Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-14
The UnChallenged Raid on tho
Stata Treasury, to the Tuna
Of Over a Mill on.
Ame zing Indifference of Mem
bers to the Passage OF Ques-
tionable CLAIMS.
The Remarkable Revolution in
Ffanse, the Cunning
Statesman.
Tho Strong and Weak rsatures OF
the Senate Railroad Bill.
The Capitol Appropriation and Rail-s
road Assessment Bills.


SpNial Dispatch - Tus FsH
LINCOLN, February 13 Only sixty
members attended the night session
OF the house. They organized them.
selves Into a committee of the whole,
and reported back the general appro-
pristion bill, with items ssgregating
over sc 600. The remarkable feature
was the utter indifference, as many
extravsgsnt items which passed were
sgreed to With unanimous consent. It
now looks as IL this legislature would
vote about million and a quarter In
the face of the fact that
THE STATE ALREADY HAS A DEBT
OF nearly half a million, which over
laps by 5000, 600 the constitutional
limit, which expressly fixes the highest
amount of liability at $500, 600. The
engineers of the capitol sppropria ion
are still hopeful if not confident.
They have essed the conscieuces Of
reveral oppon ent by trivial cor cestions
la limiting the coat of the building
and reducing the architects fees.
Notable among these converts is
FRANsE OF CUNNING,
who, the other night, created such a
sensation by his rampant opposition
to any capitol appropriation. Is is
believed by many that his bombasiio
speech was loud advertisement for
proposals. Such acquisitions may,
however, weaken rather than strsE 9Th.
on tho capitol appropriation. Messrs.
Haven and Stedwoll, the members
from Buffalo county, protest that they
have made no trade with the Llncas.
ter delegation for the reform school
appropriation, which they declare
must stand or fall on It's merit. They
will not support the capitol bill on any
condition
RAILROAD LEGISLATION
is at last coming to the front. The
bill reported by Senator McShsne
from the senate railroad committee
meets the popular demand for regu-
lation moro effsctually than any bill
30 far proposed. II prohibits fa-
voritism and discrimination under se-
we're penalties, requires railroads to
furnish all patrons equal facilities
and requires all connecting roadu
to deliver, handle and transport
freight coming from rival lines with
dispatch. It requires railroads to
keep freight and passenger rates post.
ed In all their stations. The maxi
mum rate for all freight Is fixed at 20
per cent below the schedule rate In
force on January of this year. Pas.
serger rates on all roads are fixed at
three cents per mile, iucluding 100
pounds of baggage, and the rates for
children under IL years, half fare.
The bill also regulates the many evils
In handling live stock and grain, and
requires roads to give ample facilities
to all shippers. The state treasurer,
secretary of state and auditor
are constituted board OF commits
sioners TO supervise the enforcement
OF the Law and institute inquiry Into
railroad management. The board is
TO appoint three secretaries, ono from
ese; oougrs s,;onal district, to conduct
their btfs,rs, each of these secretaries
20 recsive $1,000 per annum. The
expensive feature and the clause
authorizing the commission to lower
or raise rates fixed by law upon thirty
days notice are
THE WEAKEST POINTS IN THE BILL.
The commissioner machinery is al.
together too expensive and compli-
Gated. The salaries of the secretaries
are 5000 year above the salary of
the governor and 81, 900 above that If
the secretary of state. One score.
tary at 81 800 can do all the business
In Nebraska as well as one commis-
sioner and one clerk does the work of
supervision in Minnerota, Wisconsin,
Virginia and several other states. II
Ia doubtful whether the clause author
king tho commissioners to undo the
work OF the legislature by changing
passenger and freight rates would
hold water In the court. At any rate
1t would be more pruden. and econo-
mioal to simplify the expensive COM
missioner machinery and confer no
questionable authority that might
impair the validity Of the proposed
law.
The house bill which the railroad
attorneys are pushing Is without re-
deeming quality and may be regarded
as doomeo.
THE RAILROAD AssYssMEET BILLs
pending In both no uses are making
slow headway. Many members labor
under the delusion that 1t will be of
advantage to the western counties to
assess to depot grounds, machine
shops and other building with the
rolling stock and right of way as per-
sonsl property. This was tried three
years pgoaud theresult was the general
average per mile was lower than the
previous year when these improve
ments were taxed by local assessors,
which raised the taxable valuation in
certain counties, and they in turn
paid an increased amount
state tax, It 10 safs to say local i'm
provements Jumped In with the right
Of way and rosdbed would increase To-
cal tax valuation In Douglas, Oass,
Lancaster. HALL aud Lincoln counties
by ~, ,0O0, 900, or one-sixth of the
assessed valuation OF all railroad prop
erty In the state.