Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-14
Nebraska
WILLIAMS CLEAN BILL USED
Burlington Springs it in Case Where
Fire Damages Are Urged.
NORMAL BOARD WAR BEGINS
Auditor win Refuse to Recognise
Vouchers Of Meuabers Of New
BODY ana Litigation
starts.
oFrom a staff correspondent.l

LINCOLN, April 13.-(special.)-The Bur
iington railroad this morning. through its
general manager, @. w. Holdrese. took
refuge behind a report made by j. A.
Williams, ex-raiiway commissioners, when
complaint was made by Desta e. Neon
nell Of damage to her property by reason
OF a bad crossing OF the railroad.
The complaint Of Mrs. Mcconnell was
sent by the railway commission to the
Burlington for some action. This morn
ing Mr.. Holdrege returned to the commits
sion a copy Of an injunction secured by the
Burlington against John Mcconnell, whom
Mr.. Holdrege said he supposed was the
husband OF Mrs. Desta Mcconnell, TO pre-
vent him from destroying the railroad
property and he also returned a report
made by Judge Williams of his investiga-
lion OF the Mcconnell report against the
Burlington.
In this report Mr.. Williams gave the
Burlington a clean bill. He said he had
carefully investigated the complaint Of Nc
Council OF numerous fires started by the
engines of the Burlington, but the fires
complained Of, the report said. did not
damage the property Of Mcconnell. Fur
Their, the report said, Mcconnell had re-
fused TO permit the railroad to burn a fire
guard on his land which abutted the right
Of way of the railroad and this Judge
Williams held was necessary to prevent
the fires II the railroads continued to use
Goa N their engines.
The report Of Judge Williams said fur
Their that when the commissioner reached
tne Mcconnell property and met the owner
& discuss his complaint Mcconnell began to
~, .,,J onto, b,., Aona,,go "a. or,r.ss-
son had given him no relief. when as a
l. alter of fact the commission had done all
{. Goa Z. do and the railroad had done its
best to prevent fires. The request of the
IA l-ced TO burn a fire guard on the
property Of the individuals which Joined
the railroads right-of-wsy. Judge Will
liams said, was not. thought unreasonable
ly McConnell's neighbors. The Mcconnell
family lives near Somerset and the COM
plaint of the head Of the house was in
vestisated by Judge Williams last october.
Chance to Test New Law.
An opportunity is at hand to test the
validity Of the act of the late legislature
TO charge 500 for listing with the secretary
OF state the resident agent of foreign cor
poratlons. Heretofore this charge has been
nominal, 30 cents, but the late legislature
Increased the fee TO $50. So far one corpora
ton has paid the Increased fee.
This morning an electrical company Of
Omaha sent down the name of its agent,
who takes the place of its retiring agent,
and the company failed to send the neces-
sary $50 fee. The company has been noti-
fled OF the change in the law and the list
ing OF its new agent is held up pending
tie receipt of the $50.
Law includes street Lines.
If the street railways of Omaha and
Lincoln have an1idea that Senator Ransom
saved them from the operations of the
physical valuation bill when he saved the
banoc OF the stock yards. they have an
other guess coming. Under a ruling OF
the State Railway commission the bill APP
plies to street railways. The commission
bases it's construction on this section;
'Sec. .. The term public-service corpora
tioon when used in this act shall mean
and embrace every railroad, railway. tele-
graph, express. telephone and the railroad
transportation property Of stock yard
companies"
The commission today mailed out to q
number of prominent engineers In various
parts OF the country copies of the law
and invited them to make suggestions re-
garding the enforcement and also to sub
init prOpOSltlonS 10 Allenu 10 the Work
under Its provisions. In its statement to
the engineers he commission said the law
referred to street railway companies. The
general impression prevailed around the
legislature that street railways ha6 not
been included in the bill.
Normal Board Fight On.
The warriors are on the ground for the
battle over the control of the state
normal schools. Colonel Majors OF the
new board created by the democratic leg
~islature and DR.. shellhorn of the same
city. a member of the old board, held a
conference with the attorney general. the
state auditor and the state treasurer 20
day and he has decided his line of action.
The entire matter will be placed up to
the state auditor. When the new board
meets tomorrow and organizes and then
presents to the state auditor the voucn-
ers for expenses OF the members. The au-
ditor Will refuse to issue the warrants.
He will hold that lie 10 undecided whether
the members of the new board are entitled
TO the money. So this will tie up matters
until someone brings suit against the au-
ditor to force him to issue the warrant.