Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-10

appearing before the committee and he
committee was much surprised today to
learn, at the eleventh hour, from the ser
geant-at-arms, that he had not done his
duty in serving this subpoena.
Conservatory of Music scheme.
Having failed in their attempt to have
Incorporated In the general appropriation
bill the item Of $50, 900 for the purchase OF
the Conservatory of Music, building and
contents, at Eleventh and r streets, Lin
coin. to be made an adjunct of the State
university, the Lancaster county delegation
are now endeavoring to have this PROPOSE
ton embodied in a separate bill, The plan
is to frame a bill empowering the board Of
regents to borrow $50, 900 in the name Of
the state on their own responsibility, TO be
| paid back out Of the proceeds of the COLI
servatory, after it becomes state property.
Representative McClay Of Lancaster
county, who is on the house finance ways
and means committee, is the champion Of
this proposition, although he has the CO.
operation Of the remainder of his delega-
ton. Apparently his cooperation ceases
there, however, for the proposition does
not seem to commend itself to any other
members OF the legislature. The effort to
get the appropriation in the general bill
failed because the majority Of the finance
ways and means committee was strongly
against II. AS a matter of fact, this Item
actually was put in the appropriation bill
and came near going through, but It's dis
covery was made just in time by the COM
mittee. Asked how the item got IA the
bill in the first place, II the majority OF
the committee was opposed to it, a member
Of the committee said:
at was put in there by main force. The
bill was secured and the item written
! down-that's how II got there"
This property is owned by Prof. Kimball
Of the university and conducted as a pri-
vate concern, though nominally in conjunc-
ton with the university. Prof. Kimball
pockets the proceeds, which Representa-
tive McClay says amount annually to $685.
J 900. The building was erected. 1t is said,
I ten years ago. OF course, the proposition
is for the state to get all the pianos and
other equipment for this $500
Two Statements of Case.
Representative McClay today said:
This is a hobby of Chancellor Andrews,
The chancellor says Prof. Kimball realizes
$25, 900 a year off this institution and thinks
1t is a shame for the state not to acquire
1t. He is sure the university management
could make the property just as profitable
from q financial standpoint as 1t is now,
II not more so and then, he considers
that 1t would be a fine thing for the uni
vcrsity to have as its own"
One of the members OF the finance COM
mittee said in reference to the matter:
"lf Chancellor Andrews is so anxious to
have the state acquire this property it
seems mighty strange he has not presented
the idea to this committee, He has APP
peared before our committee a number Of
times since this legislature convened
and has talked Of a number Of PROPOSE
tions in connection with the work and
welfare OF the State university, but not
once has he ever referred, in the remotest
way, to this proposition. So, we are COM
PEELED to believe that the enthusiasm Of
the Lancaster county members has led them
to deceive themselves as to the chancellor's
wishes. The chancellor is not a man to
stand back and keep silent when he has
something to say and he certainly would
have not been so reticent as this II he
was seeking such an important object as
that accredited to him.
1.-THE whole proposition is absurd. In the
first place II looks Incredible that a man
would be willing to sell for $50, 900 prop
erty of which he could realize SIS, 900 a
year. That strikes me and the rest OF the
committee as a queer thing indeed. And
1t is still queerer the zeal with which the
Lancaster county men are pushing the
scheme in which no one seems to have any
interest. except to defeat It,"
status of Revenue Bill.
THE Doe correctly and succintly stated
the case Sunday as to the status Of the rev.
enue bill and the alarm of the railroads. -
said Representative Perry of Furnas today
The railroads are alarmed and we'll they
may be, for their opponents, the members
who are endeavoring to bring about positive
revenue revision, are getting results. II
the bill was put to a vote today l feel sure
the railroads would be defeated. The
amendment which l have proposed, to add
the market value Of the capital stock to
the bonded and floating Indebtedness as a
means Of getting at the entire property
value Of the railroads for the purposes OF
taxation, would carry, II It could be put
to a vote. today. There are thirty repub-
licans in the house who would vote for II,
and then, counting the twenty-five fusion
lists who voted for H. r. $50, we would
have one more than enough to defeat the
railroads."
No question but that the railroads are
alarmed. AS everybody knows, II had been
definitely settled to report the revenue bill
with its fifty amendments, for hnal action
to the house tonight. A motion carried pro-
viding for night meetings, beginning to-
night, for the exclusive purpose of acting
on this measure, and the railroads had done
their utmost to amend this motion.
Not since the session convened have the
railroad lobbyists been as busy on the hooi
OF the house and in the Hobbies and COM
mittee rooms as they are today. Brazenly
and with no effort at concealing their CD.
e~rations they have put in the day seeing
members-doubtful sisters.
The events OF today serve TO recall thai
resolution which Representative Perry In
troduced early in the session. excluding
professional lobbyists" from the hoor
Hobbies and committee rooms Of the house
and the fact that IL was tabled and never
resurreeted. They also serve to revive tbs
arguments made by certain members, that
there was no occasion for such a resolution
since professional lobbyists" had not beer