Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-12
SUGGESTIONS FROM THE SENATOR'S
Brief Glance nt the First Batch of
BILLS Introduced.

| effect were introduced Some of them make
radical changes in existing laws and IL
! placed upon the statute books will very ma
| teraly alter the methods of assessing and
collecting revenue in Nebraska.
| Senator Talbot of Lancaster has senate
| file No. 1. 1t provides for city assessor
for the city of Lincoln, and makes the en-
tire city a single assessors precinct. The
| assessor is to be elected, and is to receive
salary of 50, 500 per annum. Out of this sum
| he is to pay the salaries and mileage of
| the deputy assessors, to be appointed by him
| self.
| Senate file No. 2. by Mr.. Halter, repub-
| lican of Washington county, is designed
| TO prevent combinations between fire insur-
| ance companies doing business in the state.
| The bill makes any combination or agree
| mcnt relating to rates to be charged for
| Insurance, and the amount to be allowed
| to agents for commissions, etc, unlawful,
and any company, officer or agent entering
| into such agreement or combination is made
| liable to a fine of not less than 500 nor
| more than $780, The auditor of public ac-
| counts is empowered by the provisions OF the
| bill to summon before him any officer or
employe of any fire insurance company
| transacting business within the state, and
who may be suspected Of entering into such
| combination. If the interrogation of the
| officer or agent proves that such combina-
| tion exists the auditor is directed to re-
| woke the certificate held by the company,
| thus preventing it from doing business in
| Nebraska 1t is further provided that ap-
/ peals may be taken from the decision of
! the auditor to the district court
| Senate file No. 5, introduced by Mr.. Dear
ing of Cass county, provides for the recount
| Of the votes cast for and against the con-
| stitutional amendments and for the sena-
tors and representatives at the recent cleo
| tion.
Senate files Nos 4 and are offered by
| Mr.. Caldwell, republican of Nuckols county.
| The two bills together provide for county
| assessors in each county of the state, the as
| SCISSORS to be elected every two years The
salaries of the county assessors, as proposed
| by the new law, are graduated accordins
| to the population of the counties. In coun-
| ties having 12,C00 population or lces the sal
airy Is fixed at $500 per annum for more than
| IL 900 and less than 10000 the salary l.
| 81 200; more than 900 and less than 0,00O
| the salary is 81 l600; for more than 900
| and less than 10000 tho salary Is $1,000
| and in counties having a population OF more
| than $4,000 the salary is fixed at $2,50o Each
| county assessor is empowered to appoint a
| sufficient number OF deputies to perform
| the work of assessment in each county, the
deputies to be paid out of the salary of the
county assessor. The bills provide further
that all real estate shall be assessed but
| once every four years On the second Tues-
| ing date every four years thereafter the
| county assessors are to meet at the state
capitol for the purpose of agreeing upon a
| basis for fixing the value Of all real and per-
| sonal property in the state.
Senate file No. 6, by Mr.. Murphy, repub-
lican of Gage county, amends the law relax
ing to the summoning of petit jurors.
Senate file No. 7, introduced by Mr.. Beal
populist of Custer county, is designed tc
prevent deficiency judgments against thg
| mortgagor of real estate.
Senate file No. s, also by Mr.. Beal, makes
| 1t unlawful for any railroad company TO give
pass over its lines within the state. Any
one giving or accepting pass is made liza
| BILE to a fine Of not exceeding $500.
! Senate file No. ., by Mr.. Lee. populist OF
| Boyd county, amends that part of the ballo;
| law relating to the assistance to be rendered
by judges of election to voters disqualified
by blindness or other reasons for marking
! their ballots.
Senate file No 10, by Mr.. Graham. popu-
list of Frontier provides for the repeal o.
| the Russian thistle law passed by the last
| legislature.
Senate file No IL, by Mr.. Johnson, popu-
| list of Clay county, provides for the appoint-
| ment OF assistant county attorneys when
| deemed necessary in cases involving at least
$1,000, and in which the county or state Is
| interested. provided that written consent for
such appointment is granted by the county
| commissioners.
| Douglas. provides for the appointment of q
! public defender in counties having popula-
tion of 125 900 or more. In such counties the
| judges of the district court shall appoint an
attorney whose duty it shall be to defend all
| parties charged with criminal olfense who
are unable to employ legal assistance. The
public defender is appointed for but one
term of court only, and having served
| through one term is made ineligible for re-
| appointment Cor three years.
10 nt,I hAAh hNr Mr.
Ransom taken together. provide for the re-
duction in the number OF county commits
! sioners in each county from five TO three
| They are to be elected at large and arrange
ment Is made so that no commissioner now
holding shall be legislated out of office.
SOME HOUSE PROPOSITIONS.
Dobson of Fillmore was the fortunate
| member to secure number one for his bill.
This is q measure TO repeal that portion
of the high school law which provides for
the levy of tax by county commissioners.
/ Thirty-eight bills in all were introduced.
Mr.. Dohson Is quite bitter against the pres
ent law and will make a speech on his meas
ure in committee of the whole. He says
| that il people want TO send their children
to high schools they should pay for it from
! their own pockets. His county, Fillmore,
he says, was taxed $1,000, for which the
, county received no benefit.
Hull OF Harlan introduced house roll No.
! 5. This is bill for an act to recount the
| ballots cast on the constitutional amend
| ments relating to the judges OF the supreme
court and their term Of office on November
| g. 1896, similar in provisions to the one
introduced in the senate by Dearing.
House roll No. 2 provides that the lesseei
of educational lands. in default OF payment
for one year, shall be subject to thirty day
notice. after which the lease shall be de
clared forfeited by the Board OF Educational
Lands and Funds, II not paid within sA
months In cases of nonresidents, where
the address is not known, the notice shall
be published in newspaper in the county In
which the land is located
House roll No. 3, by Dobson of Fill
more Is a measure TO repeal the sugar and
chcory bounty law, passed by the session
OF 1895
Hulrs bill. to repeal the deficiency judg
ment law. provides for the extlngushmen
OF all liability OF the mortgagor on any note
or other evidence of Indebtedness secured by
mortgage on real estate. Hull has an
other bill, house roll No. 7. which provides
that the property OF the state. counties anC
municipal corporations shall be exempt from
taxation, also all household goods to The
value OF 5000 Ii also provides that all de
probation Of real estate shall be deducted
from assessment rolls, but that improvements
shall not increase the levy, Hull's mex
bill. house roll No, s, provides that rea