Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-21
O''0''' PETER MoRTENsEN.



The senate decided today TO go after In
competent and unnecessary employees, and
as a result several of them were shifted
about to positions they were more compe-
tent to III. The matter was brought TO
the attention of the body by Byrnes Of
Platte, who demanded to know why a NUM-
Der Of bills had not been engrossed and re-
turned to the senate. Senator Holbrook of
the enrolling and engrossing committee re-
piled It was because he had not been sup
Piled with competent help. or enough of It.
His committee, he said. had not been al
lowed a clerk and some Of the employees
were Incompetent He said he had figured
in one instance that It cost the state $l0s
to get two bills engrossed because two Of
the employees had done nothing else since
the beginning OF the session. He said he
was getting out the bills as rapidly as he
could. but under the circumstances the
work proceeded very slowly
AS d result of this statement a motion
was passed directing the committee on en-
ployes to discharge Immediately such EN-
ployes as are shown to be Incompetent, and
also all employees not needed. In the dis
cussion Senator Thomas called attention
to poor work in the proofreading depart
ment He said he had counted thirty
seven typographical errors in one bill, due
to poor proofreading.
The portion of the motion directing the
committee to dismiss unnecessary officials
was made by King of Polk. 1t is asserted
that some of the employees have been alb
sent from duty several days at time and
that one has been away from Lincoln more
than a third of the time since the session
began. The committee met this evening
and shifted some of the employees around
to places they are more competent to fill.
1t also allowed Senator Holbrook to select
competent proof reader,
Railroad Fare for Officers.
The question Of a method of paying the
railroad fare of state officers was discussed
this morning by the members of the SEN
ate when the McKesson bill was under
consideration. The bill provides the Sec
tetary of state shall issue to each officer
coupons which, when filled out and signed
by the officer. shall be exchangeable for
railroad tickets Each coupon must have
the name of the stations between which
transportation was secured and a state
ment of the nature of the business requir-
ing the trip. The coupons are to be paid
by warrants on presentation to the auditor.
A fine Of from $40 to 800 is attached for
any OilceI Wuo uses tue coupons 10 HeCuEc
transportation for any but state business.
Patrick sought to secure an amendment
to except the Game and Fish commission
from the operation of the act, declaring IL
was necessary the deputy wardens should
be able to travel incognito In order to
carry out the purposes OF their trips Both
he and Byrnes pointed out 1t would make
II necessary for the state 10 pay a straight
8 cents a mile for tickets instead of PA
cents now paid by the use OF mileage
books King Of Polk contended the bill
was unconstitutional as IL permitted state
officers TO issue unauthorized evidences of
Indebtedness and requires the auditor to
pay them. McKesson expressed his willing
ness TO have the bill amended to cure the
Objectionable features, and It went over for
future consideration.
Express Company Rates.
Senator Aldrich OF Butler county has in
trodueed another maximum rate bill in the
senate. 1t is g. r. SH and 1t relates to
charges by express companies The bin
provides that the maximum express charge
shall not be more than 20 per cent of the
rates in effect January !, 1907 A fine
running from $1,000 to 5000 is the penalty
for violations OF the law.