Omaha daily bee., 1889-01-31
Senate.

LINCOLN, Neb., Jan. 3d. Especial to THE
BEE. The senate this morning adopted n
resolution offered by Ransom, directing the
president to appoint an additional standing
committee of five members on telephones
and telegrapbs.
Sutherland's resolution ordering the board
of transportation to make schedule of
freight races for the railroads of Nebraska
was sent to the railroad committee who will
return il within twenty-four hours, undoubt-
edy with favorable recommendation.
Hurd introduced bill to make contracts
for attorneys fees unlawful.
Pope put in a bill to suppress bucket shops.
The following bills were passed:
BY Shanner-Making the fiscal year end
September 80
BY Copnor-Making the salaries of re-
porters for supreme and district courts 81, 500
and requiring them to give bond for 50, 600
for the faithful performance of their duty.
BY Ijams-Directing the governor to give
the city of Omaha a title to the High school
grounds in Omaha.
Most of the morning was spent in discuss
ing Ransoms bill to repeal article 3, of chap
ter 4, of the compiled statutes of 1885, which
creates the livestock commission
AS stated by Ransom the commissioner Is
receiving over $4,000 a year in salary and
perquisites. He has three agents, who are
allowed IS day and expenses while
put in full time. The Appropriation
of the last legislature was $4,000 Over
S36, 600 have been paid for horses and mules
ordered killed by the commission because
they were supposed to have been effected with
glanders. The salaries and expenses OF the
commissioner and his agents have aggre-
gated to the sum of $4,000 for two years.
Ransom argued that if a man have diseased
horse and it be killed for the protection of
the community, that is his misfortune, and
the state should not be compelled to reim-
burse him. The existing law encourages ex-
travaganCe nf the grosSest kind. 1t invites
every man owning worthless horse to work
hlm off on the live stock commissioners for
the indemnity they allow. 1t invites the
commissioners to hunt up and create busi-
ness, because they only get pay and ex-
penses when employed. 1t invites citizens of
adjoining states to send diseased animals
into Nebraska and reap the benefit Of the
bounty.
Beardsley pointed out discrepancies in the
report of the commission to the auditor and
the report made to the senate a few days ago.
He showed that the work of the commission
had been confined almost to horses and
mules, of which S3S had been killed. while
only eight cattle had been condemned. He
was dissatisfied with the report of the COM
mission, which was not detailed enough in
its return of expenses. He believed diseased
horses were being brought into Nebraska
from neighboring states to be killeu. He had
been told of case in which a glandered
horse was driven into herd of ponies, all of
which were subsequently killed
NOrval wanted to know why the members
of the commission were not out killing horses
instead of having been on the backs of the
senators ever since the legislature convened.
Senators Manning and Hoover said that
glandcrs was unknown among the horses of
their counties until the creation of this live
stock commission.
Conner argued that the state veterinary
surgeon Is clearly an executive officer and
that the act creating his office Is therefore
unconstitutional.
Nesbitt was almost single handed in fight
ing the bill. He plead for the poor farmer
and homesteader of the west end of the state,
who are often the victims of unscrupulous
horse-traders, and he asked that action be
delayed until he could get the opinions of his
constituents on the report of the commits
sion. He believed the department of great
benefit to the farmers, whose needs should
be considered as well as the state institutions
at Lincoln for which there will be a general
plea by the members living within twenty
miles Of the capital. He also thought it
proper to delay action because special re-
port asked by the senate of the commission
was being printed.
Lindsay said his constituents wanted pro-
lection from diseased stock. The present
law may be defective, but he would oppose
repeal unless substitute were offered.
Roche and Cornell also urged delay. A
motion by Nesbltt to send the bill back to the
committee was lost by vote of Is to Ii. The
committee of the whole then recommended
its passage by vote of 10 to 8.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The Keckley antitrust bill was passed,
only Nesbitt and Paxton voting against IL.
Ransom, Pickett, Nesbitt, Howe and Pax
ton were appointed the committee on tele-
phones and telegraphs.
The Norval constitutional amendment for
voting on all constitutional amendments at
special elections in August passed the COM
mittee Of the whole.
Howe's bill to make the fire and police
commission of Omaha the license board of
that city was brought up, but at the sugges-
tion of Senator Iiams and Paulsen consider
alton was postponed.
House.