The Columbus journal., 1903-03-25
THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE
A Synopsis of Proceedings IA Both Branches OF
the Twenty Eighth General
Assembly.
HOUSE.

+
Observation-Disclosures
HOUSE.
In the house on the 18th Hunter of
Webster offered q motion that the speak
er appoint Q sitting committee Of seven
members to whom all bills on general file
should be submitted and that all bills
reported to the house by this committee
should have precedence In committee OF
the whole In the order reported, except
appropriation and revenue bills. The
motion was tabled. Nelson OF Douglas
moved to have S. F. II engrossed FOR
third reading The bill was placed on gen.
eral file. On motion Of Nelson Of Doug
las H. r. 80. the Omaha charter bill.
was ordered engrossed for the third read
ing and its amendments printed. The
committee on accounts and expenditures
reported than on investigation It found
three custodians OF the supply room. w.
III. Clark and J. Fk Jallison. appointed
by the secretary OF state. with the con-
currence of the house. and Homer Gage.
appointed by Speaker Mockett. The COM
mittee reported that 1t found need for
but one custodian. and recommend that
Clark and Jallison be dispensed with. The
report was adopted and therefore these
two employees cut on the pay roll. The
remainder Of the day was taken mp In
consideration OF the revenue bill.
H. r. 374. the salaries appropriation
bill, was placed on the general hle
of the house on the 18th. with amend
ments apprOpriating So. 600 for q dep
uty clerk of the supreme court; 81, 400
for three assistants at a salary OF
$500: 81 500 for an assistant state IL
brarian; raising the salary of the stew
ard at the Lincoln insane asylum from
$1,000 to $500: raising the salary OF
the head nurse at the Lincoln home
for the friendless from $500 to 5000:
raising the salary of the teacher of the
industrial home at Milford from $500
to 5000. H. r. 225. by Ferrar. and H.
r. 214. by Christy. both pure food
bills" were reported to the general file
by the committee on agriculture. A
number of senate files were then read
for the second time, after which the
house took q recess until 7:3O. At the
night session the house considered the
revenue bill in committee of the whole.
An amendment by Kennedy of Doug
las was adopted. providing that where
railroads fail to make returns to the
state board the board shall proceed
to ascertain the value from the best
information obtainable. and to such
value add 50 per cent as a penalty.
Many amendments were adopted to
make the bill correspond throughout
to the change in the date of assess
ment from February 1 to April 1. Good
OF Nemaha offered an amendment
striking out the proviso exempting
from taxation live stock under thres
months old. The motion was adopted,
after considerable discussion, by a ris-
ing vote of Al to %.
Immediately upon convening. The house
on the 18th resumed consideration of the
revenue bill. Rouse Of Hall was the first
speaker. He drew attention to the great
debt Of Nebraska by saying that I'VE. as
a people. are prosperous. but We. as a
state. are not prosperous. and 1t is be-
cause Of deficient revenue laws" He
urged the imperative necessity of a reve-
nue. measure that would meet the de-
mands Of the hour" Morsman Of Doug
las attacked the Loomis and Caldwell
amendments, II enacted. they would de-
prive Nebraska of a vital portion OF rail-
read valuation belonging to 1t. He plead
ed for the revenue bill, maintaining that
this bill would subject these corporations
tc fair taxation. Ten Eyck OF Douglas
attacked the revenue bill as being one
sided in favor of the railroads. He said
II was a fair law for the farmers and
ought to he made such for the railroads.
He said the railroads were threatening
TO raise freight rates and in the face of
this he said 1t was time for the republi-
cans of Nebraska to get together and do
something for the state. He said 1t was
time they stood sQuare-tOed and fat
footed on the Caldwell amendment.
Lcomis Of Dodge. the fusion floor leader.
concluded the debate in a most forcible
speech for the Caldwell amendment. He
regretted that this debate had sunk to
the low level Of partisanship. He wanted
the problem fought out along strictly
business lines. He refused to consider
the proposition as a party matter. not
withstanding the contrary efforts OF
Thompson. Sears. Sweezy. Douglas.
Mockett and Spurlock to make it such.
He made the most prolonged argument
creech for the Caldwell amendment The
Caldwell amendment was defeated by a
standing vote OF IS to g. The Thomson
amendment was adopted by a vote Of
81 to Sc The Loomis amendment to sec
tion s. was carried. changing the time
OF assessing to April Is. instead Of Feb
ruary. and making other changes. Jun
kin's amendment to list ana tax box and
grain cars was adopted.
Consideration OF III. r. 7o-the Ramsey
elevator bill-was taken up in committee
Of the whole on the 18th. The bill re-
quires railroads to furnish equal facilities
to all elevators. including sidetracks,
cars. switch connections. terminal hand
ling and interchange. The amendment Of
fered by the railroad committee. to which
the bill was referred. cut out the p-ovi-
sions for terminal handling and inter.
change. and required elevators to which
1t should s,e applicable to cost at least
ss.ooo Robbins of Gage offered a substi-
tute to the amendment. which left the
bill unchanged save for a proviso fixing
the cost of the elevator at not less than
k.0oo The Robbins substitute amendment
"os "ooPseo w d TiSihS Note VI 81 10 =.
and the bill was then recommended for
passage as amended. The following bill
were read Tor the third time and passed:
Remedying minor defects in charters gov
erning cities of from 5000 to e5.ooo popuia-
tion. Ayes. s.: nays. Q. To authorize
corporations. associations and soci.ties Ia
transact upon the assessment plan. the
business OF accident or sickness or ac-
cident and Sickness insurance and 20 -
a funeral benefit net exceeding SO. -
define the nature and scope OF the Ne
braska state library. the University OF
Nebraska library and the Nebraska state
historical society liabrary and to regu
late the purchase Of books by them
Makes state library exclusively one OF
Law books and public documents: the
state historical library exclusively one OF