Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-27
NEW LAWS MAKE NEW HABITS
Many Changes by Legislature EFec.
tive First of July.
HITS OMAHA IN SEVERAL SPOTS
Statutes Will Compel People In
Many walks OF Life to change
Their ways Of walking
short OF.

Habits and customs OF a lifetime-some
cultivated and some coming down from the
forefathers-will be changed by Omaha
people in many walks Of life on July /.
Turning over a new leaf on January l
will not be a circumstance to the changes
to be forced on railroads, high schoo 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 IL was approved.
the next thing Of interest to Omaha is the
l much berated s o'clock closing law which
In two weeks will prevail in the city and
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 II will be even tighter, for
on them II 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 trainmen 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 instigation 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 to furnish cars in good order and
to receive and transport grain in bull
within a reasonable time and load without
discrimination between shippers.
A third bill Is the reciprocal demurrag'
act. which provides for one thing-tha'
shipments must go forward at the rate o.
fifty miles each twenty-four hours, excop
live stock shipments. For failure to NEE
this requirement railroad companies shal
pay to the consignee on a stipulated scal
OF penalties.
Another bill of a kindred nature pro
hibits line elevators from paying differen
prices for grain at different stations
beyond allowance made for the difference
in freight rates.
Street railway companies get one pee
of beneficial legislation, this being per
mission for them to extend their lines te
miles outside the city limits provided the
can secure the right-of-way.
THAT Bed sheet Bill.
Hotels get a rap in the bed sheet law
No more will the poor belated travelinI
man be compelled to sleep in a bed wher
the sheets are too short and let his toe
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 DE
sheet n~inety-nine inches in length, the OF
fetal dimension of the hotel bed sheet q
prescribed by the Nebraska Legislature.
But to take the sting off the bed she'
law another bill was passed which hmi
the liability of the hotel keeper and pre-
vents guests charging him a high pri'
for a lost grip containing nothing of Valu
A fire escape bill which hits hotels ar
many other buildings goes into effect JuI
1 but owners OF the affected buildings 81
given three months from that date in white
10 provide fire escapes. Fire escape chut
or ~toboggans and fire pipe of a diamt
10 TT the appliances OF the fire departmel
In the local city shall be put on all ouiI
ings of more than two stories, includir
every hotel, boarding house, store hous
tenement building, public or private inst
tuition, office or store building soho
house, theater, public hall, place OF a
semblage or public resort, containing spa
for the occupancy of fifteen or more pc
sons.
Rap to F~raternities.
The death knell to high school frateri
ties will be struck on July 1, and after IN
date any high school student who sh'
toin a Greek letter society shall be expeu
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 member elected, one fr'
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'