Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-24
Holt County Man Raps the Members
from the Metropolis.
RANSOM GETS IN WITH DENIAL
Senate Fails to Act on Report Fixing
Day of Adjournment.
COMMITTEE TO SMOTHER BILLS
Date TO he Set when All which Have
Not Passed One House Are "a
BE sent 10 the Bone
Yard.
trrom a staff correspondentN

OTrom a Staff Correspondent)
LINCOLN, March 25.-(SpecialD lover
the protest Of the Douglas county senator's
the upper house today recommended to
pass bill vitally affecting public service
corporations. 1t is by Donohue of Holt Civ
ing the railway commission the power to
regulate charges and service OF public SER
vice corporations engaged in furnishing
heat. gas. electrical power and water An
other bill by Senator Brown of Lancaster
explicitly provides that street railway
companies, interurbans. railroads. tele-
phone companies. gas electric lighting
companies and power companies shall not
issue additional stock unless for actual and
existing values to be fixed by the railway
commission. This was favorably acted upon
following the Donohue bill. without voiced
opposition.
Senator Donohue in defending s. F. S5i.
the first measure declared the bill was an
adaptation of the Wisconsin plan for con-
troll of public service corporations. 1t COM
PEELED the corporations TO furnish the rail-
way commission with figures showing the
cost Of construction per unit and In the
same way the figures for cost of produc'
tion, maintenance and labor. The work Of
securing these figures did not devove upon
the railway commission, but placed In the
commission the power 70 fix rates and
decree service upon the showing made with
safeguards in case OF Misrepresentation. In
advocating his bill Senator Donohue said
he had littlc hope of favorable action so
late In the session, but he declared the
measure was one demanded by the public
and sooner or later would come.
Douglas Members object.
Opposition developed first from Senator
Ransom who insisted the constitutional
| amendment creating the railway commits
sion contemplated the regulation OF common
carriers and statewide corporations alono
and not the corporations of municipalities
In which there was merely local interest.
He said the railway commission was al
ready overloaded with work and such a
bill would only add to it's duties and Inn
pede the regulation OF rates OF common
carriers. Besides. he thought 1t wrong
to tax the people of the entire state for
the regulation Of isolated corporations He
| moved to postpone
Senator Howell. following Senator Ran
som, declared there had been man I'm
| Lircoln all winter, Mr.. sprague. who had
been working for the enactment Of the
bill on the theory that the sale of supplies
to the corporations would be benefited by
its enactment
IN a ufdndtlC speeCn CeudtoT lOnonot
called the senate's attention 20 the con-
tinued opposition of the gentlemen from
Douglas county to every measure that he
had introduced and especially to each one
in which he was particularly interested.
81 wish to say that II the corporations
that come under the provisions of this act
desire this bill" said Senator Donohoe. II
have never heard of 1t. None OF them has
| ever come TO me 10 say they wished this
bill to become law. But the contrary
I have heard from hundreds Of people from
| the state who are under tie power Of these
! corporations without relief and they with
one accord have asked that II become a
| law"
! Ransom Defends His Course.
| 'I have not opposed any measure ON the
floor of this senate" said Senator Ransom,
! instantly on his feet, because It in
! troduced or opposed by any member. That
were a poor way indeed TO enact legislation
| for the state. have opposed bills because
| | believed my position was right and /
want to ask II the senators from Douglas
/ county had succumbed TO this corporation
! influence where would some Of the legisa-
tion of this body be now? We come from
! city that controls nearly all the banking
capital of the state. Don't you think the
| banks of Douglas county have any influ-
| ence?
! Il have opposed bills because / did not
think them righteous measures. not for
! personal reasons.
IF a man discharges his duties right
eous!y, he don't need anything more to
comfrot him.
'In the case Of this bill, the people elect
| councils and municipal governing bodies.
| uhn N nnW
| bill will permit the corporations to escape
{ the effect Of the peoples direct power in
stead of being In the peoples interest"
Senator Kink opposed the bill as ill-ad-
| vised because, like Senator Ransom, he
thought the measure would load work upon
! the State Railway commission they were
not prepared TO handle.
A motion to postpone failed, l2 10 II, by
! a standing vote and the bill was recon-
mended to pass without further opposition.
Senator Brown had asked the senators
to consider s. f. 81, to prohibit the issu-
ance OF watered stock. at the same time
| with the Donohoo bill. and It was taken up
next. In a brief address. Senator Brown
said there was a great and recognized need
to prevent initiation Of stock OF corpora
tions. No member spoke In opposition.
Jerry Howard Loses.
| The senate having passed the banking bill,
Jerry Howard necessarily lost out in his
fight to defeat the famous charter bill,
| which was recommended for passage IN
| the house this afternoon. jeremiah told the
members that the charter had been fixed
| up by the eleven apostles who came here
| from Douglas county 10 secure converts
for the benefit Of the corporations.' but
II had no effect. The leaders of the house
had to carry out their agreement 70 pass
the bill and that settled IL. None OF How
ards amendments were adopted.
brown Sore on Opponents.
Elmer Brown was too smart for the eood