Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-12
RAILROAD LOBBYISTS BUSY
Bringing in All Their Forces in Effort 10
Defeat Legislation.
OLD GUARD AND SOME NEW ONES PRESENT
Committee Gives Hearing on Douglas
County Jail Graft and Decides
to Report Bill Cutting
a on.
CFrom a star Correspondent)


LINCOLN, March t1.--(Special Telegram.)
THAT the railroads are bending every en-
ergy to block the railway legislation de-
manded by the people is clearly evidenced
by the influx OF railway lobbyists, high and
low, who are now gathered here so thick
that no one can move without running into
one of them. The list Of railroad manipu-
lators tonight includes for the Burlington
General Manager Holdrege, Tax Commis-
sioner Pollard. w. A. Dilworth, Lee Sprat-
len, Frank Young superintendent Byram
for the Union Pacific, Attorney Edson Rich,
Tax Commissioner Scribner, Charlie Lane
and the redoubtable Bob Clancy for the
Northwestern, Ben White and Bob Nc
Ginnis. General Manager Holdrege came
down In his private car. arriving about 6
O'Clock. and brought with him the bulk of
this delegation to Join the retinue regularly
retained here.
The attitude Of the fusionists on the
terminal tax bill has not yet been fully
disclosed, although It Is known that quite
a few OF them will support the measure
Fries of Howard is one member of the
minority who was in the legislature four
years ago and 81 that time voted for the
proposition as an amendment to the rev.
enue bill then pending At that time the
terminal taxation under the lead Of Doomis
of Dodge and fourteen of the house mem
bers Of fusion persuasion recored them
selves for terminal taxation, Under all
these circumstances Il is not to be expected
that the minority members viii volunteer
TO pull railroad chestnuts out of the fire.
Cutting on Jail Graft.
All the members OF the Douglas county
In
conference tonight with the house COM
mittee on fees and salaries over the bill,
TO put an end to the jail feeding graft
After threshing the subject out, with
Sheriff Mcdonald present, the consensus
of opinion was that the bill should be put
through for a contract to supply meals to
the prisoners, and that the sheriffs salary
should be fixed at 1900 without any per-
duisites, both propositions to go into effect
January 1, next. This would leave the
present sheriff to serve his term out under
existing law and make the change stimuli
taneous with the advent Of the next sheriff.
The Pullman lobby, consisting of Tomas
Benton and Frank Ransom, bumped up
against stone wall today when II tried
I'd head off a bill by Harrison of Otoe, to
reduce Pullman charges in this state. The
hearing was before the house railroad COM
mittee. and the Pullman spokesmen waxed
eloquent in pleading the poverty act.
Tomas Benton had figures to show that
the Pullman company ought to be in the
aims house because It was losing money
all the time on its Nebraska business. Ran
som insisted. as Of old that the Pullman
company Is not a common carrier at all,
but simnly hotel keeper on wheels, and
suggested that people would like It better
any way to have the prices up high so as
to keep the common herd out. The com
mittee decided on a twenty per cent re-
duction, instead of a thirty per cent re-
duction In the bill as originally introduced.
would give relief for the present and will
so report.
The same committee after listening to j.
H. Butler of Omaha representing the CO.
ordinated express companies, concluded to
report favorably on a bill to reduce express
company charges twenty per cent as well,
except 80 far as they might show the
railway commission that such reductions
are unwarranted.