Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-15
WHY VOTE CONES In SLOWLY
Several County Officials Do Not
Comply with the Law.
NINE YET ARE
UNREP0RTED
Railway Commission WIN Consider
Giving Pass to CITY Engineer
Adna DObsOn of Lincoln
by Burlington.
(From a staff Correspondent)


LINCOLN, Nov. I4-(SpeciaI)-Th State
Canvassing board may take a notion to
make an example of some OF the counties
in this state which continually and per-
sistently refuse to send in their election
returns according to law The law specifies
Just when these returns must be made to
the state board and there Is penalty at
tached unless that law is complied with.
The counties which have not yet sent
in returns are the following Boyd, Doug
las Fillmore, Furnas, Holt, Hooker, Nc
Phers on, Nance and Scott's Bluff, 1t was
II ported unofflcially that Dous rs had
sent down its returns Saturday, but the
package failed to get to the secretary of
state that day. OF the others, six have
sent in the original returns, but failed to
send in duplicates, SO they cannot be
opened until the State Canyassing board
I ge,s together next Tuesday,.
This win cause a delay, because the to-
tails cannot be made until all the counties
are in and these counties which have not
| sent in duplicates cannot be tabulated un-
III Tuesday The state has notified the
other counties to get in their returns, but
no one knows whether they will be here
Tuesday. So the state may do some prose-
cutting or send a messenger after the re-
turns at the expense of the derelict county.
Adna DObsOn's Pass.
When the State Railway commission gets
over it's present rush OF work 1t may find
time to investigate the acceptance Of a
pass by City Engineer Adna Dobson of
Lincoln from the Burlington to make a
trip to the west end OF the state. The
railway commission has interpreted the
law to msan that persons eligible to re-
E,-
of their time to working for railroad
company or members of their immediate
families dependent upon them. AS Mr.
Dobson is city engineer Of Lincoln. the
commission has not yet been able to fig
urge just how he could be devoting a ma
joT portion of his time to the business
of the Burlington railroad, The fact thai
the pass was given to Mr.. Dobson was
shown in the report of the railroad to the
commission.
Normal board Case.
Probably no case pending before the su.
preme court has had as many predictions
made abou. 1t as has the normal board
oaSo wherein the legality of a law Great
ing a new normal board enacted by the
late Il gislature is al stake.
AS early last September 1t was pre-
dicted by many that the case would b'
decided by october II, and that date wa
fixed by the new board to inspect tn,
claims Of several towns which asplred L
be the home of the new normal school
, for which an appropriation was made by
the late legislature. But the decision die
not come down and neither has it beer
filed with the clerk of the court at th
time.
At first the tips which several parties
claimed to have were only regarding tn,
, time the opinion would be filed, but a few
weeks ago PARTIES claimed to have tip
on the decision itself One day the til
was the law would be upheld and the mex
report which started was to the effect tina
the law would be declared unconstltu
tional.
In the meantime every day this weel
there have been anxious inquiries from
either members of the two normal boards
or from those interested regarding the de
cision and now the hunch is that it vii
come down Monday.
The decision is more important thar
merely saying which board is legal.
will permit the auditor to issue warrant
for many outstanding bills and for salarle
to teachers and employees, which have beei
held up since the new board came int
existence
Auditor Barton refused to honor voucher
from either board because there was
doubt Of the constitutionality Of them both
The Wayne Normal school cannot b
bought until the case Is decided and neithe
can the new normal school be located 0
the buildings at Peru and Kearney be con
structed. Consequently a lot Of peopl
have been very much interested, not $
J much in the outcome Of the legality OF tn
law, as to the time the case would be de
cided.
Lincoln Charter Again.
The city OF Lincoln intends 10 be pre-
1 pared with a new charter for the considers
tion Of the next legislature and 10 that en-
! the mayor has already appointed a con
3 mittee TO draft the instrument The con
/ mittee Is to get busy at once. When Il ha
3 completed its work then the people wi
p have ample time TO discuss the measuI
and reject or accept It before the legisll