Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-29
WORKING ON PRIMARY BILL
Legislative Committees Considering Two
Containing Radical Differences.
COMMITTEE BILL TO Be CAUCUS MEASURE
Colonel Palmer OF Washington being
GrOOmed for Department Com
mander of the G. A. R.--HRrd-
ware Men Are Coming.
(FrOm a stan correspondent)

| mary bill held an open session this evening
| which brought out an interesting discussion
! of various phases of the question At the
| start E p. Brown tried to get the COM
mittee committed TO a statewide primary
| by Offering a resolution which the chair
man, McMullen of Gage. promptly ruled
out of order, and the committee showed
no disposition to reverse his decision. The
resolution was as follows:
! Whereas, The republican state platform Of
1870 declares;
We demand that the next Legislature
| enact direct primary law providing for
the nomination of ali state county and
strict officers including congressman and
! United states senators, by direct vote,
and.
Whereas. The democratic state platform
of 1906 declares:
I'VE will pass a comprehensive direct
primary law for the whole state under
! which party candidates for all offices shall
be nominated by the direct vote of the
Whereas, The populist state platform of
! 1906 declares:
law for the nomination Of all public Of
| hcers," be IL
Resolved, That this committee deems II
its duty to formulate bill providing for
| statewide primary elections for all po
litlcal parties to nominate state, county,
| district and municipal ofticers. including
United States senators, by direct vote.
At the invitation Of the committee a
number of persons present were invited
successfully to give their views of the
proposed primary bill Victor Rosewater
expressed his opinion on different aspects
of the bill, emphasizing the need of sim
plicity and conciseness and opposing tho
rotated ballot scheme in the bill intro
duced by Representative Dodge. At the
conclusion a running fire resulted in an
swer to questions propounded by McMul-
len, which showed plainly that the Gage
county man was not friendly to the direct
primary, although processing to favor
bill for county nominations as the easiest
way to answer the popular demand with
half loaf
II. NJ. Waring explained and championed
the Dodge bill, with particular emphasis
on the rotated ballot as its saving clause.
George w. Berge, I. c. Munger, II. T.
Dobbins and J. M Devine, all spoke for
direct primary legislation. citing examples
from different places where it had been
tried, and more particularly in nominating
city tickets in Lincoln.
Representative Baker of New York, in
answer to questions gave Information
about the direct primary trial in his county
last summer. and Chairman McMullen con-
; cluded the meeting by a statement Of his
position. arguing directly against direct
, primary nominations and quoting a letter
; from Minnesota declaring the Minnesota
, law only partially successful, He insisted
, that his bill for n county primary only, swas
: I best. but coupled with 1t a promise to vote
\ for statewide primary in case the COM
mittee decided to report such a measure.
. TwO-Cent Fare Bill Ready.
/, The subcommittee of the joint railroad
committee met tonight and formulated a
bill for 2-cent passenger rate. The bill
is exactly like the old law, with the excep-
ton OF the rate. which is reduced l cent.
This measure will be reported to the joint
: committee.
a Agreement on Commission Bill.
: The subcommittee appointed by the legis-
lative joint committee to draft bill COW
i ering the general powers Of the State Rail
. way commission has agreed upon all mooted
I points and at meeting tonight rough
draft OF the bill which will be presented
to the joint committee for it's approval was
! prepared The measure will be put into
fnal form tomorrow and will be taken uI
Z at once by the joint committee. Before the
end OF the week It is hoped to have It In
troduced into both houses and well on ts
way toward passage.
The subcommittee was divided only by
r certain matters of detail. but these have al
y been cleared up and at the close of last
l. nights session everything was harmonious
e The subcommittee declines to make an au
t thOritatlve announcement of the contents
!. OF the bill before it is presented to the
e joint committee, when It will be made pub
= lie. 1t is known. however, that the measure
/ will be entirely satisfactory to that factior
n of the republican party that is In favor o
l. vesting the Railway commission with widt
. powers over rates and OF giving It the lega
u means with which to enforce its DEGREES
he ha haa a,thY,
II ted to some Of tho best posted rate men II
. the state and has received their approval
= The commission is given power over al
" common carriers including telephone, tele
graph, sleeping car and express companies
and is allowed the widest latitude in regu
. lating their rates. The general plan OF tn
: AIdrich bill has been followed. but II hal
been broadened somewhat to make It NOR
!, inclusive than 1t was originally.
Only Point OF Difference.
The principal question over which ther
was a division in the subcommittee re
lated 10 the method Of procedure befor
j. the commission 1t has been agreed to in
sert a provision which win prevent tn
railroads superseding a rate fixed by tn
commission until IT has been passed on b.
a court. The commission is also given wild
D. powers in securing evidence from tn
. records of railroads. One section give
Is the commission power to punish for con
a. tempt for refusal to obey its orders. II /
~ also given jurisdiction over terminal an
y switching rates. a provision which will b
- satisfactory TO Omaha jobbing and manu-
> featuring interests
C. w. Dalamatyre and ID. L. johnson O
= Omaha appeared before the senate judi
ciary committee tonight in the interest
"a of Kings bill, 8. F. No. 7s relating 20 tn
descent of the property OF decedents. Tn
% committee did not take action. The sent
ment OF the committee was strongly 1
favor OF a change in the present law. CIV
N ing the wife only dover interest in he
husbands estate. but there was some ali
ID ference OF opinion as TO what the chang
should be. The committee may take actio
at a meeting to be held tomorrow aftel
noon.
The Judiciary committee has decided
IN report favorably on the bulk sales Law
nj after a night in the committee room. tn
n vote Was 10 2