Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-05
MICKEY SILENT ON SESSION
tGovernOr Refuses to Discuss Question Of
Calling Legislators Together,
] OEcEMGtR SCHOOL FUND AppOR1loSWENT
HAD Railroads Paid Their Taxes
Amount would Have Been
Larger Than Last
Year.
tFrom a star Correspondent

LINCOLN. Dec. 4--(SpeciaL) -Governor
Mickey refuses to discuss the special ses-
sion talk. He is quoted having told
friends that he had not given the matter
consideration recently, except when 1t Is
called to his attention by some inquiring
individual. He did not care to talk of
Lieutenant Governor McGiltons inter-
view.
There is a considerable element which
objects to a special session on the ground
of expense and the difficulty of getting
the people to vote for amendments, al
though it is conceded that much time will
/ be saved by formulating them in a special
session There is a disposition to couple
with the demand for amendments the plan
! to have maximum freight rate and anti
! pass laws adopted.
Temporary Fund Reaches s283,OOO.
The temporary school fund for December
apportionment amounts to 1858, 900 ut the
close of business tonight, in addition to
which there is 1890 due to Hitchcock
county, from the last appointments,
making the total close to $266,0OO for the
entire fund. Tomorrow morning Treasurer
Mortensen will certify to the state super
intendent the amount of the temporary
fund available for the December appor-
tionment and the latter official will, within
twenty days. as provided in the statutes
distribute the money among the school
districts Of the state which have complied
with the provisions of the law.
Last year the December appointment
reached a total of $272,O 900. Had the rail-
ways paid their taxes this year the amount
would have been considerably larger, al
though the state officials can only approx
mate the exact shortage due to that cause
The school levy is u mill and the assessed
valuation of the railways is $46,00O,0O0, maxi
ing the total contributions of the railways
to the temporary fund about $4,000 year.
Some of the railways have paid and the
two contesting lines have in some counties
turned over portion of the taxes
The fact that the Hitchcock county war
rant is still unpaid is explained as due to
the absence of banks In that section Of
the state. At the January settlement be-
tween the state and county treasurors the
Hitchcock county official will turn in the
warrants on it's Indebtedness to the state.
That plan of procedure meets with the APP
prevail of Treasurer Mortensen.
The January settlements are expected to
bring large sums into the treasury. since
at that period all of the county treasurers
settle with the state for the year. In some
instances the balances which are allowed
to accrue in the counties are considerable
and their payment at the time of this an
nual liquidation makes it possible to re-
tire general fund warrants at a rapid rate
during January.
The state superintendent has not had
time to receive replies to his circular ask
ing county superintendents to inform him
whether or not the enumeration lists had
been properly sworn to. Until these re-
plies are received he will be unable to de-
Lea
out because of illegal enumeration. He has
signihed his intention to leave out of con-
slderation those districts In which the
census tSheFss have Mot sworn to their re-
turnA E4H.a
Board Adds TO Contract Price.
Today the State Board of Public Lands
and Buildings revised the contract OF How
ard Burns for heating. lighting and power
equipment at the Hastings asylum. raising
the total from 1920 to s1o,65O. in return
for which the contractor is to install larger
boilers. generators and other apparatus.
Kerns Did Not Assess Women.
superintendent Kerns of the Hastings
asylum did not collect the per cent cam
paign assessment from the women en-
ployes Of that institution, according tC
his friends. The $500 which he turned ovel
20 the state central committee represented
percentage from the male employees. Thi!
serves to explain the fact that only $50
went TO the campaign treasury, although
the pay roll is $4,000 and the full amount
would have been $780, 1t is stated tina
H. c. Lindsay. the financial solicitor FOL
the committee, was pleased with the show
ing made by the superintendent of tn,
Hastings institution and told him that $50
was all that would be looked for there. Or
the other hand, the adherents of DIR
Kerns state that other institution head
turned in far less than the conventions
pro rata amount Among these is Superin
tendSnt Greene of the Lincoln insane hos
pital, >
According to this same authority. DR.
Kerns did not make 1t compulsory on tn
employees to pay these assessments and lef
il to their own free will, Neither did h
intimate that any Of them would los
their positions for nonpayment Those VIII