Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-12
GOSSIP AMONG THE LEGISLATORS
Railroads Seek to Stir Up strife
between HOuse and Senate.

NFTOm q blhI correspondent
LINCOLN, March 11.-(special.)-The
railroads just at this time are working hard
TO create jealousy between the members
Of the senate and the members Of the
house so as to defeat any anti railroad
legislation which is now pending. This Is
an old game and It has been worked sue
cessfully in the past 1t is being worked
now on the anti-pass bill, one of which
has passed the house and the other is ready
to pass the senate. The railroads are
telling the senators they are not originating
any legislation and therefore they should
stand out for their anti-pass bill and they
should tnrn down some of the house meas
ures just to show the representatives they
are not so many In discussion the anti
pass bills. now pending. Attorney General
Thompson, said:
believe the spti-pass bill, should II
become law, could be more easily ana e.
vision similar to that of the Wisconsin
anti-pass act that no person, ASSOCIATION,
cosparthership or corporation shall oner
Or give for any purpose to any political
eoRHlittee,s or any member or employe
tharaQf,, Or, to any. eandidats Tor OF IN
afrdef t1le,oonstibltion oy.laws of theustate
or under any ordinance OF any town or
municipality, any free pass or frank tdlis,, or
accommodation or Transportation OF any
perspp or, property. Or the transm Il 81 OF
also providing that no person should be
/ priviieaed from testifying In relation to
anything therein prohibited, and that no
| person having 50 testified should be liable
| To any prosecution or punishment for any
offense concerning which he Is required to
give his testimony or to produce any doe,
and bona fide employee" should also be
distinctly defined In the act.
GLEN, OF Red Willow. who is one Of the
old timers In the house and who has good
ideas about legislation which never fails to
Impress the house when he speaks them,
IA In favor Of the taxation of railroad ter
minals for city and village purposes.
when first came down." said Mr..
GLEN, 1T was not in favor Of the, taxation
Of railroad property locally for I was not
cure It would not injure the small towns.
L. studied the matter very carefully and
without prejudice, and / am heartily in
favor Of the. bill now pending 1t will help
every city and village in the state. Be
sides II Is a part OF our platform and we
should pass the BILL
Judge Roscoe Pound, former supreme
court commissioner and. now dean Of the
University Law department has given his
endorsement to the Clarke bill for the taxa
ton of railroad terminals. Mr.. Clarke sub
mitted to Judge Pound a number of aues-
tions, among them being the followingi
What your opinion is as to the constitu-
| tionality of the bill?
| 2-If Constitutional, what IL your opinion
Of the bill as whole as 10 FORM ana con-
s~in your opinion win It take one cent
| from the taxes now derived from the rail,
roads for state. county township, school
and road district purposesG
4-The bill provides a penalty in case the
| assessors fail TO comply with the PROVISIONS
! ~ fha act Is this propeF in a bill Of this
Sin6S
In answer 70 these questions Judge Pound
wrote as follows;,
First-I see no reason to doubt its con
ADDITIONALLY as whole, and see no rea-
son 20 think that in case some particular
! provisions whose constitutionality might
possibly be challenged should fall thai
validity and efficiency Of the measure as 9
seeond-The bill appears to be unusually
well drawn. II is clear, unambigious and
ThirdEAs to the third question which you
/ ask, the matter Is not entirely enc Of law
II is also, ! suppose on9 Of fact but my
I own opinion, from pretty careful inVesti'
cation OF this. matter, Is that the act will
I from railroad companies for state, county
township school district and ROAD disll-1
4 F'5urth--Nlth respect TO The fourth ones
ton / should feel that II would be better &
add 70 the title Of the bill the words and 4
visions o. this act" with such clause II
the title I think there could be no question
OF the validity Of the penal clause.
The railway commission has issued tn,
following address TO the people OF Ne
brasia:
The railway commission Is anxious TO dis
cover the exact condition regarding cal
shortage in this state, and through the pub
Tic preas requests shippers to furnish {
with information OF their necessities, 5,
that reliable data can be collected WheI
all the facts are before the commission 1
VIII take such steps as may be within III
powers 70 relieve the situation. Commuhi
cations should be addressed 70 the Ne
braska State Railway commission, Lincoln
Answers should be given TO the following
questions;
F1rst-Number OF cars you actually nee,
Nor loading March 90
SecOnd-Numbor % cars OF each kind o
grain on hand