Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-11
TWELVE DAYS MORE FOR BILLS IN HOUSE
senate Has One More Day at Its Disposal
for lhls turposs.
CONSIDERABLE TALK Of INVESTIGATION
Boards of Purchase and Supplies and
Public Lands and Buildings May
Have Light Thrown ON
Past TransactioRs,


duced and neither has the subcommittee
appointed to draft the measure ever held
= meeting. No satisfactory reason has been
given for this, each Of the members say
ing 1t has been impossible to get the oom-
mittee together. Unless something Is done
by the subcommittee very shortly 1t IL
probable some members of the house who
are anxious to get the platform pledges
enacted into laws before the members get
split up on Individual measures will
take steps to see why the committee does
not make haste more rapidly. Notwith-
standing time is passing there is no
but who believes primary law will be
enacted, because 1t is In all of the plat
forms and even II the sixty days which
probably will the adjournment of the
legislature passes by and no bill has been
introduced Governor Sheldon could very
easily call a special session, 80 the leg
islators could give TO the people that which
they demanded and which has been prom
ised by the members. The senate has been
In session twenty-seven days and the house
twenty-eight days. leaving only twelve days
in which bills can be introduced in the
house and thirteen in the senate The joint
committees far have only introduced
the anti-pass and the 2-cent rate bills but
the commission bill is about ready to go in.
and even II the joint committee fails to
report a primary bill, the Dodge bill can
be amende6 TO suit the majority OF the
legislators. Clark and Thomas have In
terminal taxation bills in the house and
senate and there is no need OF the joint
, committee getting up such a bill.
searchIiEht Being Primed.
I number of members have shown a dis
position to look carefully into matters re-
lating to the states business and its con-
> duct by state officers and there Is strong
talk of fious hafn0 afarfad 20 tool,
into the workings OF the State Board Of
: Purchase and Supplies and of the State
: Board Of Educational Lands and Funds
: as 1t was constituted two years ago.
> rumor Is abroad that state officers ara
{ shown courtesies by contractorst not ex-
! tended to other individuals and some OF
: the legislators are anxious to learn whether.
there is anything in the rumor or just idle
talk. The fact that the State Board OF
Educational Lands and Funds buys bonds
I OF other states through a middle man prob
( ably has given rise to the rumors about
y some Of the transactions OF this board, as
It was constituted four years ago and two
years ago, and some of the members want
! to throw the searchlight on these trans
? actions.
> So far no bill has been put in to abolish
the mill levy appropriated to the State
university though there is a strong sentI-
In regard to the mill levy an interesting
! conversation was heard by a member the
: other day which made him absolutely op-
: posed to appropriations by levy. According
d to this member two people who were work.
O ing for a levy for the state fair were talk
!, ing. One OF them said:
q I'VE can get the one eighth OF a min
g levy passed. You see none OF the members
q know what II means or now much money
10 It'll .wts., a.. 81
e those who will oppose It has got sense
d enough to figure II out"
It Does Little Figuring.
a II happened that the member who
Is heard the conversation did have sense
= enough to figure It out" and ne promptly
II got to figuring. with the result that not
10 only he. but half dozen or more of his
,r friends are opposed and will be forever
opposed TO appropriating money by levy
le especially when It is spent behind closed
II doors and the vouchers are not endorsed
"a by the state auditor, but the name OF the
ID president OF the Board Of Regents, stamped
rs on certificate is sufficient to secure a
T. warrant to pay the expenditures.
N One of the most secretive and elusive
,r Hobbies ever maintained In Lincoln is the
Insurance lobby. At its head is former
Land Commissioner Kent, a man named
I Johnson and a man named Brian. These
men have not tipped on, so far as anyone
o not directly connected with them IL con-
cefned, what their business here is They
hold frequent conferences with ATTORNEY
Talbot of the Modern Woodmen and have
" been housed at the Lndell for three OF four
lc weeks. Inasmuch as no radical insurance
l. bills have been thrown into the hopper q
y, is thought they are keeping out measures
l. rather than looking after those already in.
In As might have been expected. the way
ID was paved for the coming OF the Bur
d. lington employees tomorrow TO knock on
ID the passage OF liability act by the Lin
o. coin Star, which had a lengthy editorial
l. this morning denouneing the act and at
l. the same time standing up for the Bur
lington Relief association. One member
a. Of the legislature received from the
A. Order OF Railway Conductors an endorse.
De ment OF the liability act fathered by the
es association and the endorsement was
E. stamped with the seal OF the order and
signed by its oficers. showing the date OF
the adoption OF the resolution. He intended
70 show the same TO the railroad COM
- mittee when the railroad employees sent In
di by the Burlington officials appeared 10
D. knock, but II has been taken from his
" desk and he cannot find Il. Senator Gibson
ne has received letter signed by an engineer
ne but whose name is not attached. favorins
O. the bill ana knocking on the burlington
so Relief association. Senator Gibson be-
Of lieves the writer feared his Job would be
taken from him II his name became known
and for that reason he did not sign the
letter.
az BaIk on BuyinE statute.
"a Considerable opposition has developed
Is against the appropriation OF money 20 buy
r statutes for the members Of the legislature
he and for the state officers. II is argued ths
n state officers can buy statutes out OF theiI
n once expense accounts and this legislature
or has no right 20 buy statutes for the next
n legislature. but this can be done out OF the
ancidental legislative expense aDproprlap