Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-26
LEGISLATORS ARE IN SIGHT
Candidates for speaksrShip to Open Head
Quarters Early in Week.
CORPORATION LOBBYISTS RENT ROOMS
Give IL Out They Expect TO Appear
Before Committees Only, but the
signs Indicate the same
old Game.

LAAN0OAAlNs Lee. @D.-NSpeClull line bldle
capital will begin taking on legislative airs
tomorrow. Representative Tucker Of Doug
las county will open headquarters for Rep
resentative Dodge, candidate for speaker,
at the Lindel and Representative Dan
Nettleton of Clay county will open his own
headquarters at the same place. ADAM
McMullen, who is after the same position,
has written that he will not be here until
the day following. while other candidates
have not announced what day they expect
to be here.
What day the advance guard Of the lobby
will reach the ground OF course will not
be known until appearance has been put
in. The Union Pacific and the Burlington
will both have rooms at the Lindell, and
while of course it cannot be said the in
formation came from headquarters, there
is a well defined rumor persistent and
probably correct. that Frank Young Of
Broken Bow will assist I'm looking after
the Burlington interests. Mr.. Young has
secured a room at the Lindell for the ses-
sion. The Union Pacific will, I'm all prob
ability, be looked after by Tax Commits
soner r. ]. Clancy, who has appeared
for this corporation during the last several
years. The Northwestern will need no
other headquarters than the room OF R.
w. McGinniss who lives at the Lindel
all the time. The personnel of the grain
elevator lobby, the insurance lobby, both
old line and fraternal; the lumber lobby,
the stock yards and telephone Hobbies, and
others of lesser magnitude cannot be identi-
fed this early in the game, but as time
goes on these luminaries will have their
appearance chronlcled.
Railroads show Their Hands.
The railroad lobbyists have had several
meetings lately and have endeavored to
give out the impression they will take no
part in organizing the legislature and, far
ther, they have tried to create the inn
preston that all they will ask at the hands
/ of the legislature will be the opportunity
to be heard before the committees. How
ever, the leasing OF expensive headquarters
for the session shows what is tie real i'll
tention Of the railroads; it will be the same
OLD story in the same old way, with the
corporation lobby increased by newcomers
who have not long been connected publicly
with such work and who can more easily
get next to the unsuspecting legislator.
The suggestion that not only the rail-
road lobby be restricted in its freedom of
the legislative halls, but that the Hobbies
maintained by the state institutions be
| treated in the same way is meeting with
| favor. and there seems little doubt such
resolutions will pass both houses If in
troduced. One well-known lobbyist who
| in days past helped 10 make up the minds
of the legislators. but who is now out of
| the business. said If this was done there
would be little legisls ton, because the
legislators would get all tangled up un-
! less a lobby were present to show them
how to work.
! University Investigation.
The demand made by Regent Ernst Of the
State university that the affairs of the uni
versity be investigated by the legislature,
inspired by suggestion that the finances
of the school be audited by the state aud
itor, as the constitution provides state
money shall be audited, and that vouchers
be filed with the auditor for money spent
in the maintenance Of the institution, prob
ably will be complied with. While none of
the legislators who have agitated this mat
ter have even hinted that the money used
by the regents has not been spent for le-
Eitinfate needs, II has been suggested a
thorough investigation, such as is desired
by Mr. Ernst, might show whether it is pos
sible to cut down the cost to taxpayers and
to students who are attending the school,
It might show whether the students can get
their textbooks cheaper under a different
arrangement; it might show whether the
attendance at the university is increasing as
rapidly as the attendance at the State
Normal schools. and If not, why not II
has been suggested that such an investiga-
ton, while It would take time to make II
thorough, would result in bringing the peo-
pie and the university closer together re-
sulting in the long run in great benefit tc
the school, without in the least refiectins
on the regents, who give their time and at
tention to looking after the details OF its
affairs And 1t has also been suggested
that such an investigation might make Il
possible for the university to get suficien
appropriation to maintain and develop Il
without maintaining a powerful lobby be
fore every legislature to influence the leg