Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-20
PASS TALK IS RIFE AGAIN
RumOrs that Some State officers Have
Been Accepting the FSvsr.
LlNCoLNlTEs WANT TO KNOW ABOUT CASH
8. W. Burnham IL Organisms Conn
pany 10 Bore for OIL in one of the
suburbs OF Lincoln. Asserting
There Are Good Prospects.
CFrom a star Correspondent

/ 80 far as the anti-pass plank or the repuO-
| 1icsn platform is concerned, is regarded
as the precursor to campaign to pre-
vent the denomination of those officials,
unless they are able to exonerate them
| selves According to the report. which is
state house gossip, these three state
| officials went as guests of Bob McGnnis,
the Northwestern political agent and legis-
| lative overseer. The attitude taken by the
| republicans who develop sentiment In the
| party is that these officials have made
bad break which will jeopardize their pros
poets Of securing second terms.
| The anti-pass republicans arc confident
| that they will secure the insertion into
the platform OF another anti-pass plank
| with a demand for effective Legislation
| that would make it impossible TO remain
| consistent and at the same time put on
| the ticket men who waited but few days
after election to accept these free priv
| ileges AS far Galusha is concerned
his junket has not altered his situation,
since he declined to obey the mandate
OF the convention. alleging that the plank
did not contemplate the surrender of passes
| until the law had been adopted. Searle
and Eaton. on the other hand. were among
the first of the state officials to signify
| their adherence to the party declaration,
the latter going so far as to claim pre-
miership in that step by giving up not
only railway passes. but telegraph. tele-
phone and express franks.
Lincoln Has Depository Problem.
The problem of safekeeping public funds
in Lincoln has reached an acute stage
through the introduction in the city coun-
ell of a resolution calling upon the treas
urer to designate the banks in which he
| keeps the $4,000 of city funds. So far he
has failed to take any action in response
to the resolution, but considerable ele-
ment among the taxpayers is demanding
that he follow in the footsteps of Treasurer
Mortensen by publishing monthly state
ment of the depository banks with the
balance in each.
City Treasurer Fox says that he is per-
sonally responsible for the public funds,
because of the absence of any law author
tzing the use Of repositories, and he does
not believe it incumbent to disclose the
whereabouts of the funds, because his per-
sonal bond protects the city against loss
He also turns over the interest, about
J 5000 having been ordered into the treas
l ury on that account during the current
3 year.
1t is claimed that the designation of de.
/ positories and the requirement of bond
D would cause the banks to refuse to pay in
y that the several banks in Lincoln are fur
a nishing big bonds to the state and, al pres
. ent, have an average of less than $4,000
: state money, while they pay . per cent on
Y monthly balances.
n The movement for publicity as to depos-
itories here is undoubtedly due in a large
s measure to the example set by the state
t officials, although there is disposition to
,. demand assurance that there is no favoYit-
d ism In the distribution of the cash among
}, the local institutions.
> should Apply to All Treasurers.
II Treasurer Mortensen believes in the pol
Icy of publicity, not only for his own pro-
lection, but in the interests of the taxpay-
: ing public, whose right it is to know where
the funds are kept Since he has been in
y the Office as custodian of the states cash,
: he has never missed the regular monthly
= statement, giving the names of the deposl-
: tories with the balance in each, ana no
news item coming from his Office is more
highly regarded in the editorial offices OF
the state press.
A Not only would the treasurer apply that
. policy TO the state funds, but also to the
i county and city treasures of the state He
! regards 1t as a perfectly reasonable regula-
% ton and one with which the officials ought
c TO comply with ready acquescence. The
o statutes do not require him to provide the
n press with the information. Not only does
a he have his books accessible, but he pro-
,e vides the balance sheet for monthly distri
IS button.
Mild OIL Boom for Lincoln.
70 A very mild oil boom is stirring the cir,
eles of Lincoln business men, who are
Al planning to bore in the neighborhood OF
s. the insane hospital, southwest OF the city
d s. W. Burnham OF Yankee Hill, a suburb
I'd of Lincoln, has organized the Yankee Hill
ell Development company, which is now seek
TX ing to induce landowners to grant option.
er on small tracts. If this is done, Mr.. Burn
ham, who is brother of s. II. Burnham
At president OF the First National bank prom
"a Uses to have machinery on the groun,
m within sixty days to put down 4,OOO-foo
he well.
ne For several weeks the matter has bee,
Us agitated. Prof. Nicholson, a former mem
so Der OF the university faculty. made a su
10 perfcia exploitation some time ago a
lE Burnham. southeast of the hospital. an,
'e reported that the indications were prom
y Using and since that time other experts
~ claim to have found oil seeping out of I
hillside. In support of the theory tina
10 Lincoln may prove to be a great oil cen
u ter, it is claimed that there is a favorabl
anti-cline traversing this part OF the state
One Trust suit Dismissed.
The prospects Of ruling Of the court
III as to the existence of an alleged lumbe
D. trust in Lincoln have gone gimmering |
ch develops that further action is to b
he taken in the suit OF the A S. Godfre
ed estate against the Dierks, F. w. Brow
to and John Oberlies & Son companies. whlc
ly was brought for damages, alleged to hav
gs accrued through combination Of the de
IS PENDANTS to control the local market. Tn
as suit has been hanging fire since the deaf
he Of Godfrey a few months ago. II is as
n serted that the Godfrey lumber bushes
m has been sold TO the Rogers Lumber CON
m, pany Of Minneapolis, MINI. which desire
rd' the dismissal of the suit as 10 avoi
on any embarrassment in it's relations wit
the defendant companies. Mayor Brown
let whose company was one Of the defendant
OF has been quoted as saying that the con