Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-17
humber Of Republicans, EOwever, Win
Ser ously Object to This.
GOVERNOR WOULD HAVE AVOIDED rANeLE
University Regents Change Front on the
Text Book Question,
PREPARING FOR RAID ON TREASURY
Appropriation Bills introduced, ~ All
Passed, Would Garry the Total
Way Above the HiEhwater
Mark.
CFrom a star corrsspondsntl

From a stan Correspondent)
LINCOLN, FeO. 16.-lSpecial.) THE
2-cent passenger rate bill. which has been
made a special order for 2.SO Tuesday
afternoon. has been the subject of talk in
the hotel Hobbies today and IL is likely
a red hot debate will take place at that
session. The fusionists are beginning to
get scared because the republicans ara
TO caucus and they fear they will TO
longer be able to dig holes and shove the
majority into them, as Il Is believed at
the caucus an Agreement will be made 10
rush the party pledges through ahead Of
anything. even though II be necessary to
sidetrack the 2-cent rate bill and leave
that matter entirely TO the ilway COM
mission. Some of the republicans, how
ever, will fight this move until the last
COW dies. and 1t is a serious question II
a majority of the republicans will stand
for it. 1t is possible the republicans may
get together on the Ned Brown amend
ment, though some believe II equivalent
to turning the matter over to the COM
mission. This little embarrassment. how
ever. has had one good effect 1t seems.
for number OF the republicans have be-
gun to pay more attention to the mes-
sage of Governor Sheldon than they did
at first, and some are beginning to realize
II they had listened to his recommended
tions and paid heed to his speeches before
the election there would have been no
occasion for the present dilemma. Gov
ernor Sheldon emphatically stated in his
prediction speeches that ne did not favor
the passage Of a fiat 2-eent rate bin. but
wanted that matter left so the state rail-
way commission could adjust IT, the same
as freight rates. Governor Sheldon's belief.
proka-, rt,hffclv hat xrhfla some roads
may not be able to stand the 2-cent rate
others may be able to sell tickets cheaper
than for cents a mile. He wanted tho
people to get the greatest amount of benefit
from the change in rates, and he believed
the railroads would be able TO defeat q nat
2-cent rate in the courts.
Regents Would buy Books.
According to a semi-oficial statement
the regents Of the state university are
anxious to buy text books and sell or rent
them to the students at cost They are
also anxious to hold open meetings and
have instructed their employees not to lobby
for or against any measure now pending
in the legislature affecting the management
of the university.
This information is given out by Fred
Abbott. member of the board OF regents,
and he also said the board is anxious that
the legislature amend the present law re-
lating TO the temporary university fund
30 there would be no doubt of the rights
Of the regents TO buy these text books and
sell them TO the students at cost. Mr.. Alb
bott said the reason the regents had not
done this before was because the present
law specifies the books shall be sold to the
students at cost and the board could not
figure out whether that meant the student
was TO get the books at wholesale cost 90
the board or should there be added TO the
wholesale price the cost of handling the
books The board, 80 Mr.. Abbott said, was
more than anxious TO save the students as
much money possible, the members
realized that many poor boys and girls
attended the school and had TO work their
way through. He is anxious, however.
for the bill introduced by Senator RAM
dali. which provides a penalty II the re-
gents continue 20 violate the law regarding
the purchase and sale OF text books, so
the regents will be allowed to rent the
books to the students. as that will save
them more money than selling them the
books.
This change OF front on the part of the
board of regents has come only after one
bill had been introduced 10 compel them
to hold open meetings and after anothGe
buy text books and sell them 70 the stu
dents at cost. The latter is now the law OF
the state. but there Is no penalty clause at
taehed. so Senator Randall has tackled on =
penalty Of hne Of from 800 10 $500 for
failure 10 enforce the law. As usual the
meeting held yesterday was behind closed
doors which fact inspired the men behind
the bills 70 bring the regents to Tina to get
Just little buster
Maximum Rate on OH.
A bill will be introduced In the house some
time during the early part Of the week
fixing a maximum freight rate on OIL This
bill is the result Of the investigation OF the
Kansas OIL proposition by a committee from
the legislature. This committee received
information that the independent COM
paniss OF Kansas would sell oil in Ne
braska for cents a gallon and fuel oil
for "a cents a gallon plus the freight rate.
In Kansas there is maximum freight
rate Law which makes oil come cheap; con-
sequently the Nebraska law will be pat
termed after that. Al this time Il is said
the freight rate on oil IN Kansas for go
or 800 miles is less than In Nebraska for
fifteen or twenty miles. Should the bill
be passed Lnd become law the Kansas
shipper win ssnG his OIL 70 the state line
ana lueA bcLu II ~ nlsA On Nue
Nebraska side. The big haul then will be
unoer the low freight rate and the inter-
state commerce laws viii be sidestepped.
Those working on the bill are Lieutenant
Governor Hopewell, Senator sibley and
Representatives Quaokenbush and Cone.
They expect 20 have It ready by Monday
or Tuesday.
Raid Treasury.
The assaults on the state treasury are
coming thick and fast ana the indications
are the appropriations asked for will over
top the high water mark, though there Is
no indication that all the appropriation
requested viii be voted. I'D 70 this time
there are bills introduced IN the house
calling for appropriations amounting 10
t7S6O90 This does not include the l-mill
levy for the state university. the deficiency
claims bill nor the grand appropriation bill.
These Will run ths total up 20 an un-
precedented amount In the list published