Omaha daily bee., 1915-10-11
REED BELIEVES
STATE WILL WIN
Attorney General Says He Thinks
Good Case Has Been Made on
Passenger Rates.
BETTER THAN FREIGHT CASE
tFrom a SAD correspondent.l }

(From Staff Correspondent
LINCOLN, oct. 10.-(Special)-'It will
cost the people Of Nebraska more than
2,0OOO0O annually II the railroads make
their case before the Interstate Commerce
commission in Washington TO advance
Interstate rates from cents to 2jS cents
mile" Attorney General Willis E. Reed
said last night. upon his return from the
national capital. where he presented ar
guments in the case.
Nebraskans would suffer. he points out
since the railroads if.they win the case.
would unite forces in the present case Of
the Missouri Pacific in the federal court
to have the state rate declared uncon-
stitptional as has been recently done be-
fore the supreme court in the West Vir-
ginia case.
MIR. Reed is confident the railroads viii
lose. The showing which they made was
not nearly so Impressive as in the freight
rate case, he thouglA and their victory
was only about one-third on cession.
The attorney general confined his argu-
ment TO a just apportionment of the
operating expenses Of the passenger and
freight departments. and pointed out
where the railroads erred in using the
engine ton formula. He at the same time
pointed out that railroads making just
profit in Nebraska. to raise their rates on
the passenger service must reduce them
on freight
Sweet Holds Important Place.
The attorney generals office yesterday
received from the State department In
Washington printed copies of the diplo-
matte correspondence with European
countries of the last two months. which
was directed to and Transcribed by L. c.
Sweet, Nebraska boy. who has been
confidential secretary to both w. J.
Bryan and Secretary of State Lansing.
The documents have to do with the
blockade measures. the sinking of the
Nebraska, Frye and the Falaba up to
and including the dismissal Of Ambassa-
dor Duma of Austria-Hungary.
The papers were not only dictated to
Mr. Sweet, but replies came to him In
code form and he is the only one at the
national capitol possessed of the secret
of the translation of them.
Sweet was a former resident of Atkin-
son, Neb., and was graduated from a
business college In Omaha and served
in the law office OF Attorney General
ANCCu AOE GlA NtdIE. ne lheH W
Lincoln and served with the strong law
firm of Hainer & Craft here and when
Mr. Bryan was made secretary of state
was taken to Washington. He was
strongly recommended to Secretary Lam
sing when Mr.. Bryan retired.
BecIkmann Returns.
s-L,and sGomnissioner Beokmann re-
turned yesterday from 1.9co-mile trip
over the southern and western sections
of Nebraska. where he was inspecting
school lands in seven counties. Corn in
southeastern Nebraska was practically
out OF the way when the frost came.
Mr.. Beckmann said. but north and west
of Custer county 1t has been damaged
slightly. Mr.. Beckmann found several
tracts OF land belonging to the state.
which were greatly undervalued. and he
will ask the state board to raise the
appraisements
Order to show Cause.
The Nebraska Railway commission has
notified all Nebraska railroads to show
cause why Glass b rates on order No. 10
should not apply to emigrants' movables.
now charged at commodity rates, which
are considerably higher than Class 3
tariff schedules. The hearing is set for
October 20. the same date the commits
sion will beside on the reclassification of
twenty items of produce before the com
mission.
Phone Complaint Put Off.
Hearing on the complaint of the Lin
coin Telephone and Telegraph company
against tho Continental Gas and Electric
company transmission lines from Hamp-
ton to York has been postponed. II Is
understood that the Lincoln company
has withdrawn it's objection to the
transmission line, which was brought
under the new state law passed by the
last legislature.