Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-04

Of his lawful salary and never turned over |
TO the county. The county attorney briehy /
the complications leading up to 4
the suit. showing that at the recent session |
the legislature sought to readjust the \
of county clerks, sheriffs and treas
urers. and in formulating the new law had
to. re-enact a special provision for
the salaries OF such officials in Douglas and
Lancaster counties the result being that
the officers in those two counties were
placed on par with those Of other counties
SO far salaries are concerned
County Attorney Slabaugh contended that
as the new law went into effect under an
emergency enactment April last, on that
day the salary OF the county clerk was re-
duced from s.. 500 to 81 500. wherefore he con-
tended that the fees should have been
turned in by Drexel on a $500 salary basis
up to April and 81 500 basis after that
time. that of the s2,475 collected and re-
tanned by Drexel he should have turned into
the county treasury all but S1,73e.
II. c. Bronze presented the argument In
support of Drexers retention of the entire
amount of the fees This case similarly in
wolves a reduction of salary of the county
treasurer from 5000 to 5000 and of the
sheriff from $500 to 5000.
Change of Base.
L. r. Jones, now a clerk in the Office OF
the commissioner of public lands and build
ings, will on Monday next retire from that
Office to accept a position as bookkeeper at
the penitentiary. In the latter capacity he
will succeed +. NJ. Baumann of West Point,
who has resigned to take charge of the es-
tate of his father. who died recently. Mr..
Jones halls from Clay Center.
Contracts for Supplies.
The State Board of Purchase and Sup
plies was keeping open house today in the
senate chamber, receiving bids for supplies
for the coming quarter at state institu-
lions. There were quite number of bid
ders on hand with samples. so that the
senate chamber looked somewhat like
section of a department store
One stirring tilt occurred over the con-
tract for mine run coal, the contending
bidders being Horace p Miles, representing
the C. B. Havens company Of Omaha, and
John Dorgan OF this city. 1t appeared
that Miles had submitted a bid of $1O for
the coal, with rs cents added for delivery.
while Dorgan's bid was s4.06 for the coal
and 30 cents for the delivery. This made
the bids even. but the board awarded the
contract to Dorgan. Miles presented an
tie the board should have Tipped a copper,
| as 1t had done on a former occasion and
| thereby lost to him contract at Grand
| Island. Then he claimed the privilege of
| changing his bid, as the board had allowed
| Dorgan to do at the last quarterly re-
ception of bids. At that time, Miles
| claimed. his bid was the lowest by some
| 20 cents, but after the bids were opened
! Dorgan claimed that his own bid included
| the % cents intended to be charged for
| delivery, which brought his bid cents
| lower than that of Miles. This change
| was allowed on the ground that II was a
| clerical error and Miles today insinuated
| that he ought this time to be allowed to
correct a clerical error himself. But he
could not get the board together again
| for an expression and the contract went to
| Dorgan. Miles said 1t would make a diff
| ference of about 500 to the state.
| PicIkeI VIII Take Seat.
The controversy over whether Robert
| Pickel, the republican nominee for county
commissioner. would be allowed to take his
seat tomorrow is practically ended, and un-
less something else intervenes he will be
| allowed to take his seat without legal op-
position. Lee Newton. whose three years
as commissioner expires this month, for a
time insisted that the law passed last
winter extended his term year Pickel's
attorneys insisted that that law was in
valid and that it did not apply to any
county but Douglas anyway. Newton, who
is a democrat, had refused a denomination
and was preparing 10 move to Colorado.
A proposition was submitted to pickle
that If he would not contest Newton's right
10 sit the latter would resign April l anc
let him take hold. AS In the meanwhile the
important work of the year, which in
cludes the bridge contract. over which there
has been considerable trouble each year
would by that time have been done, Picke
smelled a rat and resisted.
Newton's counsel, 1t is understood, told
him that he had little chance to win, anC
the matter will probably be allowed to droI
where il is. The curious part of the ANAL
has been that the two sitting republican
members had declined to take up the caus,
OF Pickel.
State House Brevities.
J. NJ Gates OF Fort Crook has been ap
pointed a special deputy game warden, will
jurisdiction in Sarpy county.
Don Despair, chief clerk OF the bureau
of labor was absent from his desk toda.
nursing an acute attack OF the grip.
The Mantel-Newman Cigar company. witt
heduqudrtefs IN cnldndS mas nle0 articles o
incorporation with the secretary of state
The capital stock is fixed at $4,000. NJ
Mantel and II. Newman are the incorpor
ators.
The appeal case OF Barber against tn
State was argued this morning before tn
supreme court on a motion for a new tria
Barber was convicted in Lincoln county O
cattle stealing and was sentenced to a shor
term In the penitentiary. The evidence wa
circumstantial.
Judge C. b. Letton, who is to succee
Judge Holcomb on the supreme bench c
the state tomorrow. had sufficiently recoy
cred from his illness today to go to tn
\ statehouse. where he sat with the othe
i members of the bench during the mornin
session. Judge Letton expects TO take hi
oath as supreme Justice tonight.
Rainfall Mt Grand Island.
GRAND ISLAND. Neb., Jan. 3-(Special