Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-01-25
Nebraska
BILL FOR REVISION
OPCONSTTTUTTON UP
Measure Providing for Voting in
1915 on Calling Convention to
Amend Organic Law.
SHORT BALLOT IS THING SOUGHT
CFrof a staff correspondent.J

Frof a staff Correspondent.)
LINCOLN, Jan. a.-(special) = The
coming week Of the Nebraska legislature
will see bills introduced and considered
OF Importance to the state at large,
probably the most important being the
consideration 1 nthe house Of bill to
call a constitutional convention.
This bill will provide that at the cleo
ton in 1916 the matter Of calling a con-
stitutional convention will be submitted.
The purpose Of the convention IL not 10
make an entire revision Of the constitu-
tion. but to submit 70 the voters certain
sections. which win be revised and af-
forwards submitted to the voters.
who Are hacking Bill.
The bill is the work Of Norton Of Polk
and Stebbins Of Dawson, dempcrat and
republican. respectively, and proposes.
among other things. to make a majority
of all votes cast for and against a con-
stitutionai amendment carry the propo-
pition instead of majority of votes
cast at the election. The promoters be-
lieve that the man who goes to the polls
and votes neither way on a proposition
should not be counted against Il any
more than the man who does not go to
the polls at all
The short. ballot idea IL one of the
things which win be reached. n the bill
becomes a law. the objective point be-
ing to cut out the election Of most OF
the state officers. The recall is made
D part OF the measure.
Land Titles Measure.
The Torrens system OF land titles will
be q bill introduced in the house this
week probably by several members
Jointly. This. or a similar bill. has al
ready bee nintroduced- In the senate by
Shumway of Dixon. so II appears that
the economy program Of the house. which
was intended to do away with the dupli-
cation of bills 1 none branch introduced
in the other. will not be put in effect.
The bill Is very long one. covering
many pages. and the cost OF duplication
will be considerable.
Another matter which will be decided
will be the Kelley-Fultz contest from Me-
maha county. Much will depend upon
the result of the recount of the votes by
the committee, which will start Monday
night. Fults. republican. has a major
ity over Kelley, democrat. Of five votes
to start with.
Bone OF contention
The bone of contention was the bull
moose votes cast for Fults. which the
committee. at it's meeting last week. de-
cided by vote of to 2 he had a right
to. Therefore. thre decision OF the cleo
lions committee to recount the votes is
in Kelley's favor, for. as he l sthe de
feated candidate. he has nothing to lose
and something TO gain by the counting.
An error in the count of only three votes
would put Fults out of 1t and Kelley
in. But there is an even chance. how
ever, that an error the other way might
give Fults stronger hold.
Over in the senate 1t is expected that
the appointment of a successor to Judge
Holcomb as q member Of the board OF
control, will come up. II is expected
that the governor will send In the name
of Judge Holcomb and It will be up to |
the senate to. reject or confirm, as they
may see fit, the law requiring that APP
pointments to the board OF control shall
be made by the governor and confirmed
by the senate.
Matter OF COnfirmation.
At the last session Governor Morehead
sent in the names of three men for con- |
firmatlon, and in executive session they
we're all turned down. Later he sent In
the names of the present members and
they were confirmed. There is a rumor
that similar condition may exist when
the name of Holcomb is proposed. but
no one at this time cares TO take the
Head in any movement against the con-
firmation Of the judge to succeed him
self
Another natter which. viii have to be
adjusted Is the one Of appropriations to
pay the members and employees. So far
the senatel has failed to conform to the
ideas fthe house and when the changed
appropriation bill goes back to the house
& may meet with some opposition.