Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-13
Part to Be Divided Among Districts
Irrespective of Population.
BOILER MAKERS PROTEST AGAINST BILL
Insist They Are as Competent Inspectors
as Men Who Run Them.
HITCH IN THE OMAHA CHARTER BILL
Members of the Delegation Not Ex-
actIy Agreed on Its Provisions
and Differences 10 lie settled
Before Introducing IL.
HErom a Stnn CorresnondentN )


Douglas county members Of the house have
discovered a dangerous Ethiopian in tho
wood-pile in H. r. 1856, by Tooley OF Custer.
which is a bill amending the present laws
relating to the apportionment OF school
funds as defined in section 8, subdivision IL.
Of chapter xxx the compiled statutes. They
believe the measure contemplates serious
injustice TO Douglas county by depriving It
Of large portion Of school funds now al
lotted to 1t under the present law.
The section in question as revised by the
bill Is this:
Section o. The state treasurer shall. semi
on or before the third Monday in
May, and the first Monday In December,
make a complete exhibit OF ali nnonevs he
longing TO the school fund OF the state, as
returned to him from the several counties,
other sources, and deliver the same duly
certified TO the state superintendent; and
within twenty days thereafter the state
superintendent shall make the apportion-
ment OF said funds to such counties as fol-
lows, to-wtt: zone fourth OF the whole
amount to be apportioned to the several
counties in proportion to the number of
school districts entitled to share in each),
the remaining three-fourths TO be appor-
toned according to the pro rata enumera-
tion OF scholars IN each county as last re-
turned from the county superintendent;
and the state superintendent shall certify
the apportionment so made to the county
superintendent of the proper county, and
to the state auditor, who shall thereupon
draw a warrant on the state treasurer in
favor of the several counties for the
amounts so certified by the state superin-
tendent.
The only new part of the section is that
beginning with the words, "one-fourth OF
the whole amount" and ending with the
words, The remaining three-fourths.'
This brings out the point against which
the Douglas county men are protesting,
~,
reduction in the apportionment to Douglas
county by directing that one-fourth of the
amount be apportioned to the several coun-
ties in proportion to the number Of school
districts, while It only leaves three-fourths
to be apportioned as heretofore. The pres
ent law provides that the entire appor-
tionment of the several county funds shall
be divided according TO the pro rata emu
meration of the scholars in each county, ("
etc. Subtracting this one-fourth to be ap-
portioned on the basis Of the number OF
school districts instead Of the number of
school children, therefore, is, the Douglas
county men maintain, unjust to Douglas
county and to the other thickly populated
centers of the state, where as a matter of
fact the school districts are fewer than in
the sparsely settled sections. For this rea-
son the Douglas men have avowed their de-
termination to resist the bill to the last and
they believe the Lancaster county delega-
tion in both houses will aid them in their
fight. The same bill is pending in the
senate also.
Hits Douglas Hard.
Just what amount this one-fourth sub
tracted from the Douglas county apportion-
ment and thus divided will be may be ap-
proximated for each year from the amount
of the full apportiOnment for last year
The December apportionment in 1902 was
S26, ,239 and the May apportionmept $45.2S9
making a total OF S71,52s OF course omahs
and the rest of Douglas county would share
in the distribution ot this one-fourth as vel
as the other counties OF the state, but not OF
| a Fair or equal basis IL is held, since II,
! number OF school districts is so much
/ smaller and its number of school children
/ so vastly much larger than those OF othel
4 counties.
! This measure has the Endorsement ant
| support Of the state superintendent OF pub
J lie instruction and the country district, AM
! therefore will naturally be hard 10 beat
/ but the Douglas county men have faith Il
their ability 10 impress the Justice Of thei
arguments upon the legislature. The claim
OF the Douglas delegation will be simpl
that the projected Law would work injur,
! TO Douglas county and other more thickl,
populated centers 10 the unfair edvantag
OF the rural counties, by depIiying tn
former Of funds they are entitled TO. Th
arguments Of the friends OF the bill vii
be that all school districts In any part @
the state having forty or more scholar
will share equally in the apportionment
under the proposed law; that district q
this number in Douglas county would &c
the same amount OF monev and no NOR
that the district of forty pupils in Cherr
OF Custer county. And further. II will b
urged that as Douglas Lancaster and som
other Uopulous counties pay into rhe stat
fund 6isproportionately small amounts {
money arising from the sale and lease
/ school lands they ought not to get ava
with the lions share Of the apportionmenu
For instance, it will be argued that III
contributions one year from this source I
the state fund from Douglas count
amounted to $500. while from CherT
county they reached $4,000.
The bill was today recommended for pa
sage by the committee OF the whole in Il
house.
At Sea on Revenue Bill.
Even the members Of the revenue cor
mittee have stopped guessing on when The
will have their bill ready to submit TO II
legislature, II was confidently expects
: that by tonight the subcommittee wou
, have finished the compilation OF the BIZ
I ready TO return Il to the committees a
5 large. but at midnight the oommitteem'
announce that this is out OF the questiC
and simply throw up their hands WHIT
asked when the Job will be completed.
the meantime diverse guesses are beiI
' made as TO what the committee is doin
II the bill is ready for introduction Mo-
day the men who are forming # don't see
= 20 know Il.
Boiler Makers Object.
+ A loud protest has arisen from the era
engaged in the manufacture OF steam e
n gines against II. r. 237. by Gilbert Of Dou
}, las, providing for the establishment OF
=, board Of examining tngineers 10 lnspe
" steam boilers and or the licensing Of ps