Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-11
HOUSE BUSY ON REVENUE BILL
Adopts Committee Amendment Fixing
the Time of Levy on
April 1.

after converting this morning the house de-
cided to continue action on the revenue
bill as a special order as soon as other I'M
finished business was disposed Of.
Proceeding to bills on their final passage,
the house passed several measures of i'm
portance. II. r. 236, by Gilbert Of Douglas,
was among this number. The bill provides
for more stringent registration laws in
Omaha. The principal effect Of It, says the
author, will be to exclude the importation
Of foreign voters at the. primaries or cleo
tions. 1t requires a residence of ten days
in a ward before a person may register,
and limits the conditions under which a
person who has not regularly registered
may vote.
II. r. 1913, by Douglas of Rock, removing
the two-thirds limit of Indebtedness for
railroads and allowing them to increase
their liabilities to any amount, was passed.
Douglas says the measure is meant to ben
eft the Elkhorn railroad.
H. r. 240, by Jouvenat of Boone, ~increas-
ing the salary OF the secretary Of the State
Banking Board to $4,000, that Of the state
bank examiner to 1900, with 5000 per an
mum for expenses, and prohibiting the use
of commercial paper by a banking concern
as part of the capital stock, was passed, as
was also II. X. 1923, by Hathorn Of Red will
low, giving to Russell F. LOOMS of Red
Willow county a deed to a quarter section
Of land on which he settled in 1872 and for
which he has been unable to obtain a title
from the national government, which, sub
sequent to his homestead filing, donated the
land to be held to the school fund Of
Nebraska.
Tho house coneurred in the senate resolu-
ton to have the committee on accounts Of
expenditures act with the senate committee
to investigate whether w. H. Clock is GUS
todian of the store room by appointment
of the legislature or secretary of state.
On motion of Rouse of Hall the governors
recent message on moving state, buildings
was received and placed on file, to be called
up with appropriation bill.
Act on Stuefer Resolution.
Nelson of Douglas renewed his motion to
have a committee appointed to act on the
Sears statement looking to an investigation
of ex-State Treasurer Steufer's method Of
handling school bonds, and Speaker Mock
EFT named these members: Warner Of
Lancaster, Meradith of York, Mangold Of
Douglas, Davis of Buffalo, Fishback Of
Clay.
At the request OF Kennedy Of Douglas the
house went into committee OF the whole to
consider, first, H. r. 271, by Riggs of Doug
las, providing a reduction in the number
of South Omaha School board members
from nine to five. The committee recon-
mended the bill for passage.
The house took a half hitch on time and
met in afternoon session at 1880 instead
OF 2 o'clock. 1t took up H. r. 344, the rev.
enue bill. in committee of the whole. The
first provision Of the bill considered was
that fixing the time of assessment. The
original bill named February l and the
standing house revenue committee proposed
to change this to April /. Thompson of
Merrick offered an amendment to fix Marcn
1 as the time. After a Epirited debate the
committee amendment for April 1 carried
by an overwhelming vote. Perry Of Furnas
lead in the fight to have property assessed
April 1 and was followed by Junkin OF
Gosper, Cassell of Otoe, Mendenhall Of JEFF
ferson, Bartoo OF Valley. Kennedy of Doug
las and McAllister of Deuel.. Thompson of
Merrick, Douglas of Rock and Wilson of
Pawnee, all members Of the committee that
framed the revenue bill, opposed this
amendment.
An amendment by Nelson Of Douglas was
adopted making taxes on real property a
first lien from and including the first day
of October of the year in which they are
levied until the same are paid.
A committee amendment was adopted
N@hAA - pIOD-
erty, except such as is required in this
chapter to be levied and assessed otherwise,
shall be listed and assessed in the county,
precinct, township, city, village and school
district where the owner resides, except
that property having a local sites like
lumber yards, grain elevators, etc., shall
be assessed at the place Of SITES" etc.
A communication was read from the gov
ernor submitting a bill giving the secre-
tary Of state perpetual right to sign paving
petitions, the general purpose of the bill
being to validate the paving of streets sur
rounding the capitol building, for which the
appropriation bill sets out $4,000 to defray
the states portion of this expense.
The prime object OF this bill is to provide
for the repaving of the streets on the east
and south sides of the capitol grounds,
Sixteenth street between H and X streets
ana H street between Fourteenth and Six
teenth streets.
The afternoon session adjourned at 5
O'Clock, the order being a night session to
begin at 1880.
The house, in committee of the whole, re-
sumed consideration OF the revenue bill at
1880 tonight. Section So Of the bill, pro-
viding for a tax on the gross amount of
premiums received by a fire insurance
company, written on property within the
state during the year, occasioned a spirited
debate, but was finally adopted against
two proposed amendments.
Section So, imposing a tax Of 2 per cent
on the gross amount Of premiums OF for
eign life and accident insurance companies,
except fraternal and mutual on assessment
basis, also was discussed at length. Mors-
man Of Douglas and Mockett of Lancaster
led in supporting the revenue committees
amendment to reduce this per cent of tax