Omaha daily bee., 1889-03-01

| be killed for the Indemnity money. wrote
| Prof. Billings for evidence. -Four or five let
| ters were exchanged, but no tangible evi
dence was ELECTED. Billings had repeated
| the remark of man he met on the cars, and
| did not even know his name. | directed the
| commission to make an investigation, and
| they discovered no case in which glandered
| horse mad been driven in from surrounding
| states and condemned by them. There is no
| doubt that Gerth was thoroughly educated
| man. He was at first inclined to be indolent
| didn't like to make hard trips. Appi.
cations piled up to the number OF 2OJ, and
| told the commission sta4sss, =4aSt be reduced
| | adopted this plan: When | received y
complaining telegram | went to Gerth and
| said Nov the train leaves at such an hour.
| / want you to take the train and 90 there"
| l kept this up until 1t was unnecessary TO
| prompt him. He was regarded by Others as
| well as myself as a competent veterinary.
| AS for travelling on passes, never heard oil II
| before. sfheir accounts are settled by the au-
| ditor and do not pass through my hands. IL
| was my duty to see that they did their duty,
and they did il.
Prof Bessey quite unexpectedly
| would like to raise point that these pro-
ceedjngs are out of order. This is an lnves-
| tgation not of men but of the state farm and
the experiment station.
Senator Keckley--In the absence OF our
| chairman, Senator Cnnnor, we are proceed
| ing informally. In other words, L take IL
this is Il rec-for.all.
| Thayer Perhaps | am responsible for the
| turn matters have taken by coming here
| DR.. Billings in employed by Prof Bessey-
| Bcssey Cnterrupung)-To certain eX-
| tent.
Thayer-And l think it proper to call his
| attention to Billings charges. If the regents
and Prof. Bessey thinks such conduct right,
/ can stand 1t, but think it disgraceful.
Bessey-I agree with YOU
| Thayer (hotly)-Billings was engaged in
| dirty work, writing to Morrissey, Offering to
| furnish hot shot to fire into me
Regent Gere-I would like to say that the
| newspaper warfare was inaugurated by
| Gerth over a case of cattle diseased at Te.
| kanah.
| Thayer-No, sir. 1t was raging when l
came into Office, year before.
Blliugs-The governor is right. This at
| tack began ON me before 1 stepped into Nc
braska. l criticised the first report of the
| commission Gere knows my going to him
| was the cause of Gerth's retention even after
| he had forged that railroad pass.
| Sutherland (protesting)-I can see only
this one fact developed here tonight. That
is, the state board of regents have been en-
| ployng Billings ut a salary of 81, 800 year to
| furnish hot shot to the other side to fight over
candidates with. and from my experience in
| politics we can get all we want of that kind
| of slush for nothing. This charge against
| the live stock commissioners is foreign to the
case Gerth was lauded sky high when ap-
| pointed, and know nothing different about
| him. There is always q rivalry between men
| in the same profession.
Billings with dignity)-I don't belong to
the veterinary profession. l resigned long
| ago.
| Representative Delaney--Do you think the
| commission killed horses that were not
| glandereds
| Billings-I can't tell. My statement about
| driving horses into the state from Wyoming
| was based on casual remark made to me on
| the cars. / met Abbey ON the street and
| told him to take it for what it was worth.
| The only thing | know is that glanders is q
| contagious and infectious disease. Leglslar
| ton is based on knowledge, and it is my bus-
ness to furnish that knowledge about animal
| diseases.
Thayer--Prof. Billings never denied using
| DR.. Hopkins name.
| Billings (warningly)-I don't deny it now.
| Representative Diiler-Doctor, where is
the steal you spoke of in your letter!
Billings-lf the law says says man must
| take precautions to prevent the spread of
| glanders and a man runs off lot OF horses
and the next year he gets $500 for them.l call
that q steal
Funck-How has the governor been steal
| ingl
Billlngs-Oh, l meant the live stock com
| missioners.
| Diller-How is the governor responsible2 2
| Billings-I understand he is at the head of
| the commissions.
| Thayer-There are some other things L am
| not responsible for.
Diller Misunderstanding hogs by in
|
| Thayer-No sir.
| Billings (sharply) And I didn't kill
hog.
| Diller Ito committee) This attack has not
| hurt the governor in my estimation.
Thayer-The attack doesn't worry me.
Billings Cunning upon the governor)-
| Didn't you unite with the 1--we stock commits.
| sion to ask a test incubation.
Thayer-I do not understand what you
mean by "uniting'' with the commission. l
| told the regents | would insist that if there
| were to be experiments in inoculation the
members of the commission, agents of the
| animal bureau and other persons should be
| allowed to be present.
Blllings-That is enough to show you
| united with my bitter enemies.
| Thayer ito committee) You see what this
| mans anmosity is based on.
Billings (grandiloquently)-Th whole
| world is invited to watch my experiments.
| l am willing farmers should be present, but
| l will never consent to have those Washing
| ton parties watch me.
| The discussion was lively, and at times
| rather warm ana personal Members OF the
| committee expressed confidence in the gov
ernors integrity, and the meeting adjourned
| subject to call.
| upon the committee on public lands and
| buildings tonight. He claimed that hog
| cholera is produced by germ that exists in
| the earth, and this germ, according to the
food it eats is either virulent or harmless
| Ile ltdt Iio mugs WCIC cfcI hiliCu ny
| noculaJion. He figured that it would re-
| quire ten Thousand gallons of virus to inocu-
| late the two million hogs in Nebraska, and
| wanted the state to appropriate $4,000 to
| put up building in which to conduct his
| experiments. He was taken sharply to task
| by E'ieldgrove, of Buffalo, who told him. in
| substance, that he was an arrant humbug,
| and secuted the idea that hog cholera could
be prevented by incubation. In closing his
| address Billings proposed a willingness to
leave the state if he stayed in the way of the
| success of the hog wash.
| The committee did not act on the bill, but
| are almost IA unit against throwing any more
money away ON Billings schemes.
| An lrrigatIng Appropriation.
LINCOLN, Neb., Feb. 2S.--lSpecial Tele-
gram to The BEE. The honse committee
ON public lands and buildings decided to
recommend an appropriation of $500 to make
an experiment in underground irrigation on
the plan proposed by A. II, Sauer, of Omaha.
| The experiment will be made on school land
| in tho western part of the state.
| The committee refused to recommend an
| appropriation of $3l, 900 for new building
for the home of fallen women at Milford.
| Senate.
LINCOLN, Neb,, Feb. 2S.-[ Especial to THE