Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-07
Disposition Of Members to Fut Institutions
on Business Basis
SEVERAL INVESTIGATIONS MAY RESULT
Joint Committee to Formulate Important
Bills Expected to Be Named.
NOT ALL HARMONIOUS IN THE LOBBY
Railroad Representatives show IncIi-
nation to Go IL Alone and Let
other Corporations shift
for Themselves.
tFrom a stan correspondsnt.l

(F'rom a Stan Correspondent.)
LINCOLN, Jan. 6.-(SpeciaD.- The legis-
lature has been in session three days and
during that time twenty bills have been
introduced; the house has adopted reso-
luton barring all lobbyists. and the Of
ficals of both houses have selected tho
committees which will be reported Tues
day morning when the session reconvenes.
All the preliminaries having been cleared
away the real work of the session will be-
gin Tuesday morning and the indications
are there will be few adjournments or in
terruptions in the future. Included in tho
measures introduced are an anti-pass bill;
an anti-lobby bill, two fellow servant bills.
one limiting the liability though said to be
In line with the national law which is now
being adjudicated and one taking of the
5000 limit in case of death; an amendment
to the game law providing an open season
for squirrels and two-cent passenger
rate
With the exception of the vote on barring
the lobbyists from the house no measure
has come up whereby line could be gotten
on the membership and just what members
If any will oppose the enactment into laws
of the pledges made in the platform, is still
not known. ,
II is very apparant the legislators havr
a disposition to put the affairs of the stats,
on business basis and In doing this 1t
may be numerous Investigations will be
made, not so much as an indication of dis
trust of officials, but in order that future
legislatures as well as this legislature, may
have clear understanding OF the way the
states business is managed. 1t is just now
becoming generally known that the officials
of the State Normal board are not re-
quired by statute to file their vouchers with
Z q IL l.
when the resolution or bill is introduced to
compel the regents of the state university
to handle their vouchers through the state
auditor 1t will naturally place the normal
board on the same footing. At least a
dozen members have expressed themselves
as opposed to the cash funds at the var
| ious state institutions and II is more than
probable a bill will be introduced requir-
| ing this fund to be turned over to the state
| treasurer and used as appropriations are
used, under the direction Of the Board OF
Public Lands and Buildings. Secretary Of
State Galusha recommended the abolition
Of this fund In all institutions. giving as
one reason that superintendents in num-
erous instances had paid bills out of this
fund which had been rejected by the state
board.
Bills on Platform Pledges.
a.
looking toward the selection of a Joint
committee to get up platform pledge meas
ures, numerous bills covering the plants
will be introduced, but 1t seems to be gem
orally understood the joint committees will
be selected during the week and every per-
son who has n bill covering any part OF
| the platform will be invited to present the
same to the committee that the best in
each measure may be culled out and used.
The members show disposition to study
carefully the recommendations OF Governor
Sheldon and the suggestions OF former Gov
| ernor Mickey, and 1t is likely these two
messages will be printed in pamphlet form
and distributed TO the members to be re-
ferred to during the session.
The message Of Governor Sheldon has
been favorably commented upon by the
members, and while it is unusual for a
! governors message to have much weight
with Legislature, there seems to be a dis
! position to study carefully his suggestions
and to act upon them.
After the adjournment Thursday after
noon many of the members went to their
homes, but larger number than usual re-
mained IN Lincoln and have been putting In
their time looking up various matters which
will come up later The fact that the pass
has been shut of kept some of the MEM
bers here, while others remained of their
| own accord.
One thing has been demonstrated, and
that is all OF the corporations are not going
to work in concert. Heretofore the rail-
roads have been in the habit Of extending
courtesies to the lobbyists for all the cor
porations, but this year at least one OF the
lobbyists for a corporation was turned
down when he applied for his usual trip
pass to his home. AS the railroads have
shut down on the lobbyists OF other cor
poratlons, II is taken to mean the legisla-
! ture will not have to deal with a united
lobby whenever corporation measure Is
under consideration.
Since assuming the duties OF his once
Governor Sheldon has been a very busy
man. He has been besieged with Office
seekers and friends of officeseekers, though
! the pressure let up a little yesterday when
1t became known for sure the new gov
ernor would not make any appointments
| for several days. Just who he has in mind
| for the more important places no one seems
to know and II the governor knows he is
! certainly keeping the matter TO himself.