Omaha daily bee., 1915-08-12
Nebraska
KEARNEY'S PHONE
COMPANIES MERGE
State Railway Commission Issues an
Order Compelling Two Firms
to Consolidate.
REED WILL BE WHOLE WORKS
tFrom a staff Consequently


(From a staff Correspondent
LINCOLN. Aug. II. - Especially - The
State Railway commission today issued an
order on the complaint of w. J. Scout
and e, d. Gould Of Kearney. who opposed
the continuation Of the present duplica-
ton in telephone systems IN that city,
and held that the two companies. tho
Nebraska company with 500 phones and
the Kearney company with 1.45o. should
merge into one company and do away
with the $50 Implications now existing.
Both companies have signified a will
lingness to sell at any fair price. but the
local company said that their finances
were such that they could not purchase
the Nebraska oompany's phones. so the
order Of the commission is for the Ne
braska company to buy the business OF
the Kearney Telephone company.
Some problems had to be met by the
commission. the most important being
the rule OF the National Telephone asso-.
citation that one company should not p1y
the property of a competing company.
However. the commission has ruled that
the rules Of The association permit con-
solidation whenever 1t is for the best
dered the consolidation.
The Nebraska company must report
within forty days to the commission the
result OF the consolidation.
Testing All oils.
James G. p. Hildebrand inspector In the
oil department OF the state, is IN Free
mont this week In attendance at the
tractor meet. where he is supervising and
testing all oils used by tho tractors This
is done In order that in the tractor con-
tests the same grade Of oil may be used IN
all machines.
No Outsiders stand Chance.
Attorney General Reed proposes to be
the whole show in Nebraska when It
comes to prosecutions. a representative
of one of the departments called on the
attorney general this morning with tears
in his eyes, and with trembling voice be-
sought the legal luminary Of the state to
allow his department to hire a lawyer in
a prosecution which they desire very
much to win, and which they doubted the
ability OF the county attorney to handle.
AS he did not ask for a representative
from the states legal department to pros
ecute, it is inferred that none OF those
were considered capable Of handling the
job successfully. However. he was
promptly and very firmly informed by
Mr.. Reed that the state department of
legal lights would handle the case IL the
county attorney was not capable. and
that under no circumstances would lie
allow any outsider to butt in on tine
prosecuting business.
Figure on Cattle show.
r. r. Danielson of Osceola. superin-
tendent of Glass b of the state fair ex-
hibits. being the cattle exhibit. is at the
state house this morning to begin his
work in connection with the 1915 Ne
braska. exposition. Mr.. Danielson Is fear
full that because of the cattle disease,
which has made so much trouble through
out the state. the cattle exhibit will not
come up to former years. Secretary Mel
lor, however, is more hopeful and a week
ago issued a statement that the exhibit
of cattle would be up to the standard.
In any event the fair will have Desert
joe" the trotting ostrich. and 1t is said
that he can go some even IL the cattle
exhibit does not. So, what's the differ
ence?
Near Beer Prosecution.
Nebraska's official flower. the golden
rod is getting a lot of publicity from
the pure food department. the latest being
the prosecution of Magnus Sjohlom OF
Dannebrog for selling a lot Of Golden
rod" near beer. This beer comes to the
office of the food commission quite reg
ularly from towns that have gone dry
and goldenrod has become a very popu-
lar flower in these places. The beer Is
showing a good test, some of the samples
showing a stronger percentage of alcohol
than the regular brands Of beer. SJohlom
pleaded guilty to the charge and paid
fine OF SO and costs, the whole amount
ing to $3.50.