Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-13

mtttee he would compose it OF representa-
tive members. Hunter, who made the
motion that a sitting committee be APP
pointed. was one OF those named in the
committee that was said to have been do
cided on by the speaker some days age.
The speaker said that Of those members
then named but one had ever rpoken 10
him OF this committee.
Nelson OF Douglas then moved to have
IS. f.. IL engrossed for third reading.
Sweezy took up the cudgel against this
motion, contending that as this was a bill
to prolong the life Of the present supr, M
court commission It should not be rail
roaded through, but placed on general Gle,
so that the members OF the house might
have an opportunity Of stud.tng and dis
cussing It. Rouse thought the same way.
The Sweezy motion vas carried.
On motion OF Nelson Of Douglas II. r.
500, the Omaha charter bill, was ordered
engrossed for the third reading and it's
amendments. printed.
The committee on accounts and expendi-
lures reported that on investigation II
found three custodians Of the legislative
supply room. w. H. Clark and ]. II. %Jallison,
appointed by the secretary of state, with
the concurrence of the house. and Homer
Gage, appointed by Speaker Mockett. Tho
committee reported that It found need for
but one custodian, and recommended that
Clark and Jallison be dispensed with. The
report wal adopted and therefore these two
employees cut off the way roll.
Take Up Revenue Bill.
f., At 2:3O the house went into committee
Of the whole to consider the revenue bill.
Before taking up the bill the house rec
commended for passage II. R. 209. by Nc,
Clay of Lancaster, appropriating 1851 to
General Victor Vifquain due as services as
adjutant general under Governor Boyd. 1t
was called up by McClay.
When the revenue bill came up Rouse
Of Hall moved to strike out OF section &c
the words building and loan" SO as 10
avoid double taxation Of this character of
associations, whose taxing is provided FOR
elsewhere in the bill. Ten Eyck argued
for the motion, c%ontending that to let the
bill stand as drawn would have the effect
of driving these concerns out of business
in event of the bills passage. The motion
was carried.
Section So was amended so as to fix the
first Monday in May as the time for the
State Board of Equalization TO begin its
e%ittings, rather than March.
Thompson of Merrick then opposed an
amendment to section SO, striking out the
words extending into two or more coun-
ties which would have the effect of ex-
empting all railroads whose tracks are
wholly in one county from local taxation.
Sweezy of Adams opposed this, contending
that there was but one road in the state
whose lines we're wholly in one county,
the Omaha Belt line. lie argued that 1t
would be wrong to allow the state board
to assess this property and shut off local
taxation Of 1t.
Thompson supported his amendment by
saying it was designed to make uniform
the method Of taxation of all property in
the state. Sears Of Burt and Nelson OF
Douglas both lined up for the amendment.
Nelson consumed quite a period in defend
ing his position.
Ten Eyck of Douglas strongly opposed
the amendment, as did Gilbert of Douglas,
both arguing with force and effect that
1t would impose a serious hardship to re-
move this belt line from local taxation.
Burgess of Lancaster then added his
voice to the chorus for the amendment.
McAllister of Deuel. also supported the
amendment. ..
Sweezy came back with another attack
on the amendment.
1.-THE railroads put this amendment in
here he declared. Let them show their
hands and tell us why they did It,"
Douglas of Rock, prefacing his remarks
with the statement that he cared not who
was responsible for the amendment, It was
good and should be adopted. 81 am for a
uniform system of taxation" he said.
Thompson DEFENDS His Move.
Thompson then took the floor. He said
TT gentleman from Adams said this
was a railroad amendment. l don't know
what he meant by that. l do know that the
amendment bears my signature and carries
approval. l introduced it by request,
but / conscientiously indorse it. l don't
go in the dark to perform any of my work.
l am not afraid of public criticism or
scrutiny
Speaker Mockett spoke against the
amendment and was followed by another
strong plea in the same direction by Ten
Eyck, who argued that the amendment
would affect only one county.
Sears then took up the discussion, saying
that the state board was given ample au-
thority to obtain correct assessments and
was better qualified to do so than a local
assessor.
Sweezy. answering Thompson, said he had
heard at noon that someone whispered In
someone else's ear that such a change as
proposed in this amendment would be a
good thing.
Loomis Of Dodge then pointed out that
this amendment would effect more than
this one road, that there was a little road
twenty-four one-hundredths of a nile IN
length in Douglas county owned by the
Elkhorn, and the Omaha Terminal com
pany's line In Douglas county, three miles
long, He also pointed out that the original
bill contemplated this; tax not only on
trackage, but also on service, and explained
that the purpose was to catch such as er
tered the state over leased tracks, and In
this connection he said under the bill as
drawn these companies could be locally
taxed. He thought the provision, without
the amendment. should stand.
The amendment was carried by a vote Of
AZ to 28.
Nelson, who spoke for the amendment,
voted against it with the other Douglas
members when a rising vote was called
for.
Thompson offered this amendment:
II move to amend section 81 by adding
after the word structure in line Sc Of said
section the following: Ninth, the total
cross earnings and net earnings of said
corporation. during the year for which
said statement is made and the total
amount expended in the operation and
maintenance Of the property and the i'm
provements. distinguishing that expended
improvements or betterment from that ex-
pended in maintenance or operation, also
the dividend last declared upon its shares