Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-14
EMPLOYEES POORLY COACHED
Burlington Brings Them in to Protest
AFa;nst Bill They Do Not Understand
ARGUMENT on TwO-cENT FARE BILL
Subcommittee Has the Primary Bill
Completed and VIII Report II on
Thursday Night to the
Full Committee.
rFrom 3 star Correspondent.l

l4lNCOIN. Neb.. Feb- lA-tSpecial Tele-
gram.)-The Burlington railroad sent 1So
men to Lincoln tonight to protest against
the passage Of the employers liability bill
now pending in both houses. The men
came in on a special train OF two coaches
| from Havelock and no fares were collected
on the way and no tickets were purchased
before the train left Havelock The Bur
linEton officials timed the arrival Of the
/ employees to get to the senate chamber
( Just as a Burlington lobbyist was making
speech In denunciation of the press OF
Nebraska. and they roundly cheered him
when he finished.
The spokesmen for the employees sent in
were c. w Holmes. foreman OF the boiler
works: D. E Lucas general foreman Of
i the boiler shops, and H. B. Kepner, in
/ spector of piece work west Of the river,
but who said he came from Havelock-
Senator Joseph Burns kindly invited Mr..
Kepner to explain why the employees OF
the Burlington were opposed to the passage
I OF the liability act at the conclusion OF
the 2-cent passenger rate discussion. Mr..
Kepner informed the legislators that he
/ and his fellow employees were here to pro
test against any legislation which would
affect the Burlington Relief department
and that was all he came for. Gibson.
I who sponsors the bill in the senate, at
/ once asked Kepner in what way the bill
affected the relief department and when
1 Kepner hesitated. Burns and Jim Kelby OF
the Burlington. came to his assistance and
began to FIRE question at Gibson This
! turned the meeting into a free-for-an and
/ the brought-in employees started answering
and asking questions from the rear OF the
house. Finally Conductor Macomber, who
is here in the interest Of the bill. explained
. that IL I'm no way damaged the relief de-
partment. but It enabled the injured en-
ploye of a railroad to collect damages
therefor. The Burlington opposed the bill
for at this time he said. that road made its
employees nay their own damages This
lsad n number OF brought-in employees TO TEL
incidents Of what the Burlington RELIEF
department had done for them Patrick
! of sarpy came to the help OF Gibson and
assured the employees they haG been mis-
informed as TO the bill and that it would
I'm no way affect them. The section they
opposed, he explained. provided II an en-
ploye was injured or killed. he or ms re-
latives could prosecute suit for damages
providing the amount paid By the RELIEF
department should be deducted from the
Judgment Apparently the men had not
been well posted by the Burlington Of
ncials and a great many of them left with
the EXPRESSED belief that the bill in no
| wise AFFECT the relief department.
TwO-Cent Fare Bill Discussion.
Ban T. white, general attorney for the
Northwestern, and Garrit Fort assistant
passenger agent OF the Union Pacinc' ad-
dressed the senate committee on railroads
tonight in opposition to the 2-cent rate bill
Mr.. Fort made in substance the speech
. lee Fchf laNinR special eIl-
phasas on the statement that to reduce
rates would save very little money TO the
travelling public individually, but would
seriously handicap the operation of the
Messenger department OF the Union Pa
cihc.
Mr.. White took his hearers back TO the
time when the Elkhoru lost money In Ne
braska for years; when 1t built road
through a traclless prairie; when the legis-
lature made cents q mile maximum
rate, which, he said. at that time was not
fair. Now that times were prosperous he
believed the railroads should be permitted
to enjoy the prosperity with the people
He wanted his road 10 be considered the
same as any other business, and II It is
fasr for banks and manufacturers and
farmers to make 10 and % and more per
cent the railroad should at least make
or 6 or Z 5 At this time the Northwestern
IN Nebraska, he said. was making IA per
cent on the valuation Per mile as nxed
by the state board His road, Mr.. White
said. would suffer more than any other
under the 2-cent rate because II did not
have the transcondnental business
Burlington representative. J. E Reiby
also spoke. He put tears In his voice and
launched out against the newspapers In
general His talk was interesting IN that
haA "
to see a real live lobbyist begging and
pleading where once he commanded and
was obeyed-
Agreement ON Primary Bill.
Al meeting OF the subcommittee that Il
preparing the statewide primary bill to-
night all mootsd questions relating to the
details OF the bau were settled and the
measure IN it's nnal form agreed to. The
principal difference was over the rotation
OF names, Dodge OF Douglas insisting on
rotating At the meeting tonight a com
promise was effected by which Douglas
county is TO have the rotated ballot. while
! in the rest of the counties the names VIII
appear alphabetically without rotation
The section Of the bill relating TO tho
making Of the party platform was also
changed In it's present form the nominees
In each county are TO select committee
man in each precinct In the county. These
committeeman meet and select a delegate
10 a state convention which win meet and
compile a platform and select a state com
mittee and chairman This convention is
held every other year in the years when
governor and other state Orneers are TO be
elected.
The bin provides for a fling fee Of SO for
candidates for county Ofhces and t1Oo for
congressional and state once Applications
for places on the ballot are 10 be filed
with the county clerk for county ofhces
and with the secretary OF state for state
ofices Provision Is also made for the
candidates independent Of any party. The
name of q candidate can appear only on
! the ballot OF one party. The primary is TO
! be held nine weeks before the election and
! the polls are 10 be open from II noon 10
p. m
: The draft Of the bill viii be presented 70
. the Joint committee at a meeting TO be held
Thursday night and II may be introduced
in the two houses Friday OF the first OF
. next week az the latest
Battleships in Collision.
LONDON. Feb. IG-The British battle