Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-18
AFTER STATE INSTITUTIONS
Healy Investigating Committee Will
Submit It's Report Today.
RUNoRtD DISsENSlbNs AMONG MEMBERS
Some Are said 20 he Favorable to
Central Bonrd with Large Adj
ministrntiNer Powers and
Reduction of Trustees.

DEs MONIES. Jan. 17.-(special Telegram)
The Healy committee to investigate state
institutions has completed it's report and
will lay it before the assembly tomorrow.
There were rumors today of dissensions in
the committee as to the character of recom-
mendations to be made in favor of State
Beard Of Control for the institutious. 1t was
stated that Senator Healy and Representa-
tive Porter were favorable to a central
board with large administrative powers and
to a great reduction of the number OF trus-
tees of the sevecal institutions; all the in
stitutions except the University, Agricultural
College and Normal School to come uuder
tho control of the board while these should
be left under the present system of man.
agement Representative Merriam was rep
resented to oppose giving the central board
50 large powers as prCpOsed by the ma
1orlty, and minority report was predicted.
1t is understood tonight that no minority re-
port Will be filed. The document will be
very lengthy, and will represent the results
OF several months work examining the in
stitutions. II is said to contain severe
arraignment of tho present system OF
managing state institutions on the ground
OF extravaganza and impracticability
PASSENGER RATE BILL.
Travelling Mems association have completed
tho draft OF the railroad passenger rate
bill, which they will push before the legis-
lature. 1t is drafted by Frank T. Camp
bell, eX-railroad commissioner, fec the legis-
lative committee of the association. 1t de-
mands fiat rate Of pa cents a mile on class
roads, 2la cents on class b roads and 2%
cents on class C roads with the provision
that all roads shall sell mileage books at
$50 per 1000 miles. A bill will be introduced
according to the committee, in few days
but it is not announced who will father it,
The railroads are asking legislation extend
ing tHl 1900 the time for equipping their
freight cars with safety couplers. The time
has already been once extended by the rail-
read commissioners, in accordance with
authority lodged in them by the legislature.
January 1, 1898, was the extreme date for
extension, and the roads ask still more
time.
HOLDS ELECTION ILLEGAL.
The district court handed down its de-
cision today in the Electric Light election
case. Last fall an election was held to de-
teCmne whether the election rate would
ratify a contract the city had entered with
the MCCaslIey-Holcpmbe company of Spring
field Ill, to build a municipal light plant.
At tho election two propositions were sub
mitted the first elector was expected to vote
first on the question whether he favored
building a municipal plant; second, whether
he voted to ratify the contract with the Nc
Caskey- -Holcombe company. The propositions
both carried by immense majorities, but
the court holds the election illegal because
thero was room for ambiguity in the de-
cision; if the first proposition mad been de
feated aad the second had carried the will
OF tho electors would have been still un-
certain; accordingly the election is declared
illegal Without an appeal the matter will
probably be submitted again at the mu-
ncipal election in March.
W. c. Miller of this city, Jay D. Miller
and Americus B. Melville of Chicago have
applied to the city for franchise to build
a gas plant. They claim to be backed by
the owners of the Hall process of gas manu-
facture, which they claim greatly reduces
the cost They ask an ordnance fixing a
maximum rate at Is cents per thousand, the
present rate in the city being SIPS. The
council today declined to pass an ordinance
unless the company would put up a $4,000
bond. The company declined to do this till
it should know the terms of the ordinance
and announced that unless the council con-
sented to submit the question to the vOtecs
it would secure a petition of twenty-five
voters in each ward which under the law
gives It the right to have the matter sub
mitted to a vote without the intervention
of tho couuCl.