Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-03-09
TINE FOR BUSINESS
Legislature Cannot Waste Any Time If it
Intends to Complete Its Work
SESSION IS OVER TW0-THR0S GONE
Up to the Present Little Has Been Accom-
plished in Actual Results
DEVOTE EVENINGS TO REVENUE BILL
BARLEY Investigating Committee Also
Expect, to Work Nights.
APPROPRIATIONS ARE ALSO ON DECK
with the FLOOD of New Bills stopped
by Ttme Limitation Legislature
Can get Down to Accomplish
Practical Results.
Up to the Present Little Has Been Accom-
plished in Actual Results
EvOTe EVENINGS TO REVENUE BILL
BARLEY Investigating Committee Also
Expects to Work Nights.
APPROPRIATIONS ARE ALSO ON DECK
(From a SIAN Correspondent.

FIuui sum NoIleHPNhhehtl
LINCOLN, March S.--(Special.l Begin
ming tomorrow the house will hold day and
night sessions--unless It transgresses a
resolution adopted last week. This resolu-
tion provided that night sessions should
be held exclusively for the purpose OF dis
cussng the revenue bill and TO be con-
tinued until that measure was finally dis
posed OF. The other regular work will be
attended to at the day sessions
Inasmuch as the Bartley investigation
committee ras planned night sittings for
this week and as various other committees
have extra duties confronting them, Il GER
tainly would seem US II things were going
to take on a strenuous aspect But this
10 inevits BILE IL the real work for which
this legislature was convened is to be done.
Really II the session were to adjourn to-
morrow the twenty eighth Nebraska legis-
lature would go on record as having accom-
plished less in actual results than any
that ever assembled in this state. No
vital laws have yet been enacted and
forty-two OF the sixty legislative days are
gone. II the members are TO redeem them
selves they must do substantially ali that
is TO be done In the remaining eighteen
days or extend the time
In passing one very potent result thus
far brought forth looms up before the eyes
VI lut BGupie ui TINS hNdNN-iOOmb UP 10
their sorrow, for in the popular judgment
this result, the defeat OF Ii. r. $780, was on
the side Of wrong-was a defiant rebuf OF
the most urgent demand that constituents
could make OF their representatives. SO
far as Omaha, Lincoln and South Omaha
we're concerned. the three largest cities of
the state, they were very pronounced in
their demand for the passage of a law,
such as that contemplated ip H. II. 800,
that would entitle them to tax the valu-
able railroad terminals for city purposes.
Omaha people were practically unanimous
in their demand. Other cUmmpnities over
the state. Fremont. Columbus Fairbury.
Nebraska City and others having railroad
terminals, we're loudly pleading for this
law, yet the bill ywaa killed OF course
ysssers s.-s usssstrz rpssEat ts4tss Il - ifnenaa
ing the revenue bill as 20 include the pro-
vision sought for In H. X. $3.50.
Railroad Lobby Powerful.
AS to the revenue bill. which still has
the middle of the road-not to travel In,
but merely as a resting place. apparently
it's ultimate course is fraught with uncer-
| tainty. The railroads, who are given the
credit for framing this bill, are alarmed
ove- its fate and the friends of revenue
revision, who think this bill is a radical
| railroad measure, are feeling more encour-
! aged than any time since the legislature
convened, 1t remains to be seen, however,
whether their buoyancy is justified. The
| power of the railroad lobby must not be
underestimated, though ii is evident that
the exponents of honest legislation have
made themselves felt Of late.
/ Has Queer Look.
! The street car corporations and others
that we're caught in the act of tacking
onto the revenue bill plank providing for
! a novel scheme of franchise taxation, "
are again laboring with untiring zeal to
secure the endorsement OF this proposition
in the form of an amendment. The schome
is to tax the gross earnings for one year
OF the corporations In addition to their
tangible property, allowing the former ia
represent their franchises. II has been
conservatively estimated that such Law
would net to the Omaha Street Railway
company alone a saving in taxes OF one
year of $4,000 OF more. The corporations
seeking this benefit hold out the argument
that the law would not decrease, but might
increase their taxes. AS a prominent mem
ber recently put Il, When a corporation
proposes a scheme to increase it's taxes
it's time to get chary of the scheme"
There are fifty amendments already pro
posed to the revenue bill. so whatever
fate the bill meets time will be requires
for its disposition.
II looks as II the speaker would not hav
the privilege of appointing a sitting com
mittee and very much as II no Sitting com
mittee would be elected by the house
There is a very strong and potent infiuenc
at work to have this work done in tn
committee of the whole.
Aside from the revenue bill and tn
BARLEY investigation there are diver
other matters of Importance to claim tn
attention of both house and senate. Tn
appropriation bills are yet to be hnall
acted on. number OF changes OF con
siderable importance are likely to be mad,
Already 1t has virtually been decided
tack on en- appropriation OF $4,000 to tn
, appropriation bill for the Lewis and Clar
exposition In Portland. Ore The defclene
bill has been changed from $4,000 to Sis
900. There is considerable division OF senti
ment as to certain items In the geners
4 apDrODriatiOn measure.