Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-12-20
FAvORS LINCOLN PROPOSAL
Secretary Shaw Sees No Objection to Selling
Present Postoffioe.
DISCUSSING THE LEASING MEASURE
Nebraska ConEressmen Think BIII
Prepared by the CattIemen should
he Amended Before Pre-
scented TO House.
CFrom a stan correspondent., ,


WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.-(Special Tele-
gram )-Represcntative Burkett left for
Nebraska tonight Before leaving he made
public report from the secretary OF the
treasury In relation TO his bill permitting
the government to sell the present post
ofhce at Lincoln to the city OF Lincoln and
allowing the government to construct
new building on the vacant portion Of the
square now occupied by the present post
ohce. Secretary Shaw. who makes the re-
rort on the bill. advises the chairman OF
the public buildings and grounds committee
that there is no objection to Mr.. Burkett'c
bill. He states that the government owns
the entire square upon which the present
postofice and the court house building is
located the square being approximately
SO0xS0O feet in dimensions To quote from
the report the secretary says:
THE northerly portion OF the square is
about 200x300 feet in dimensions and is
used as a public park. In the event OF the
sale Of that portion Of the site lying south
Of the driveway above referred to, together
with the building there would remain sufB-
cient lands, about 2OOX3OO feet upon which
to construct the new building provided for
as indicated by the bill in question the de-
partment sees no objection to the sale OF
the present building, together with the
southerly portion of the block on which
said building stands"
The report also contains the information
that the entire block referred to was orig
inally donated to the United States by the
city OF Lincoln.
Differences on Leasing BILL
The bill formulated by cattle growers of
Nebraska is now under consideration by
hare ~ ha Nj
view of reaching an agreement upon the
measure and II possible present united
front for its passage. There is considerable
doubt as to whether the classes Of lands
as agreed upon exactly fits the conditions
obtaining in western Nebraska. Represent
ative Shallenberger who is interested in
the cattle business himself, believes that
a steer can be pastured on less than thirty
acres OF land. He said the fact that a
number Of cattlemen on the western range
had been able to put up large quantities Of
hay showed that the lard was much more
productive in grass than wss borne out
by the statements OF the delegation OF cat
tic growers who were in Washington this
week. Mr.. Shallenberger said, however,
that he was not opposed to the measure
but would endeavor to bring about such
notifications as he knew his people would
be interested in.
Congressman Stark stated today that he
believed something should be done to pct
'afstep to the everlasting dispute between
the government and the cattle raisers. He
believed, however that the state of Ne
braska should have some say in the ques-
tion whether the public domain should be
set aside for leasehold purposes or not, and
he suggests an amendment to the bill TO
the efect that the act shall not be put in
operation until a proclamation shall have
been made by the president, and that no
proclamation shall issue until the legisla-
ture OF Nebraska shall by resolution re-
quest such action. The reasons for this, he
said were that as a part OF the public
domain in the state OF Nebraska It paid no
taxes and that lands could not be taxed
until patents had been issued. In the
event OF the leasing proposition going
through, Judge Stark thought that the gov
ernment would receive the benefits derived
from such leases and at the same time
make it impossible for the state OF Me-
braska to levy tax on the same. Before
this was done he believed the legislature
OF Nebraska should have a right to say
whether or not the lands should be taken
out Of the homestead provision and be
given over to the general government TO
realize on the proposition.
Measure Likely to Pass.
There is, however. a growing feeling that
the bill as agreed upon by the Nebraska
delegation will receive almost unanimous
support when the time comes to present
II to congress. Representative Mondell Of
Wyoming stated today that he was in IA
vor OF the measure. as would be all the
representatives from the cattle growing
states OF the west. 81 have always been
in favor OF some such bill as a starter"
said Mr.. Mondell. There are vast areas
in the west that are not susceptible OF ir-
rigation," he said, "and will continue to
remain idle unless used for grazing pur-
poses. II the Nebraska delegation can agree
on the measure proposed believe IL will
have a very general support from western
members"
Representative Burkett today recon-
mended the appointment OF Henry Baker
as postmaster at Cedar Creek.
Upon the earnest solicitation Of Mr. Bur-
kett an order was today issued establish
ing rural free delivery at Hayelock and
Rokeby.
Mrs. Charles McNsde Willard Of Hebron,
Neb., is in the city for the purpose OF con-
sulting members OF the Nebraska delega-
tion in congress as TO the advsability of
going before the legislature OF Nebraska
and asking that body to purchase her a
home in Hebron for State normal school
Conserving Water supply.
Senator Warren today had a conference
with the secretary Of the interior and pre-
sented with his recommendation a reso-
luton adopted by the city council of Chey-
enne, petitioning the Interior department
to have a typographical survey made OF
the Crow Creek forest reserve and con-
tiguous districts, ana that such districts
be added TO this reserve as will insure the
preservation OF the water supply OF Mid
die Crow creek. Laramie county, and pre-
vent its pollution
Representative Mondell has asked the In
dian once I" take steps to have the lands
in the Shoshone reservation in Wyoming
allotted In severalty to the Shoshone and
ATapahoe Indians now on the reservation.
and the unoccupied lands remaining after
allotment opened TO public settlement.
Congressman Shallenberger has accepted
an invitation Of the Merchants and Manu-
facturers' club Of Baltimore IN daIfvar An