Omaha daily bee., 1915-04-01
SENATE REJECTS
LIGHT BILL CHANGE
house Amendment Providing the
Method for Purchase Of Plant
il Voted Down, IS to Is.
SAUNDERS NAMES CoNFEREEs
tFrom a staff Correspondent

CFrom a staff Correspondent
LINCOLN. March 31.-(special)
Discussion Of s. F. 6. the bill 20
allow the Omaha Water board to en-
ter the electric light business drew
good gallery and lobby rail crowd
this morning. The senate refused to
concur in the house amendment pro-
viding for appraisal Of the Omaha
Electric Light plant and purchase by
the city. The bill was sent to con-
ference.
Chairman w. II. Thompson Of the
democratic state committee came in
for another. bit of free advertising at
the hands Of his comrades. being |
charged with being present and as
sisting in trying to influence legisla-
ton. Senator Howell said he had no
right 10 do so as a democrat and to
emphasize his feelings In the matter
pounded his desk fiercely several
times.
Arthur Mullen also received a
sufficiently large amount of adSer-
tisIng TO keep him in the limelight
for time.
Amendments Unfair.
NlalIery, who had formerly been for the
bill in It's original form, was against the
amendments and said they were unfair.
lie admitted that nc had consulted the
lighting company and had received
enough insight into the matter 70 con-
vince him that the amendments were
utterly unfair to the company. Cor
porassons have their srights.'' said sena-
tor MaIlcry. eand are entitled 60 fair
treatment The same az an individual, but
this amendment n unfair"
Kohl did not like the idea OF palming
off such bill in the gulso OF municipal
ownership and in this ne was backed
by Mates. who said that the bill was
being paraded as a municipal ownership
bllI when u was not municipal ownership.
lie objected 60 democrats attempting 10
brand Il as a democratic idea or connect
ing Il In any way with the democratic
principal Of municipal ownership.
Howell lauded the democratic party as
the real friend OF The people and the
republican party as the corporation party
committee IL rriendIy.
The conference committee finally named
10 friendly to the bill. ccusistlng OF saun-
ders Of Douglas. lie authors Mallery OF
Box Butte and Beai OF Custer. Saunders
himself, was allowed 10 name thia COM
mitsee after O hard fight on the part OF
the opponents OF the amendment, led by
Mates OF Otoe, 20 name a committee
that the friends OF he amendment deemed
hostile 10 H.
Tho amendment allows the Omaha
Water board 20 go into the electric light
business only after an appraisal OF the
existing privately owned ciectric light
plant and purchase approved ny the
icople OF this plant, the appraisers 10 all
low nothing for franchise value
Mates objection.
The chief objection urged by Mates ana
practically an who opposed the house
amendment was that only sixty days was
allowed for the appraisal q period so
short "a TO DO practically impossible.
rhey also urged that II was just as
reasonable TO appoint a conference COM
mlttoo opposed 10 the amendment aa 10
appoint a conference committee consisting
~ ne friends
The democrats resented the charges
made BY Dodge and ouinby that Thomp-
son was lobbying for en- chill. Wilson of
Dodge and Robertson OF Holt both stated
that Thompson he'd been In the chamber
but that hts business there concerned the
proposed adoption OF tho Alt ana Dixon
survey. an entirely different matter.
Doaee Makes charge.
Dodge then made ihe assertion, al
though he spoke with certain quailflea
ilons and some degree o. admitted un
certainty that Thompson had hcen re-
taincd as attorney for the electric ligh
company.
After AIsilerys amendment TO appoin
friendly committee for conference ha.
carried. The vote was then taken OF
the main proposition OF concurrence.
motion not 20 concur carried by u vot
n eighteen 10 fifteen. The vote was:
Ayes tagainst the amendment
thurman Mates
Gates Piller
Grace Ruben
Henry spencer
Kohl Spirk
Krumbach Weesner
Lahners Wilson Of Dodge
Mallory Wilson OF Frontier
Marshall Wink
Nays flor the amendmentl--
Eeai Howell
Bedford fSiechel
Brockley Qulnby
BuEhee Robertson
ByRland Sandal
Dodge saunders
D0uthett SUBWAY
Republicans Plan to
TIL ns