Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-16
NOT THE PARAMOUNT ISSUE
Contest from Douglas County Only o
Secondary Consideration.
HOUSE NOT INCLINED TO WORRY OVER IT
Refused to Adjourn at the Bchcst OF
the Committee ON Privileges ana
Elcc tions Taken as nn
Indication.

of the house today in refusing to adjourn
over tll Monday afternoon in order 10
give the committee on privileges and
elections an opportunity TO rush tho
hearing of the Douglas county election cases.
came as surprise 10 many who believed
last night that the expressed wish OF that
committee would be followed by the house.
BY sone the action is interpreted to mean
that a majority OF the members OF the house
are taking little interest in the contest.
While this view is probably as nearly cor
rect as any, 1t is not to be accepted as a
disposition to throw out the contests There
is general feeling that the house should
waste as little time as possible. and that
the fewer the adjournments the better The
people of the state will be satisfied.
There are indications that the senate viii
indulge in a pretty fight early next week
over the question of employees. At present
the number does not exceed the number
prescribed by law. A few senator's have been
quietly at work for the past few days upon
a proposition to discharge thirty of the em-
ployes already appointed. WA!le the senate
has so far appointed the legal number and
no more it yet remains a fact that number
have been placed on the pay rolls long before
their services are needed. As an instance.
the full quota of engrossing and enrolling
clerks have been on the p@ roll nearly
week, when, as a matter OF fact, their SER
vices are not likely 60 be required for several
weeks All Of the clerks OF the standing
committees are already on the pay roll, yet
there Is nothing for them to do.
Lieutenant Governor Harris is proving
painstakng presiding officer Of the senate. IL
10 we'll known fact that he proposes TO
preside over the deliberations OF the senate
as long as any bills are to be referred to
standing committees Every day after the
senate adjourns the lieutenant governor takes
the new bills introduced into his private
Office and. with trusted advi"er-cne OF the
leading middle-of- the-road populsts OF the
state-decides upon the committees TO which
the several bills shall be referred. 1t was
in the privacy OF the lieutenant governors
Office that the determination wgs reached
to refer the bill for the regulation OF cor
oTations to some ether committee than the
one on miscellaneous corporations, which Is
composed of Senators Friz, Felz Watson,
Howell and Dearing. Senator Fritz today
entered a mild protest at this action on
the part OF the lieutenant governor. The
later assured the senator from the county OF
Thurston that the senate had las own re-
course A bill could be transferred fromt
one committee TO another by majority OF
the members OF the senate.
DUNDAS' SALARY SLICE.
The resolution offered yesterday by Sem
ator Dundas of Nemaha, relative to ~
per cent horizontal reduction In salaries
paid to state and county employees, promises
TO be one of the interesting features OF the
proceedings of the senate. The proposition
is certain to be met with the most deter
mined opposition and strangely enough, the
opposition comes from the men who nave
be an the louGest in their demands for
more economical administration OF the
s.ato's affairs. Few of the senators as yet
comprehend the far-reachng purport OF Sem
ator Dundas' resolution. Viewed in the
abstract a 20 per cent reduction in salaries
is a comparatively small affair. But COM
prehensively it Is one of the most sweep
ing propositions looking toward economy
that has been made in the senate for many
years It contemplates a biennial saving to
the state treasury OF nearly S2O0,OOo. Inc
amount saved TO the county treasures, al
though difficult to estimate, Will be nearly
as much more These figures are made upon
the basis of the appropriations made by the
legislature two years ago. The tabulated
statement following Will show the amounts
appropriated for salaries OF officials and
clerks in all departments OF the state gov
crnment 1t will be borne in mind that the
statement does not include the salaries paid
t. state officials who are elected by the peo-
pie but only to those given employment by
officials or boards having appoative power.
The legislature two years ago appropri-
ated for salaries for the several departments
under the state government the following
sums:
Governor ..............,........ 400
Adjutant general OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 200
CrnmissInner of labor ............... 1000
Secretary of state observation-disclosures. ll.oV0
Auditor ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. u 200
rrensUrer i3, 400
SUPERINTENDENT public instruction -. 1900
cTGrdss ommssioner 5st'' public lands and
BoarG Surtp'@FT Of Public Lands and Build -
inEs ........................ 5000
Supreme court Observation-Disclosures. 5000
District courts NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. $1,000
State library .,........................ 300
State Board of Transportation....... l2,oD0
Normal school ......................... 1880
Hospital for Insane, Lincoln ......... 1900
Industrial home. Milford .............. 10.500
Tome for the Frlendess, Lincoln. 1900
Asylum for Insane, Hastings .,...... iS,O00
Hospital for Insane, Norfolk ........ 5000
Industrial school, Geneva ...,........ 1900
Institute for Deaf and Dumb,
Industral ] School for Boys Kcarrnc,y. a,GG0
Soldiers home, Grand Island ....... 1850
Institute for the Blind, Nebraska
institute for Feeble Minded Beat
Fish commission OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 2,iOO
Beard of Irrigation ................... 1880
State university Observation-Disclosures. 10000
Total .......................... .$77G, 700
Twenty per cent of the total amounts 10
$l55,340. This sum stands for the saving
to the state treasury for two years An
nualy, the saving would amount to $77 go.
In addition TO the above the last legislature
paid to employees s37199. A 20 per cent
In the salaries of the legislative
employees would have amounted two years
ago, to S7.439.
WAITING ON ACCESSORIES.
The legislature is closing its second week
and as yet the net results are to be ex-
pressed in figures having no value. Yet, II
is hardly the fault OF either house that the
legislators have not been able to make
much headway. Although great many bills
have been introduced in both houses none
OF the senate bills have yet come back
from the printer and but few OF the house
bills. Then, too, no bill holders have as
yet been provided in either house. Standing
CT both houses have consequently
been unable 10 get together on any regular
wcrk and matters are thus in statu quo. 1t
Is expected that the necessary bill holders
will be here Monday and that the printer
viii have made good progress by that time.
Next week ought 10 see the commencement
OF the legislative grind In real earnest.
a copy OF a very costly b:ief IN the ease
of the contest of John o, Yeiser against
the republican contingent from Douglas
YVES distributed to each member OF
the house
HOUSE REFUSES TO ADJOURN OVER.