Omaha daily bee., 1889-02-22
House,.


morning, and quite a number of bills were
indefinitely postponed. Among them was a
bill by Berlin of Douglas, requiring all
plumbers to secure license and providing
that no license shall issue to any person or
firm upless one member had served term of
apprenticeship of at least three years. Also
a bill by Move, making all transfers of title
to real estate good and valid that have full
filled the requirements of the law, except
having the attest of subscribing witnesses.
On motion of Mr.. Berlin, special order
was made of house roll G5-the Omaha Char
ter bill--for Tuesday next at 2:30 p. IN.
The following were the most important in
troduced
by Berlin-Providng that all citizens shall
be entitled to the same civil rights, and pro-
viding for the punishment of any violation of
this provision. 1t is intended to prevent any
distinction ION account of COLOR in seating
people in theaters and in furnishing accom-
modations at hotels and restaurants.
BY the Committee on Public Lands and
Buildings-The sum of $4,000 to build new
boiler house, engine room, electric light plant
and work shop, gymnasium ana library for
the state normal school at Peru.
BY Whitehead-To empower deputy clerks
and county judges to administer oaths.
BY Dickinson-To provide for the payment
of all live stock killed by order of the live
stock sanitary commission in the years
1885, 1856 and 1887.
BY McBrdc--A bill to regulate and con-
troll associations, arrangements, combina-
tiOns, agreements, pools and trusts.
BY Coleman of Polka bill to repeal the
law creating the present board of railway
commissioners, and to provide that existing
freight rates on the railroads shall not be
increased.
A resolution was adopted to the effect that
when the house adiourns this afternoon, it
be until o'clock on Monday.
The house went into committee OF the
whole to consider bills on general file
The bill providing for an amendment to
the state constitution authorizing the trans
fer of all license fees and fines from the local
to the county school fund was indefinitely
postponed.
A bill providing that owners of adjoining
land shall pay for half of the line fence
if he should build parallel line and not join
in the fence already established, was de.
bated at length and finally ordered to a third
reading,
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The house went into the committee of the
whole to consider bills on the general file.
House roll 200, bill TO compel railroad
companies to list their property for taxation,
WAS taken up and an amendment offered to
include the main line only, and allow the
local authorities to tax side tracks and other
property in cities
Caldwell favored the amendment. He
said the railroads, as was well
known, WeTD UOlOTluuS snlIh-
ers, and it was all on account of
defects in the present law. They so TO the
rural districts with the proposition, You
help us TO evade the taxes on our side tracks
and property in cities and we Will divide with
you"
Omstead thought the taxes on all kinds of
railroad property should be equally distrib-
uted among the counties through which the
lines run.
Mr. Rayner read the present law and could
nf hAN hn
ton.
Caldwell replied that the railroads have
siXty-fve acres of land they call depot
grounds and on this land they locate all
their buildings and their repair shops and all
other property, and it is not taxed.
Rayner asked if the state does not tax this
property.
Caldwell replied, ''Yes, but at so much per
mile. The truth Is. the railroads do
not pay one dollar more tax than If this
species of property was all taxed by local
authorities
Lee expressed surprise at this condition Of
affairs, and wanted to know how this could
be under the law, which requires the state
board 10 list all property for taxation.
/ Caldwell informed the gentleman from
Furnas that the board assessed for state, but
not for school or local purposes.
Baker thought that railroad property was
listed Just as high in proportion as That Of
any individual. All kinds of property is as
sessed far too low. The side tracks are O
part of the line, and as the general public
support the road they should share equally
in the benefits derived from the taxes.
Mcbride was not In favor Of the bill as II
read, ana thought that cities ere entitled To