Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-03-30
Attitude of Douglas Senators Tends
to Befog the Issue.
VOTE AND WORK AGAINST IT
Have Always Lined Up Hitherto in
Favor of Corporations.
DoNoHoE DEFENDS HIMSELF
Lively Debate in the senate over
Motion 60 Recall the Measure,
witch IL Voted Down By
Mig Majority,


LINCOLN. March 29.-tSpecial Every
body here Is up In the air over the Dono-
hoe bill now pending in the house. which
places the public service corporations in
the control of the State Railway commits
sion. They cannot understand how, Il Il
is a corporation measure, Ransom and
Howell can be lined up against IL, when
they have been the spokesmen of the cor
porations on every other measure. Neither
is the onslaught from the World Herald,
which has stood for many corporation
measures, inspired confidence.
The most plausible explanation IL that
Ransom and Howell got Donohoe to go 10
the front, and fixed up the deal for II to
pass the senate with their votes against
It. For Howell and Ransom to vote mo-
on corporation measure would be the best
boost they could give It since they have
had their corporation table exposed so
often.
The effect OF the World Herald's de-
lirum is indicated by what several demo-
cratic members of the house say.
The bill is pretty sure to be lifted by
the sitting committee so that the members
of the house will have a chance to take a
stand on it out in the open.
Slap at Douglas Members.
The democratic senate gave a direct slap
at the Douglas county senators and the
World Herald today by refusing to recall
from the house 8. F. 354, by Donohoe of
Holt, the bill placing the regulation of all
public service corporations furnishing cleo
tricity. water and gas in the hands of the
railway commission. BY vote OF 10 TO
20 the members stood by Senator Donohoe
in fight he made against Senator How
A
ure before the house judiciary committee
will take place tomorrow afternoon at
o'clock, though the committee, Chairman
Wilson says. is by strong majority op-
/ posed to favorable recommendation.
Senator Donohoe defended himself against
| the charge that he had been "chumpn
| as he expressed II, and an unknowing tool
| of the corporations i'm a speech which
abounded with shafts directed at the states
men from the metropolis and in which he
declared that far from being a measure
| that would permit the public service cor
porations TO escape their dues, II would
| take from the city councils that have been
admittedly unable to cope with corpora
tions questions over which they have
wrestled in vain and would place future
valuations of their properties in a board
equipped to accomplish the work expertly
| and honestly.
Senator Howell charged the bill was in
troduced at the behest of the public service
corporations who sought thereby to avoid
the drastic rate cuts and occupation taxes
imposed by city councils He said he had
been importuned TO introduce 1t before IL
was placed in the hands of Senator Dono-
hoe and he had refused because he was
champion of the people, and always would
be as long as he could shout home rule
Other senators had received letters from
| them in favor of the bill, he said
! why, If the corporations didn't want IL,
| they would be here fighting it," declared
Senator Howell.
DOnOhOe Defends Himself.
| "rhe World Herald has seen fit to at
| tack me because of my position as intro
ducer OF this blll." declared Senator Dono-
| hoe, land IT has become a personal matter
with me now. This bill was prepared by
the county attorney OF Lancaster county
| and Is copied in the main from the Wis
consin law, copy of whose session laws
of 1907 l hold here and which is In the
main word for word with this bill except
for certain changes made to conform with
the fundamental laws of Nebraska. That
looks IL the bill was dictated In Omaha
doesn't IL?
Il have submitted this bill to-an attorney
in whom have every confidence not hav-
ing the time as a member of the senate to
go into this matter IN detail, but I am
assured that his study OF the provisions
has revealed no joker.'
'1t only means that when a city desires
to take over the property of a municipal
corporation the valuation shall be declared
by commission properly equipped to make
1t and expert enough not to fix that valua,
tion from 100000 to Sa,5OoOOO higher
than Is right. There are many provision,
Of this bill which have not been touched
upon at all in the attack upon the bill
and all I ask is that the senate do not re
call and choke this bill off without a hear
ing. as is the purpose OF the mover of In,
notion
Both Senators Ransom and Howell pr,
fessed absolute confidence in the integr4f,
Of Senator Donohoe. but they insisted n,
had been deceived
Senator Ransom was grieved at the at
titude OF the metropolitan press. and de
clsred newspaper men don't know every
thing and usually know nothing about ,
proposition, but declared the expose OF thi
bill was a long felt want in the state Tn.
bill was an effort toward Capitalization
II was void because IL did not attempt I,
repeal existing statutes vitslly affected
with respect TO franchises and in fact
was municipal ownership.
The senator opposed this, cited the omahi
Water board experiment as a 10000 sam
pie of municipal control and insisted Tn
bill was pipe dream q theorst"
IF the citizens OF any city are not homes
enough to elect honest city councils the.
should suffer the consequences" he de
claTed
, senator Donohoe and Senators Howell
and Ransom here engaged IN three
cornered argument to the effect OF tn
Z bill on conditions In Omaha
The vote 10 recall the bin lost ~ tn
: following votes
Yeas-Besse, Buck Hatfield How ~