Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-02
No Free Rides for Any Except Bona Eide
Employees of Reads
COMMISSION BILL UNDER DISCUSSION
suggestion Of Amendment AllOwina
hearings Is Iombatted.
GOVERNOR WILL NJ, SIGN IWo-ctNT sIu
Neither VIII He Veto Il, but Allow a.
TO become n Law by Not Return-
ing IL to legislature within
Five Days.
(From q staff correspondent.l }
NUMEROUS EFFORTS TO AMEND IT FAN

Qrom Stan Correspondent.)
LINCOLN, March l.--(speciaL with
Harvey Of Douglas and HRmer Of Buffalo
only voting in the negative and ninety-ons
members voting In the affirmative, the
house this afternoon passed the anti-pass
bill prepared by the railroad committee,
with the emergency clause. fhe bill was
discussed at length In the committee OF
the whole this morning and numerous
amendments were defeated and this after
noon 1t was called up and voted upon,
though Hamer tried to get Il recommitted,
and then rushed to the senate. II carries
the emergency clause. Both Harvey and
Hamer explained their votes by saying
they were in favor of an anti-pass bill
such as the platform contemplated, but this
measure, each said, was too drastic and not
in line with the sentiment of the repub-
lican state convention. Those who were
not recorded on the measure were the
following: Barnes Fletcher. Gilman. Hage-
meister Leeder stalder, Tucker. All the
rest save the two mentioned voted for the
bill and in Justice to those who were absent
II should be said 1t was not known the
bill would come up for passage at the
afternoon session.
At the morning session. when the bill
was discussed in the committee of the
whole, Northwestern Lobbyist Bob McGin-
mis- occupied seat in the gallery and
looked down in sad-eyed amazement at q
scene so unusual in a Nebraska legislature.
Around the railing which fences of the
house from the lobby were numerous rail-
road employees and pluggers who appeared
equally surprised, as amendment after
amendment was voted down.
The bill allows bona fide employees of rail-
roads to receive passes and the care takers
OF live stock, vegetables and poultry and
fruit. 1t knocks out the political railroad
lawyer and surgeon, and allows to ride
free only those lawyers and surgeons who
receive annually a salary of at least 1900
from the railroad which employs them.
Debate Becomes Dramatic.
Numerous amendments were offered and
the debate lasted long and at times be-
came dramatic, especially when Hamer
pleaded to exempt from the provisions Of
the bill those ex-employes who had been
retired from service through disability
caused by injury or old age. The gentle
man from Buffalo made a pathetic plea
| for the old timers and Leeder of Douglas
county Joined him with the statement IL
Hamer went down to defeat he. IL no one
else, would go with him, but the plea fell
J on deaf ears. e. w. Brown tried to amend
/ to allow lawyers and surgeons paid 500
a year by railroads to receive passes, but
this was killed. Noyes tried to strike out
/ of the bill the reference to allowing law
! yers and surgeons whose salary is 1900
| to receive transportation, but this was
buried. Farley then attempted TO get in
! with an amendment to allow ex-employes
/ of the mechanical and operating depart
ment to use free transportation. Jennison
opposed by saying II person worked for
thirty days for railroad he would always
be an ex-employe and therefore entitled
10 ride free. Then Cone got in
IF that should carry l would be allowed
to ride on pass. I'm an ex-employe. The
| likes of me could get pass"
mo more argument is necessary" chimed
In Speaker Nettletons and the motion was
lost.
Then Whitman tried to cut out the lawyer
provision and lost, as did Adams on his
motion to allow railroads TO exchange
passes with other roads In the state. Hamer
got in with his amendment then, relating to
retired employees, and Noyes answered him
by reading from the synopsis of the plat
form published In The Bee. that the re-
publican party was pledged to enact an anti
pass law cutting ont everyone except bona
hde employees. He began to read the names
OF tnOSo WtfO ilhu SlBueu lAdi pleO&os ana
when he reached the name OF Tom Hamer
everybody oheered. Though the house
laughed and cheered frequently. Noyes read
the entire list through. Hamer's amend
ment lost by vote of 5 TO So. Barnes
wanted passes given to all members Of the
legislature over 20 years old. but that. too,
was lost. Harvey wanted 90 exclude from
the provisions of the act sherifrs and po-
lice officers who were called away to iden-
ufy prisoners, but that went the way Of
1 the others. Hamer moved TO amend by all
lowing railroads to exchange passes, and
Dodge Of Douglas said this should be done.
He believed it was for the best interests
of the farmers. as well as others, that COM
peting railroads be allowed to send out their
agents TO work up trade. Cone said Dodge's
argument should be the argument against
the amendment Other people had to pay
their own expenses when going out after
business and so should the railroads. The
amendment was lost. Nettleton moved to
recommend the bill for passage.
Committee Report Approved.
When the committee arose Hamer moved
not to concur in the report. his object being
TO again try to get in his amendment pro-
viding railroads could exchange passes with
other railroads. The vote was as follows,
those voting yes being for the amendment
Yeas
BlystOns. Hsmsr. MeMullsn.