Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-16
committee is Expected TO Report It to House
Not Later Than Tuesday,
SPECULATION As TO HOW IT WILL SUIT
ReappOrtiOnment Bill. is Also Expected to
Put in an Appearance.
DOUGLAS A GAMER IF IT BECOMES LAW
Grain Elevator Men Gathering in
Force 20 Fight s.eEisIation Proc
posed by the Farmers CO.
Operative Concern.
(From a stan Correspondentl


LINCOLN, Feb. 15.-(Special.) III the
program is carried out, this week ought
to be the busiest of the session. The legis-
lature has, as II were, punched many OF the
most important matters before IL and sew
eral OF these ought to come up for die
position this week. Chief among them IL
the revenue bill. After wrestling with that
proposition for a considerable period the
Joint committee, It is said, will be ready
to submit its work to the house Tuesday.
other things OF moment, such as the
McAllister reapportionment bill, the tele-
phone fight. the controversy over the
farmers elevator bills. and last. but cer-
tainly not least, the Omaha charter bill,
are on the docket for this week.
But II is safe to say that not all of these
things will be given a full hearing. It
is supposed. OF course. the matter Of reve-
nue. revision will have right -of-way over
all other propositions. IL this question
occupies as much time proportionately, in
the legislature as 1t has in the committees,
It is likely to consume the rest or the
| greater part OF the session. The interest
and anxiety over revenue revision is at
| the tensest strain. Everybody is looking
to see what the result will be, whether the
} pleading voice of 1,200,000 Nebrsskans, or
the stern dictum of handful OF men, most
| Ol huSu TtslutHlb VI Olu6T blHLeSs Will
prevail; whether the will Of their con-
/ stituents OF the command Of the railroads
will govern the legislators in this su-
preme moment; whether adequate revenue
revision will be granted, because II is
| needed and wanted by the state, or whether
| II will be denied because II Is so ordered
| by the railroads, who resist II that they
may continue to shirk their just proportion
Of taxes.
what il Claimed for Bill.
The revenue bill is a volumlnous affair.
II comprises more than the 240 sections
] Of the present Nebraska law. 1t has been
| compiled from the statutes OF Nebraska.
Kansas, Iowa and other states. The unen
who have constructed II declare II is good
! and VIII, n passed, satisfy the demands of
the people and the needs OF the state.
While there Ia great deal OF talk about
| the fight that is being made by the So
called independent telephone companies
| throughout the state against the -Jebraska
Bell Telephone company, there is less
actual fighting. True, committees from
the house and senate have been appointed
TO Investigate rates." to see II they are
exorbitant. These committees are expected
| to report this week, but 1t Ia q question
indeed II their reports will lead to the
passage OF the bills introduced at the
request of the independent people to en-.
able them to project their wires into Omaha
and Lincoln. Certainly II the consensus
Of opinion counts for anything, the chances
OF the independent people are poor.
Legislative ReappOrtionment.
Representative McAllister of Deuel.
county expected to get his bill for the
legislative reapportionment OF the state
| ~ las au nerfain
provisions of 1t were unsatisfactory to
members Of the senate It's Introduction
was delayed. The bill met the approval
of all the representatives to whom It was
referred, and Mr.. McAllister believes Il
will be in final shape in day or two, so
that Il can be presented with excellent
chances of passing. The bill, as drawn,
would give to Douglas Ave new members
in the house, making fourteen, and about
two in the senate, making FIVE.
The Omaha charter bill ID another meas
ure which ran against a snag last week.
II was thought the Douglas delegation
would be able to Introduce It the first
part OF last week, but Il was hung up be-
cause Of changes. and now. while the plan
is to get il in this week, its introduction
is a matter Of uncertainty
The grain elevator men began to gather
: at the state capitoh last week and will line
I'D this week against the bills in the
senate and house providing for farmers
elevators throughout the state. The grain
men claim the farmers are not being i'm
posed on now and get all the benefits
they are entitled TO. OF that their interests
demand. They are prepared to make &
formidable fight against these two bills
In connection with lights on bills Of thil
nature II is always worth while to recall
what The Bee pointed out at the beginning
of the session, that Of the ninety-n nine
! members of the house ffty-ive are farmers
and the farmers are we'll represented II
the senate. They ought TO be able t
make a formidable fight also. If theii
cause is lost. the farmers out In the stat'
; ought to be able to very nearly place th'
. blame.