Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-19
WORN FOR PRIMARY LAW
Strong Efforts to Get Bill Through Both
Houses This Year.
MANY PETITIONS ARE IN CIRCULATION
Proposition to Allow Committees OF
Minority Parties to Name Candi-
dates where There is No
Contest.
lFrom a SAD correspondentl

(From a stan Correspondent
DES MONIES. Feb. s.-(Specidl AL
, though little shows on the surface. vast
amount of work is being done to set the
primary election law passed by the two
houses at this session OF the legislature.
In some counties petitions OF large pro-
portions have been circulated and It has
been seen to that these petitions bear the
names of the men influential in politics.
At least two senators have been known
to change from opposition to the primary
to a position favorable to it because Of
these petitions. The leaders, who favor
the primary, admit that they have not hur-
ried the matter of bringing up the bill
in order to give time for the circulation
of these petitions.
one prominent leader In favor Of the pri-
mary said today that it had come TO be
a question of what the democrats would
do and that a movement was on foot to
get the democratic vote to favor the bill
1t is believed that if the bill is amended
so that the democratic central committees
will he allowed to name candidates in
case no candidates enter the race that
the democrats would vote solidly for the
bill in the form in which 1t will come up
February Is The democratic party being
in the minority there is some disposition
to accede this point The democrats are
d anxious for Il for the reason that being
in the minority they fear that often times
there may be no candidate voluntarily an
nounce himself.
/ The changes recommended by the COM
mittee in the substitute bill which will
come up the first of next week have been
made with view to simplifying it. These
are believed to be Of far greater impor-
lance than the notices given to them. The
original bill provided that there must be
a declaration of party preference and the
machinery for changing votes was cum
bersome. 1t was the weak point in the
bill as is now recognized by the friends OF
the measure. This has been eliminated and
the bill as now drawn provides that at
the first primary the voter viii be given
the ticket he calls for and this will be
taken as a party declaration and so re-
corded and unless the voter wishes 70
change his party he will not he required
TO make declaration at any election or pri-
mary following that. He can change very
easily up to within thirty days Of the pri-
mary by giving written notice to the
county auditor, but to change on the day
of the primary can he done only under
oath.
AS the registration features Of the bill
were the chief objections held by the dem
ocrats and also by large number OF
other members of the senate and house 1t
is believed this change will bring votes to
the measure. Senator Lewis Of Clarinda
Garst of Carroll and other friends Of the
bill with the author. Crossley. believe. il
will win enough votes to pass the measure
Board of Regents Bill.
The bill creating board Of regents for
state educational institutions, considered
one Of the most important measures be-
fore the legislature. was introduced the
middle Of the week In the senate by Sena-
tor Whipple and VIII he recommended for
passage by the committee some time this
week and go on the calendar under special
order. The bill is the recommendations of
a commission that visited the educational
institutions OF this and many other states
to gain information for the report. II is
claimed that the State Normal. State uni
versity and State Agricultural college now
duplicate the work in part of each other
and cause thereby a waste. The idea was
brought up last session in the form of a
bill TO consolidate all institutions under
one board. II finally referred to a
commission to investigate and the bill re-
ported is the result. Next to the primary
bill this bill has perhaps had as much at
tention or more than any other bill before
either house al this session. In brief. it is
as follows:
The board OF regents to manage state
educational institutions as provided in the
bill introduced by the special committee Is
20 consist OF fifteen members, not more
than nine being OF the same political
party, four being members at large and
, the others representing congressional dis
tricts The members shall be appointed By
the governor, subject TO the approval of the
senate. They will receive Sd a day for
time actually used in the board meetings
not exceeding forty days in any one wear
with mileage and expenses. There will be
! an executive committee OF three persons
not members Of the board of regents
executive committee shall have a presi-
dent and secretary and maintain an office
: in Des Moines. and shall be supplied WITH
employees and facilities for handling al
, the business. Members of the executive
committee shall devote their entire time
TO the work of the institutions and shall
each receive 5000 a year.
The board OF regents shall meet .foul
1 umes year. once At the state capitol th'
other three meetings at the three colleges
1 and special meetings may be called. TIL,
board OF regents has the sole power nj
electins president and treasurer for eacI
OF the three state educational institutions
and professors. instructors. officers anC
employees TO fix the compensation TO b,
: paid them, 10 make rules and regula tioni
: ! for the government Of said colleges not in
consistent with the laws Of the state I,
manage and control the properly both rea
A and personal. belonging to said educationa
Z institutions, and to direct the expenditure
: OF all the appropriations for such institu
i tions
d There is ample provision for safeguard
/. ing the funds Of the various institutions
for making loans and collections. for keen
Ing all the accounts Of the institutions In
uniform manner and for auditing all bill
: and making all contracts.
II is required that one or more member
or the executive committee shall visit al
inspect one OF such institutions al leas
once each week and investigate the fnau
clai condition and management OF such in
n sututions. II charges Of abuse or wrong
> are Investigated the board shall report I
r the governor its charges and conclusions