Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-02
RESULTS IN LEGISLATURE
Events Of Last Week of Far Reaching
Importance to the State.
FAIR START MADE on REVENUE REVISION
n Matters Have Attracted Tenn
porary Alterations. bat ThiA r. the
All A~BsOrbIne Topic OF
Thought
T-om a stan correspondent.l

I H A
P-om a STAFF Correspondent
LINCOLN, Feb. 1~.-(spscial )--Last week
was, thus far, the most eventful' week OF
the twenty-eighth session OF the Nebraska
legislature. But upon the deliberations OF
this week, even though the legislature is
not IN session, hang results Of statewide
interest, the most important by all odds
which this legislature will be asked TO pro-
duce. The formulation Of a revenue bill,
destined TO provide resources for effacihg
the enormous illegal debt Of $4,000 with
which this state Is hurdened. is the work
~ be accomplished before the legislature
reconvenes a week from tomorrow. 1t was
to enable the joint house and senate rev.
enue committee to perfect this work that
the adjournment was taken. While the
task confronting this committee ia indeed
an one to perform In so short q
time it is said by committeeman that it
Will be discharged and that a bill will be
ready for Introduction Monday, February 8.
Nearly all CT last week was consumed
In debate or action preliminary TO revenue
reform, or at least to hnal disposition Of
the revenue bill. Monday the committee
men began talking about their plans Of
procedure and airing their views rs to
/ MhhC WOubA 10 AAA4EAt1hCHf RNAAEA0iG 2
vision or amendments OF the present rev.
emu law; Tuesday night the joint COM
mittee held ats FIRST actual meeting and
decided to take as a basis Of its work the
present Nebraska law; wednesday night
the committee submitted to the public the
first opportunity OF presenting views and
ideas as to how the work should be UNDER
taken; Thursday night another such open
meeting was held, when, as on tho pre-
vious nigat. citizens for and against rev.
enue revision, railroad representatives be-
ing among the latter, appeared and adj
dressed the COMMITTEES. Then on Friday
night the committee held a private meet
ing and accomplished its hrst tangible re-
suits. Saturday morning. evening and
night found the committee still busy.
Railroads Are Active.
1t still ia the general consensus that IL
left entirely to the untrammeled will of
the legislators the universal demand of the
people OF Nebraska for adequate revenue
revision would be manfully met. But there
Is grave fear that outside influences, chiefly
from the railroads. will thwart the pep
ular will and block successful work along
this line. Certain 1t is that the railroads
want no revision of the revenue laws. and
equally certain is It that they are bending
their energies to prevent any.
Already the revenue committee has ac-
complished som results. 1t has consid-
cred the hrst forty sections Of the present
revenue law and taken tentative action on
several sections. Nothing which has been
done thus far. however, is nnal and every
thing will be subject TO change until the
committee has completed Its work and lie
ready to report.
As has been already published, the COM
mittee has taken the Nebraska law as the
basis Of it's operations. 1T was the desire
Of the railroads that 1t take the proposed
Kansas law. and the Union Pacific. which
has endorsed this nm for Kansas, exerted
its efforts to induce the joint Committee to
accept this proposed lew as the basis Of
It's work, but was unsuccessful.
Two Of the notable events Of the week
were the public debates between railroad
Representatives and representatives OF the
people on the question of revenue and
taxation. John N. Baldwin and Ben White,
attof neys for the Union Pacific and ELK
horn, respectively, championed the rail-
roads, side and e. RosewatC-, ]. H.. Me-
Intosh, Victor Rosewater, q. M. Pollard
and others sustained the side Of the people,
and the consensus Of opinion seemed to be
In favor of the peoples champions.
The proposition Of giving to the city OF
Il AAAA4 ~ lAbAt VI ' ~
on the railroad terminals within the COR
porate limits Of the city entered largely
into this discussion.
R~epudiatea Land LeasinE.
OF the important proceedings in the
house and senate. the reputation Of the
Dietrich land leasing bill in both houses
was notable.
The Perry resolution in the house to ex-
clude professional lobbyists from the floor
and Hobbies created considerable stir on
Tuesday. and disappointment the day fol-
lowing when 1t was tabled.
A wave Of opposition to the so-caiied
printing trust swept through both branches
Of the legislature. causing considerable
disturbance. The house adopted a resolu-
tion ordering an investigation Of the con-
tract by which it's printing was done, the
contract having been let to the State
Journal company by the State Printing
board. The resolution instructed the com
mittee to ascertain whether the house could
not make its own contracts and secure more
advantageous terms With this or seme other
nrm than those which existed.
/ Nearly all day Saturday both houses were
In q tumult over the question OF adjourn
ing q week to give tine for the Joint rev
) enue committee TO complete its work Of
framing a bill. 1t was a most complicated
aiair. involving all sorts Of parliamentary
I devices. II finally resulted in the passage
. BY the house Of a resolution to adjourn un.
= I'll Monday, February 3. in which the sen
ate eoneurred. The railroads were sup
, posed to have exercised a good deal Of In
terest on one side or the other OF this
. question. but their hand was well concealed
and the fight ended without its betrayal
TO a certainty.
The Gilbert Omaha water works bill
. which was substituted for Senator HowelTl
bill for the same purpose. was finally
I passed last week.
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