Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-27
FINISH THE REVENUE BILL
senate I'm Committed of the Whole
Votes Down Practically All
Amendments.
(From a Stan Correspondents

NHAOhh DNal SOhASSBOHuchNy g.
LINCOLN, March 26.-(speciaL)-
senate in the committee of the whole to-
day recommended for a third reading and
passed H.. R. S44, the revenue bill, 1t also
declined to concur in the report Of the ju-
dietary committee to indefinitely postpone
the Brady elevator bill, and instead placed
1t on general file. .4 4A
The greater portion of the day was spent
in the discussion Of the revenue bill, and II
was recommended for passage with very
few amendments, and only those amend
ments were adopted that the chairman Of
the senate revenue committee announced
the committee would accept. All others
were killed as rapidly as a vote was taken.
At the conclusion Of the reading of the
bill q flood of amendments were offered,
and some of these were adopted. In the
rush Howell got in his amendment that was
defeated yesterday, placing accident insur-
ance companies in the same class with ere
insurance companies for taxation purposes.
Under the amendment accident companies
will be assessed on their gross receipts,
these being taken as an item Of property
and so assessed. The original bill taxed
accident companies with life insurance
companies, and provided that they pay 2
per cent OF their gross receipts for taxes.
Warner got in his amendment to increase
the salary Of county assessors in counties
Of from 5000 to 10000 Inhabitants. to $3.50
from $3.50. Pemberton had adopted his
amendments to strike out the section re,
lating to corporation assessment this:
Whenever any such corporation shall
own real estate or personal property that
is otherwise assessed, the assessed value
OF such real estate or personal property
shall be deducted from the assessed value
Of the capital stock OF the corporation
Sheldon, Coffey. Sloan and others tried
to have adopted those amendments they
had previously offered. but were unsuc~
~cessful. The only other amendment that
was adopted which did not originate in
the senate revenue committee was that by
o'Neili, to increase the salary OF the as
SCISSOR Of Lancaster. This was adopted
yesterday. Faa.-y-
During the confusion incident to senators
endeavoring to get recognition by the
chair. Harrison moved that the report of
the committee Of the whole be adopted
and this was done, followed by uproarious
handclapping of the friends Of the bill.
1t was thought that great EFFORT would
be made by the Douglas delegation to have
incorporated in the bill. a section that
would compel the railroads to pay a Just
share Of city taxes, but the delegation did
nothing of the kind. Howell did make a
fight to defne the right OF way Of railroads
as 100 feet wide, and he did try TO insert
an amendment to compel the railroads to
return to the State Board Of Equalization
the value OF the items they returned, and
that was all. Both Howell and Hall each
made a desperate fight to- have changed
the scheme OF taxing insurance companies
and on that proposition they bent every
effort. Saunders had nothing to say during
the discussion OF the bill on fhe floor
Saunders helped to frame it.
Senate Routine.
The judiciary committee Of the senate re.
ported this morning to indefinitely post,
pone S, F. 1O2, the Brady elevator bill. anC
gave as a reason that the house had passed
II. r. 20. the Ramsey elevator bill. which, i
enacted into law, woul give to the farmers
what they had asked at the hands OF tn,
legislature. The minority Of the COMMITTEES
composed of Sloan, Hasty and Marshall
brought in a minority report. making GER
tain appointments to the Brady bill an
recommending It for the general nle. Tn,
minority report was adopted.
In Offering the minority report Sloan salt
the senate elevator bill was a much bette
bill than the house measure and that Their
was no excuse for its indefinite postpOn
ment Citizen said the Ramsey bill wa
what the farmers wanted and should b.
passed. Wall spoke against placing tn
Brady bill on general hle and he told hoV
the farmers all over the state had indorse
the Ramsey bill. Hastings denied that In
farmers all over the state were In favor o
the Ramsey bill. He told that the Farmers
Grain association had at first Endorsed tn
Ramsey bill. but later. when they learne
that Il did not give them that which the
asked, the legislative committee OF tina
body had come out in favor Of the Brad
bill. Sloan said he had a petition signe
by 300 farmers. who at first were for tn
Ramsey bill. but who were now in favor O
the Brady bill.
I Harrison said It wss inmatsrtal whsthe