Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-09-02
Nebraska
SPECIAL SESSION
is NOT PROBABLE
Democrats Are Thinking Up Some
Other Way { oAvoid Difficulty
Confronting Them.
MAY USE THE FEES
(From q staff Correspondent.)

y starr correspondent
LINCOLN. Sept 1.--(Special) There
win probably be no special session Of the
legislature to correct failures Of the last
democratic session, according to the sem
timent which appears to prevail at the
state house. At first the politicians who
have the state business in their hands
favored the move. but when someone
suggested that the calling Of a special
session would be an admission the last
session was incompetent to handle the
affairs of the state. then the stuff was
off.
II was limited today that way to
avoid the difficulties had been agreed on,
but publicity of the plan will not be given
out until later.
There are several ways to get around
the edict of State Treasurer Hall that he
will not pay warrants OF the pure food
and other department. where a specific
appropriation has not been made by the
legislature.
What Might he Done.
State Treasurer Hall might reverse HIM
self. admit his ~tand was wrong and pay
thu warrants, which he is not likely
to do.
state treasurer compelling him to pay
the warrants might be started.
Food Commissioner Hartman might use
the fees OF his office to pay expenses
and then turn what Is left over to the
treasurer. This would be in direct con-
flict of the provisions OF the Gerdes law.
a democratic law. which specifically pro-
vides that the fees of the departments
III -.
urer. The statutes very plainly recite
Said fees shall in each case be paid
into the treasury of the state and be
credited to the general fund as provided
by law. in advance of the issuance OF
any permit"
1t has been suggested that the food
commissioner could withhold fees suf-
ficient to pay salaries OF the department
and expenses of inspectors. but how he is
TO do so in face of the very plain pro-
vision of the law which prohibits even
permits to be issued before the money
is paid into the state treasury is hard to
determine.
Each officer Goes IL Alone.
Under present conditions It would seem
that every state officer and the head of
every department must be a law unto
himself. The opinion of the legal de-
partment of the state are only put in
force when they come within the opin-
ion of the official and the state must
acquiesce.
No greater picture of democratic in
competency or inefficiency has ever been
drawn than the one now before the peo-
pie being painted at the state house by
democratic officials, each a law unto
himself. paying about as much attention
to the laws upon the statutes as II they
had never been drawn and exhibit
ing q public example that even the laws
passed by themselves are recognized as
incapable OF being followed IL the busi-
ness interests of the state are to be taken
care of.
It is q comical situation, were 1t not so
serious to the state. Afraid to call q
special session Of the legislature because
1t would be an admission of democratic
lncompetency, they may prefer to break
the laws made by themselves, simply
because they are looking more to demo-
cratic perpetuity in office than to the
needs of the people. They are also con-
fronted with the problem that II spe-
cial session should be called the same
members who were incompetent to run
things at the regular session may not
have ability enough to fix up things at
the special session. The democratic adj
ministration appears to be In the posi-
ton of O man afraid to go home in the
da