Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-25
Committee Makes an Effort to Agree
on Some Amendments.
UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS
Then Tries to Report Measure With
out Amy Recommendation.
TOO LATE IN ORDER OF BUSINESS
Members of House Turn Deaf Ear 60
Pleas OF Urgency by Douglas
Members and Hold IL for
Club.
tFrom a staff Correspondent) }

(From a staff Correspondent
LINCOLN. Feb. Especial )--Sena-
tor Ransom got another jolt this after
noon in the house when that body re-
fused to permit Chairman Thomas OF
the committee on cities and towns TO
make a report out OF the regular order
of business on the Omaha charter bill.
After having held two meetings at which
no agreement could he reached I'm the
matter Of the election or appointment of
the Omaha Police board. the committee
finally concluded to report the bill back
without recommendation for the general
file.
The house had just concluded the order
of business of bills on third reading
when Thomas asked permission to make
a report on the bill Taylor of Custer
objected
"You all know Omaha is interested in
a charter. We are now asking that the
charter bill be reported to the house.
This bill agrees with our campaign
pledges. The candidates for office in
Omaha have until February 81 to file,
and we are anxious TO get the bill passed
by then. We are all pledged TO home
rule in some form and we want to carry
out that pledge
L
OF business" said Taylor of Custer we
don't have to pass this bill at this time so
the candidates may file their nomination
papers by Saturday. The candidates can
20 ahead and file and If elected this bill
can qualify them to serve. We adopted
tho constitutional amendment creating the
State Railway commission and elected the
commission at the same time. They were
voted upon before the amendment was
adopted"
81 asked the assistant city attorney Of
Omaha about the matter Mr.. Taylor has
discussed" said Thomas, and after
careful Investigation he tells me that II
is not a principle of law. We want to keen
our campaign pledges and we ask all the
democrats 20 help us
one Quotes Dahlman.
"Mayor Dahlman told us just exactely
what MIR. Taylor said" injected McColl'
a member of the committee from Gage
county. 1T is not necessary 70 pass this
measure at this time"
ozark of Richardson, came to the relief
Of Thomas saying that the Omaha dele
cation promised the people of Omaha home
rule ana he believed the bill should take
"It is the platform" said Clark.
II am for the platform. first, last and
all the time" yelled Kelley of Furnas' re-
minding the house that 1t had killed MS
platform pledge for an agricultural schooi
at Cambridge.
Then Snyder of Harlan put the fnishine
touches on the motion. Il don't believe
we should put the bill on general hle
Let US put Omaha on probation Don
let them get in the clear"
Then Speaker Pool started in to explain
the motion: "The motion is not to put the
bill at the head OF the general file, he
said" II is simply a request 10 report on
the bill"
"eu l object to you entertaining the mo-
ton" said Taylor. lou are simply sus-
pending the order OF business"
.'You are a poor man to enter obJecuons
on teohnicaIities here" said Kelley rising
nm I'm his wrath. 'You who refused "a
vote and VIOLATED the rules of the house
The motion to allow Mr.. Thomas to re-
mort was then put and resulted, yeas "a
nays. IS.
Outside Members 10 Rule.
The action Of the house in this instance
indicates that the outside members Will say
what Omaha wants in the way OF charter
because the Omaha delegation is not agreed
and cannot agree on what is home rule.
II also indicates that the charter, II II gets
through at all, may be one of the last bills
on the caIander. because the house mem
hers are interested In a good many bills
vet 10 be acted upon In the senate. These
house members know that TO put Omaha IN
the clear on its charter will leave the
Omaha members with a mighty free hand
to do as they please on all other measures
Incidentally, II is another echo OF the old
scrap between Ransom and Taylor. and is
another payment on the debt Taylor owel
to Ransom because the latter killed his bill
10 authorize the State Canvassing board to
canvass the votes on constitutional amend
ments.
The action in the house followed two
meetings OF the committee on cities and
towns held this morning At the first
meeting a motion was made TO have an ap-
pointive police commission. The vote on
this was as follows;
Yeas-sink. stoeeker, Holmes. Connolly
No~Humphrey. West. Howard. Taylor
York, Thomas.
The motion was declared lost
Ineu Eluethef HloNeu AhAN tNO NohHir
sioners be made elective, and two 20 b'
appointed by the mayor The vote on thlI
was:
Yes-sink. stoecker. Holmes. Connolly
West and McColl.
No-Humphrey. Wilson. Howard. Taylor
and Thomas.
The motion carried.
Al the meeting held at noon fourteen
members Of thee committee were present
and the StOeoker amendment was reconsid
cred. Tim Connolly offered an amendment
providing for an elective bipartisan board
This carried. and then the motion e
recommend the bill for passage as amended
vas declared lost by vote Of to Z. The
motion 10 recommend the bill for passage
without any amendments. but as it cams
from the senate. was lost by a vote Of
I 20 7.
Despair of Agreement.
Il move that the bill be Indefinitely
postponed" said Wilson. Who had decldst