Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-03-08
Railroad Lobbyists Are Alarmed at the
Revulsion of Sentiment
BARTLEY SUBPotNAsO BY COMMITTEE
Members Hopeful Of Learning Something Of
Contents of Cigar Box.
CHANGES IN THE OMAHA CHARTER BILL
Indications that Nebraska Will He
Represented at Lewis and Clark
Exposition to lie Held
in 1905.
urom a Stan Corrcspondent)

OFrom a stan Correspondent)
LINCOLN, March e. (Special.)-The rail-
roads are alarmed over The fate of the rev.
enue bill Theil fears doubtless are we'll
grounded for the advocates OF honest rev
enue revision have materially cut into the
railroads ranks within the past week. He
roic action on the part OF the corporation
lobbyists will be required TO suppress an
insurrection. Recognizing this menacing
aspect the railroads have doubled their
efforts at lining up sufficient number Of
votes to secure either the rassage of II. II.
344 or prevent its amendment so as to in
sure positive revenue revision. But with
equal zeal and might the friends of true re-
form are at work, and battle royal is
imminent when the bill comes up for hnal
action in the house next week.
Having secured the defeat of II. r. $50,
the railroads became overconfdent of their
assurance in ultimately blocking all move
ments for revenue legislation, and in the
meantime the exponents of reform went TO
work. Now the railroads have returned to
their former tactics of procrastination, de-
termined on deferring action on the rev
enue bill as long as possible. Their plans
are apparent however and every effort is
being made to intercept them and bring the
bill into the committee of the whole with
ent the bill is at the foot Of general file.
with 115 bills ahead of it. 1t can be ad-
vanced. however. But so far the rail-
roads are concerned no effort will be made
to advance Il unless they can assure them
selves Of passing the bill in its present
form or preventing its passage in an
I amended form.
Rouse, Perry Caldwell and others
who are conducting the fight against this
10 lroad measure, have accumulated sig
nifcant strength within he last day or
two and the belief is that this strength
tends to increase rather than decrease.
This combination includes a great many
more men than is generally known. II is
not doubted the railroads viii be surprised
to find who 1t includes.
Advocates of Reform Encouraged.
I'VE feel, for the first time, that thero
| really is a good chance TO secure the
! passage OF an honest revenue law" said
! member of this combination today. I'VE
| know one thing ior certain, unless the
railroads succeed in urdoing things that
we have done IN the last week. they can
rot succeed in passing this bill as It now
stands or in aEy ether form satisfactory to
them. If the railroads insist on a revenue
! bill that will exempt them from Just taxa
uon, while Increasing the burden OF the
farmer as this bill contemplates, ! believe
they will lose out. Speaking from a party
! standpoint, l want to urge this legislature,
which is overwhelmingly republican, to see
/ 10 1t that no such bin as outlined gets
| through. II it does, it will mean a re-
version OF political control two years hence,
and it ought to. l am. a lifelong repub-
lican, rut would glad TO see the party
defeated II its members in the Legislature
prove such r-iant tools Of the railroads
as against The feople's interests. We can
not hope 10 re Gain in power unless we do
our duty. In this case our duty is so plain
that no man can be excused for not per-
forming it." .
As has been stated. the revenue bill was
reported back to the house with fifty
amendments, some minor, others very ma
terial. One of the most important changes
proposed is that by Perry of Fu-nas, one
Of the leaders of the opposing faction
wherein the market value of capital stock
of railroads, plus their bonded indebted
ness, shall be taken as equaling their tota
amount Of property for the purposes Of
assessment and taxation. Mr.. Perry says
certain papers nave misconceived his idea
as TO this, He has great faith in the
popularity Of his method, which he sayi
may be found in a decision by United States
Juhlltt Ailtltt III inc hluNAg -ofNbuu Aull0i
States report and sustained by Justic,
Brewer in the l54th report Mr.. PER-.
has drawn this amendment to be presented
in the house.
Reason for Change.
The revenue committe has submitted al
amendment changing the time Of assessinl
back to March and April instead of Feb
ruary and March. as the bill contemplates
! for this change in his part OF the state
where the opinion obtains that the chang
contemplated in the revenue bill is aime
at the farmers interest. On this point h
said.
The farmers have considerable feed o
!, ! hand the first OF February and listing thei
property then would not only catch III
value Of The feed, but the cattle would b
listed just as high then as two month
later because assessors will agree 10 lis
: cattle at certain prices and not take int
: consideration the fact that the stock woul
be worth more April l, and then there is q
IL much risk on stock from the first OF Feb
ruary until the first OF April as there
during the remaining ten months Of III
year Aside from this. II the farmer owe
on anything he owes on cattle in feed lot
u and often when he sells his cattle he hasn
h any more than enough left to reimburs
: him for what he paid for the cattle in th
= fall and what he expended for feed. II
N be true that he has any money left he ca
II be depended on to list money as well
any other taxpayer"
= The same element IN the house that
s opposing the revenue bill Is resisting II
d. attempt to have the speaker appoint
N sitting committee the first Of the week
There must be no S!fting committee 4,
at least ten days" said one Of this nun
T. Der today, and another remarked: II n
/ house is TO have a sitting committee
j. will elect one Itself and not have y
speaker appoint It."
m Much work Ahead.
Dr. The house and senate are confronted vii
-. a tremendous lot of work. The house gel
eral file contains 1l6 bills, Of which the
" are some vital measures. The reveni
~ bill. OF course, is on this list. Then the
are all the appropriation bills TO be des