Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-27
NEW LAWS MAKE NEW HABITS
Many Changes by Legislature Efee-
tive First of July.
HITS OMAHA IN SEVERAL SPOTS
Statutes VIII Compel People In
Many walks OF Life GO Change
TheIr ways Of walking
short on.

Habits and customs Of a l-ifetime-some
cultivated and some coming down from The
forefathers-will be changed by Omaha
people in many walks OF life on July l.
Turning over a new leaf on January !
will not be a circumstance to the changes
TO be forced on railroads, high school s.u-
dents, saloon keepers, business houses. ho-
tells and insurance agents July / by the
laws Of Nebraska riveted on the statute
books by the last Legislature under the
guidance OF various politicians who de-
signed early in the game to make a po-
litical experiment station" out of the
state.
Passing over the new city charter, which
4 became effective the day II was approved.
the next thing of interest to Omaha Is the
| much berated s o'clock closing law which
In two weeks will prevail in the city AID
state. Under this law all sale of liquor
must cease at S o'clock In the evening
and until 7 o'clock the next morning, COM
pletely cutting out night caps and eye
openers"
But on trains It will be even tighter. for
on them it will always be after 8 o'clock.
While liquor has not been sold on trains
to any great extent, IN the future 1t will
not be permissible to even drink on them,
not II the passenger takes his cool bottle
with him when he boards the train. one
sip will be the signal for trslnmen to eject
the man with the bottle as an intoxicated
person.
Few Aimed at Railroads.
A few bills Of the late lamented leglsla-
ture were aimed at railroad companies and
kindred concerns. One Of these, passed at
the lnstigation Of the Railway Employees
Protective association, will make the rail-
road companies put on larger crews after
the first OF July. The new bill provides
that a crew of five men shall be provided
for all trains of five or less cars carrying
passengers. while a crew Of six shall be
provided for freight trains carrying pas
sengers and running 100 or more miles
Another railroad bill orders railroad com
panies 20 furnish cars in good order and
TO receive and transport grain in bulk
within a reasonable time and load without
discrimination between shippers.
A third bill is the reciprocal demurrage
act, which provides for one thing-that
shipments must go forward at the rate oil
fifty miles each twenty-four hours exccp'
live stock shipments. For failure TO mee'
this requirement railroad companies shall
nav to the consignee on a stipulated scale
OF penalties.
AnoAl6i jill VI n
h,bits line elevators from paying different
nr,ces for grain at different stations
beyond allowance made for the difference
In freight rates. .
Street railway companies get one piece
Of beneficial legislation, this being per
mission for them to extend their lines ter
miles outside the city limits provided theN
can secure the rlght-of-way.
That Bed sheet Bill.
Hotels get a rap in the bed sheet law'
No more will the poor belated travelling
man be compelled to sleep in a bed wher'
the sheets are too short and let his toei
play tag with one another out beyond tn
covers, for now the sheets must be owe
eight feet long. And where is there tn
man who can not be covered by a be-
sheet ninety-nine inches in length, the OF
ficial dimension of the hotel bed sheet a
prescribed by the Nebraska Legislature.
b.. to take the sting off the bed shes
law another bill was passed which limit
the liability Of the hotel keeper and pre-
vents guests charging him a high pric
for a lost grip containing nothing Of valu'
A fire escape bill which hits hotels an
many other buildings goes into effect Jul
/ but owners OF the affected buildings ar
given three months from that date in while
TO provide fire escapes. Fire escape chute
or toboggans and fire pipe Of q dante
TO fit the appliances of the fire departmeI
in the local city shall be put on all buil'
inEs of more than two stories, includin
every hotel. boarding house, store hous
tenement building. public or private inst
tuition, office or store building seho
house, theater, public hall, place OF a
semblage or public resort, containing spa
for the occupancy Of fifteen or more pc
sons.
Rap 20 FrRternities.
The death knell to high school fraterr
ties will be struck on July l. and after tn
4 date any high school student who sht
: toin a Greek letter society shall be expell
forthwith by the Board of Education
The bill changing the membership OF I
Omaha Board OF Education and the ma
ner Of election also becomes effective
this time. Under the former law the boa
was composed Of fifteen members elect
at large. but in the future there will
only twelve members elected, one fro
each ward. The extra three men on I
board will be dropped. one at a time a
the change thereby made more easy.
Tainted money forms no eompon'