Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-03-23
MUCH IMPORTANT WORK STILL PENDING
Principal Appropriations as Yet Enacted on
by the Lower House.
SENATE STARTS IN ON REVENUE MEASURE
Committee Commences to Look Into
Stuefer Bond Deal
MEMBERS LAUGH AT EXPENSE OF ROUSE
Hall of Burt Makes some CauHtic
Comment ON the Gilbert Primary
Election BiII-LeEIsIatIve
Gossip.
(From a STAFF Correspondent

F'rom STAFF Correspondent)
LINCOLN, March 22.- Especial. y The
house and senate start out tomorrow on
| the last fortnight Of the session. Nine
! days OF the sixty allowed by law for the
session are left. They will be the busiest
| Gays, too, II half the work pending is ac-
! compltshed One hundred and ninety-fve
| bills are on the general ile in the house
and about 100 in the senate. Among these
are the bills for constitutional amend
ments, appropriation bills and three re-
apportionment bills. The revenue bill is
yet to be finally acted on in the senate,
where 1t has passed its second reading.
Despite the general impression that the
revenue bill will pass the senate without
amendment there is a strong indication
and strong feeling that it may undergo
change or two. At least it is believed
persistent efforts will be made to effect
few notifications in Il. The franchsed
corporations and the insurance lobbyists,
| as is known, are nursing disappointments
over this measure and will amend Il in the
/ senate IL possible. 1t is a notable fact that
/ both these lobbies have been unceasing in
| their efforts to mold the bill to suit their
| interests and were bitterly disappointed
when it went through the house as it did.
|
/ point today:
THE plan Of the street railway and in
surance companies is to tack on their
amendments to the revenue bill in the sem
] ate. The street railway people intend
| making the struggle of their lives to have
! their interests placed under that section
| which provides for taxing the gross earn
ings Of corporations, aside from their
tangible property, as franchises which
provision is made for telegraph. telephone
and express companies. Twice were they
thrown down by the house in this under
taking, but they have not given up. and
those who are opposed 90 this proposition
may well keep on their guard"
Railroads Want speed.
One thing that is bothering the street
railway magnates is whether they can
satisfy the railroad faction as to their
| ability to open up the revenue bill for
amendment without jeopardizlng It's safety
against other amendments and delay which
might ultimately cause it's defeat. The
! railroads have decided on a rapid transit
gait for the bill and will hurry It through
the senate unless they can be thoroughly
satisfied that a little time exposure will
not prove fatal to their negative. This
| scheme became apparent when the house
passed the bill at O'Clock Friday evening,
and the senate-that leisurely body-con-
vened Friday night to have the bill read
for the first time and again Saturday
morning for its second reading. 1t is worth
while observing. too, that but forty min
utes were consumed in the first reading
and that the senate adjourned as soon as
this was done. AS a matter of fact, by
the most fluent and rapid reading, the house
clerk was never able to get through the
bill in less than an hour and a half.
investigate stuefer.
The house committee appointed to in
vestigate the official act of ex-Treasurer
Stuefer in the purchase OF the Burt county
bonds is expected to hold its first meet
ing tomorrow morning, 1t has subpoenaed
several persons to testify before It,
Stuefer is expected to appear. This action
was precipitated by Representative Sears.
who as chairman OF the house claims COM
mittee refused TO vote to allow the bill OF
Mr.. Stuefer for $4,000 for payment OF the
premium on his official bond for the last
year of his term. Sears position is that
Il should first be demonstrated that Stuefer
did not realize this amount on this bond
transaction before the legislature allows
this bill. Stuefer claims to have paid
S6, 900 for his bond for two years, while
the present treasurer is quoted as saying
that his cost him $1,000 for the biennium
and Meserve Stuefer's predecessor only
presented a bill for $4,000 for his bond for
the two years.
There is a very general and persistent
demand for a thorough inves igation into
this affair, as there was regarding the in
vestigation OF the BARLEY case, which was
! gone over in a sort of perfunctory way by
a house committee. II is the current opin-
ION that some interesting testimony can be
adduced in the Stuefer case, as could have
been adduced in the BARLEY case, and the
| committee will be urged by parties who
Gre interested in fair play and an entire
settling up Of this complication, to make
an honest effort to get at the facts, so that
the state will know just where It stands
and where Mr.. stuefer stands in this
matter
Legislative Gossip.
Rouse Of Hall was presiding over the
committee OF the whole one night last
week when the revenue bill was under con-
sideration. member had Just concluded
very forcible speech on a certain sec
tion OF the bill, when Mangold Of Douglas
county, who was sitting in a poorly lighted
part OF the hall, addressed the chairman.
saying:
MIR. Chairman. l would like to have
more light on this matter"
Rouse, thinking Mangold had reference
to the deficient illumination, called out to
the jantor;
Go over there and turn on the re-
mainder Of those lights, so the gentleman
can see, please"
A roar of laughter went up from the gall
lery and floor In which everybody seemed
to join, except Rouse. Mangod and the
, jantor. Rouse, who was perfectly uncOn-
! a., 4,La he haH he
gan pounding on the speakers desk with
his big gavel for order; Mangold was too
, confused to say a word he didn't know
whether to get mad or amused, and the
ianitor, evidently perplexed, stalked hesi-
! ! lallnglY- oNer 10 that narL nl the snacInma