Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-03

chalrman's desk and held a long whispered
discussion. The senate seemed to be again
hopclcesly lost in a wilderness OF parlia-
mentary procedure. Finally Mr.. Murphy
declared that he for one YVES tired Of the
horse play, and would insist upon the con-
slderation of the bill in regular order. He
called attention to the fact that Graham's
amendments had received no second. and
that the chair had ruled that they were not
before the committed. He insisted then that
the m discuss the only question be-
fore Il, namely, the motion made
by Gondring that the bill as
amended by the majority OF the
agricultural committee be passed. The
chair held that the discussion must be con-
fined to Gondring's motion, and that Gra-
hams amended bill was not before the com
mittee. The work was then commenced all
over again and proceeded for several mo-
ments with something closely resembling
decorum.
WHERE THE MATTER STOOD.
At this point in the discussion the situation
was:
1. Section 3 of the majority bill provides
that at shall be unlawful for the stock
yards company to charge for loading, un-
greater than the following: For yarding,
cents per head; calves, s cents per head;
hogs, 6 cents per head; sheep, 4 cents per
head; and there to be only one yardage
.. Mr.. Gondrlng offered an amendment to
the above section by adding the words;
made or charged than In this act specified. y
3. Mr.. Talbot offered an amendment to
words quoted so that Gondrlng's amend
ment would read as follows: And no other
further charges shall be made or charged
than in this act specified for the items of
services rendered or feed furnished and
4. Mr.. Ransom offered still another amend
ment to the effect that no charge shall be
made to the owner or shipper of live stock
no further charge for services shall be made
herein provided"
Ransom explained the object of his
amendment by saying that the amendments
offered by Gondring were clearly favorable
to the railroads. Under the law railroads
are required to furnish facilities for load
ing and unloading. At South Omaha these
facilities are furnished by the stock yards
company. Ransom contended that Con
dring's two amendments would prevent the
stock yards company from making any
charge to the railroad companies for serv-
ices which the latter were bound to pay
under the law. Talbot withdrew his
amendment, giving Ransom's amendment
due precedence. At this %juncture the com
mittee rose for the noon recess.
ALL OFF IN A BUNCH.
During the noon recess an understanding
seemed to have been arrived at over the
conflicting amendments, for as soon as the
committee had been called to order after 2
O'Clock Mr.. Gondring offered the following
as a substitute for all offered at the fore
noon session: "And it shall be unlawful for
the manager, owner or proprietor of any
stock yard to take, make or charge any
other OF further charges or rates to the
owner or shipper of live stock than in this
act specified"
The amendment was agreed to with but
little discussion. Mr.. Murphy then offered
anLamendment to the bill to the effect that
" provisions of the bill should not apply
~ wards which for tho tyalvo nnpthS nra-
Z ceding do not have an average daily receipt
of 500 head Of hogs. He explained that the
object OF the amendment was to exempt
the Nebraska City stock yards from the
effects OF the law. The amendment was
agreed to.
Mr.. Howell offered an amendment fixing
the charges for yarding at % cents per head
for cattle, 10 cents for calves, s cents for
hogs and 5 cents for sheep, instead of 20,
10, s and 5 cents respectively in the bill.
The amendment was rejected by a vote of
10 to 10.
Mr.. Howell then offered an amendment
liking the prices at so cents per 100
pounds of hay and rs cents a bushel for corn.
The bill provides that the price of hay shall
be 90 cents per 100 pounds above the market
price and corn so cents a bushel above the
market price. Mr.. MUTT spoke against the
amendment, while Mr.. Halter favored it.
The latter warned the senate that it should
be careful at striking too hard a blow against
one of the great industries of the state. He
favored the legislation himself and told how
the populists themselves four years ago de-
fea,ed a stock yards bill in order to play a
game of politics. While he favored stock
yards regulation, he did rot believe in cut
ting too deep, for, he said, no greater
calamity could befall the state of Nebraska
than to have the stock yards driven out of
business.
BILL ON ITS MERITS.
Mr.. Gondring opposed Howell's amendment,
while Mr.. Farrell favored II. Mr.. GrOthan
opposed it strongly. Mr.. Conway asked
the senate to adopt the amendment, while
Caldwell spoke earnestly in its favor. The
latter made the point that the reductions
contemplated by the bill would reduce the
revenues of the stock yards 1000 per an
mum. without making any corresponding re-
duction in the company's expenses.
Mr.. Murphy spoke at length and with much
vigor, not only against the amendment but
upon the whole bill. His argument brought
out a general discussion of the bill as to its
merit and the talk took a wide range. Be
fore the gavel fell the whole range of eco
nomic discussion was covered from the rela-
tive virtues Of specific and ad yalorem tariff
duties down to the latest phase Of bimetal-
lism and the mortgage indebtedness Stats
tics of the United States. Among the SEN
ators who participated in the discussion were
Feltz of Keith, Ransom of Douglas. Graham
of Frontier, Beal of Custer and Gondrlng
OF Platte. Ransom spoke against the bill
for a full hour. Gondring closed the debate
as far as the general discussion was con-
cerned.
After Gondring had finished Grothan pre-
scented an elaborate mathematical calculation
intended to refute some statements made by
Ransom in the latter's long talk. In con
Guiding his remarks, Grothan asserted that a
majority Of the people of Nebraska were
either paupers or on the verge of pauperism,
and that the regulation of corporations was
absolutely necessary. Tlis closed the talk.
VOTING ON THE AMENDMENT.
The question on the amendment was put
to the committee. A rising vote was taken
and the clerk announced IL as standing Is to
IS. The correctness of the count was chal-
lenged, and another vote ordered. This sec
ond standing vote failed to decide the matter.
and a third vote was challenged. The com
mittee was in great confusion, and finally
by common consent the roll was called, al
though contrary TO the rules. The roll was
called and ii vas discovered that Jeffcoat of
Douglas was recorded as voting in the mega
tive, when in fact he voted in the affirmative.
Ransom accused the clerk OF purposely falsi-
flying the roll. A scene OF great excitement
and confusion followed. Finally the lieu
tenant governor used his prerogatiye and ad-
journed the committee temporarily. After
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