The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-11-02
the legislature. and the only one befor
a session in which Mr.. Majors had a

the legislature. and the only one befor
a session in which Mr.. Majors had a
vote.
1t was q maximum rate bill, substan-
TALLY the same as the '.Newberry Bill. +"
The bill was introduced and read the
first time Jan. 8. 1889, and passed the
house (of which Mr.. Majors was a
member), March &c, 1889, but the bill
failed in the senate (See house jour
nal session 1889, page 1s43
FAVORED THE IRRIGATION LAW.
He voted for House Roll 355, which
became a law. entitled IAN act to pro-
vide for water rights and irrigation,
and to regulate the right to the use Of
water for agricultural and mauufactur-
ing purposes"
UNITED STATES MILITARY POST.
He voted for the passage of House
Roll 433, granting the consent of the
state of Nebraska to the purchase or
condemnation by the United States of
a tract of land in Sarpy. Washington
or Douglas counties for a military post
and reservation and ceding jurisdiction
thereof to the United States.
WARRANTS DECLARED ''sTATE SECURE
TIES"
When the legislature of 1890 owen
ed it was a~scertained that a large sum
of money had accumulated in the state
treasury to the credit of the perma-
nent school fund" 1t amounted to
several hundred thousand dollars, and
because of the failure of the Board Of
Educational Lands and Funds" ICON
sisting of the Governor, Secretary of
State, Treasurer, Attorney General,
and Commissioner of Public Lands and
Buildings to find suitable investment
for this money, it was remaining idle
in the state treasury, and of no use to
any one except the state treasurer.
The constitution of the state provides
''that the school fund should not be in
vested in anything, except in United
States securities, or registered county
bonds of this state" The board had a
short time previous decided that state
warrants drawing interest were not
estate securities within the meaning
of the state constitution. At this time
there was u very large number of state
warrants held in New York and Phila-
delphia, which had been endorsed by
the state treasurer. presented and not
paid for want of funds" and these
were under the law drawing seven per
cent interest. To save this interest to
the school fund Governor Majors, then
a member of the house of representa-
tiveS, on January 10, 1889, introduced
the following resolution, House Roll
1O7:
Whereas a question has been raised
a. RI tho prNoa,s IN tarnrafati On of the
constitution of the state of Nebraska
Therefore, be it resolved, That
state warrants, when endorsed by the
state treasurer, presented and not paid
for the want of funds are state securi-
ties under the meaning of article 8. Sec
ton 9, of the constitution of the state
of Nebraska"
On January 12, 1889, Mr.. Majors Of
fered the following resolution:
Resolved by the house of represen-
tatives of the State of Nebraska. That
the supreme court of the state are
hereby requested to furnish this body
with an opinion setting forth whether
OF not state warrants drawing interest
are state securities under article 8, Sec
ton 9, of the state constitution"
The resolution prevailed, and the
supreme court rendered an affirmative
decision, by reason of which thousands
of dollars was saved to the permanent
school fund.
WORLD-HERALD COMMENDS MAJORS.
The Omaha World says Majors saved
the state $4,000 a year interest alone
by the introduction of the foregoing
bill.
From Omaha World, January 81, 1889:
tom Majors introduced a joint resolu-
ton the other day which seems to have
attracted slight attention considering
the Importance of the subject. There
is an idle school fund in the state ag-
gregating about three-quarters of a
million dollars. There are also unpaid
state warrants aggregating a similar
amount drawing interest at Z per cent.
The constitution says that the fund
may be used in the purchase of United
States government bonds, of county
bonds registered, OF in the purchase of
state securities. The question is, Is a
state warrant q state security: If SO,
Mr.. Majors and his followers are in
favor of applying the idle school fund
to the defrayment of the warranted in
debtedness, and thus saving to the
state in interest an annuity of $50, 500.
The resolution aimed to declare the
state warrant a state security, but as
the matter, after investigation. seemed
to rest with the Interpretation Of the
constitution, and as it appeared that
the Legislature possessed no jurisdiction
the resolution was withdrawn. and an
opinion solicited from the supreme
court. If that tribunal shall decide
that a state warrant is a state security
and the money of the school fund shall
be used to call in the warrants. the
banks OF Nebraska will lose d pretty
penny. and the state treasurer, who re-
.ceieves from the banks the interest on
deposits, will have to curtail his
personal expenses for d few thousands
u year"
AGAINST A PRISON CONTRACT.
Majors was in favor of the repeal of
the act extending the prison contract"
from Stout to Mosher. The Omaha
World of January %, 1889, says: Rep
resentative Majors of Nemaha intro
duced a very innocent looking bill. 1t
provided for the repeal of chap
ter Sc Of the session laws of 1887. Turn
ing to this chapter a little surprise
party is presented. Chapter Sc is the
bill passed by the last legislature ex-
tending the W. Ii. b. Stout prison
- n Wy I~-. NJ.