Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-02-21

expected and succeeded In agree
ing on a two-cent fare bill to be in
troduced in the house by Harrison Of
Otoe, and made some changes in the
railway commission bill and heard the
argument of railroad attorneys and
managers against a reciprocal demur-
rage bill
The two-cent fare bill will merely
change the word three" in the pres
ent statute to two" cents and pro-
vide that half-fare tickets shall be
given to children under IL years Of
age, the latter being rule now in
force on most of the railroads in Ne
braska. The bill will be introduced
as committee bill by Harrison OF
Otoe, chairman of the house railroad
committed.
When IL came to the committee,
bill comforting power upon the rail-
way commission, the joint committed
succeeded in going through only
about six sections Of the proposed
bill. This Aldrich bill has been fol-
lowed in many particulars. The joint
committee decided to give the COM
mission lump sum Of $4,000 year
for clerk hire instead Of giving $1,000!
for one secretary and $1,000 each for,
two clerks. 1t was also decided that
instead OF compelling the commission
to inspect all railway bridges in the
state twice each year, this duty is
made merely optional
The following provision Is from
Representative Cones bill affecting
weights: 1T shall be unlawful for any
person, firm or corporation owning
within the state goods or merchandise
in original unbroken packages To-
Gated within this state, to offer for
sale any such original unbroken pack
age unless such package shall have
plainly printed or stamped thereon in
the English language the full net
weight or volume contained therein.
Provided that the natural shrinkage in
the course of handling such goods to
the amount of per cent OF the net
weight or volume thereon shall be ex-
empt from the provisions OF this act"
The claims committee OF the house
met at the Iindell hotel. Claims and
deficiencies have been filed that at
present do not aggregate as much as
usual. OF the claims so far handed to
the committee there Is the one by En-.
gireer U. G. Sawyer for $3.50 for in
juries received while public employee,
the old claim of Mrs. Mary M. Hoxle,
for S2,333.S3 for salary as matron of
the Kearney industrial school; by ].
H. Mickey for $19183 for railroad fare
paid while governor; for $1.750 by the
estate Of John F. Cornell for expense
incurred when his office was investi-
gated while he was state auditor.
Members of the legislative commit
tee which inspected the Soldiers
home at Grand Island entertain diff.
ferences Of opinion regarding the ap-
preparation which this institution
should have. The commandant hag
recommended that $4,000 be appro-
priated for permanent improvements,
and some members of the committee
believe such large sum Is unneces-
sary, inasmuch as the maximum of
the number of old soldiers who will
become members of the homo IL
reached.
AS a compromise between conflict
ing interests on the compulsory edu-
cation bill which he introduced into
the senate early In the session Sen.
ator Thomas has new measure which
he may offer as a substitute for 8. r.
80. The new measure is not radically
different from the old one. but it is
not quite so rigorous. 1t provides that
every child between Z and Is shall be
required to go to school not less than
two-thirds of the entire school year in
his district or in any case not less
than twelve weeks during the year.
The house Indefinitely postponed the
bill by Raper which abolished the pres
ent optional death penalty. The bill
was recommended for passage on the
previous day without discussion and
some of the members said they were
not aware of the scope of the bill at
the time. Carlin of Rock moved to re-
consider and after long debate the
bill was killed. The house killed the
bill by q. w, Brown of Lancaster pro-
viding that judges Of the supreme, dis
trict and county courts are ineligible
to election to Office save judicial posi-
tons.
Before packed gallery and crowd
ed lobby the senate laid the county OPP
tien bill to rest by the decisive vote Of
twenty to eleven
Though not much has yet been
done in the legislature, the majority
say all party pledges will be fulfilled
before the close of the session
The house got busy on the 9Th and
passed eighteen bills Most of them,
however. were of local interest.