Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-09
Nebraska
HAS HANDS FULL
Politics Dished Up by Legislature
Causes Him to Seek Aid.
BANK SECRETARY FINEST PLUM

BANK SECRETARY FINEST PLUM
with vital Interests at take He
May Call on R~epublicsn In
cumbent Royse 20 Remain
In Position.
CFrom a staff Correspondent
LINCOLN. April s.-(Special)-Some Of
the most prominent democrats IN the state
have applied for the position OF secretary
to the State Banking board. which pays a
salary Of 5000 a year. This lie the very
best job created by the late organization
for the relief OF jobless democrats and
naturally Il is very much sought after. e.
Royse at present holds the place at a salary
of 5000 a year, and Il is freely predicted
that he will land the same Job with the in
creased salary whenever the governor gets
around to making his selection.
Under the provisions of the banking law
the auditor and the attorney general are
mere figureheads N the board, inasmuch
as the right to assist in making appoint
ments is taken from them and the power
vested solely in the governor. But the gov
ernor has his hands full and II Is believed
he is not overly anxious to assume all of
the responsibility which goes with the en-
forcement of the new law. For that reason
It is likely, so some Of those close to the
governor say, he will not disturb the secre-
tary Of the board.
Commission Buys Motorcycle.
The State Railway commission is prepar-
Ing to begin work under the provisions Of
the physical valuation bill and very shortly
will ask the governor to permit the ap-
pointment of experts to discover the phys
ical valuation of railroad property. The
commission has placed an order for a
81 100 car to be run on the railroad tracks,
propelled by a t~wenty-horse gasoline en-
CINE, in which it's members and it's experts
will take rides over the tracks and in
spect railroad property.
The commission has not yet figured what
plan Il will adopt when 1t starts in on it's
work, but it will likely take up one rail-
road system and finish with that before
going into another.
New Law to Reduce Oil Cost.
State Oil inspector Mullen has received
word that the Standard Oil company in
tends to reduce the price Of gasoline "a
cents a gallon, due TO the operations, he
says, Of the new oil inspection bill. The
new law reduces the test Of gasoline from
IS to 81, which will permit the introduction
Of Colorado, Wyoming and Kansas prod
ucts. He figures this will sive to the peo-
pie of the state at least $4,000, based on
the number of barrels Of gasoline inspected
and tested during the last year.
Under the new law IL Is set out plain that
ell oil brought into the state, whether for
private use or for sale, must be tested
and under this clause he expects to catch
the railroads, which use a great quantity
of oil, and which have heretofore refused
to pay for the test inasmuch as they used
it themselves. The attorney general has
now in his hands for collection a bill
against the Burlington for testing oil which
he will endeavor to collect under the ole
law through the courts.
Knotty Question for AUDITOR.
1t will very shortly be UP to State Audito
Barton TO pass on the question of whethe
a member of the state senate can be in
terested in a! contract in which the stat
is a party.
The firm of Miller g. Paine of Lincoll
has secured from the state board of pur
chase and supplies several contracts 70
supplies for the state institutions let at tn,
recent meeting of the board. In addition
during the month OF January this firm
sold to the state supplies for the executive
mansion. ]. r.. Miller, a member of tn
firm, is a member of the state senate an
was instrumental in passing the appropria
ton bills to pay the expenses of the stat
Institutions. Auditor Barton when the bill
come up to him will refer the matter I
Attorney General Thompson. The consti
tuition prohibits. or attempts TO prohibit
any state officer from being interested /
any contract in which the state is a party
(Rock Island shows Decrease.
The report of the Rock Island railroa
to the State Board of Assessment of 1t
value shows the road has done bushes
in this state during the last year amount
ing to 81, 455, as against 1852 2s for tn
year 1901.
The earnings for the entire system 70
the year 1908 amounted to $o4, 4S6, $50, agains
So, 35, 149 for the year 1907. This was fo
operation alone. The roads surplus fc
the year 1903 amounted TO $3.50, 264, againi
a surplus of 81. 426, l22 for the year 1907.
The following table shows the earning
| of the Rock Island in Nebraska by month
for the years 1907 and 1908:
| 1907. 1905,