city attorney, ir not on account or the integrity or his service, his opinion as to the necessity or employing ilO.oix) worth or extra legal talent should at least have lieen consulted. Mr. Woods c aimed that the reor ganization committee had employed eminent counsel and would carry the case to thcMipremecourt. Mr. Slaugh ter denies the employment or addi tional counsel and that they expert to carry it to the Cnited States eourt. The company has not employed any additional counsel for the past year; in fact has not emploved anv counsel outside of its regular attornev. Mr. John H.Ames. So far as the receiver is aware there ha not been any word or thought of taking this matter into the 1'nited States court. In fact, the receiver has had nothing to do with theques- all ra tions of law or taxes except tu pav citv. count vand state t.-iv.. Tii ceiver has paid euwy dollar of back taxes, personal and real estate, due from 1-sU Co the present date, as fxst gtSfc-ijy-sr ii ji 1' If I !' v .-Milife-i' ?35 tttflSBlfiigf 'a i ti irrt-ir ij&. "S- ?... :& . tu!,, rr-,W