Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-02-05
HOWELL WILL NOT
WITHDRAW HIS BILL
Many Organizations Repre-
sented When Proposed School
Laws Are Considered.
SENTIMENT AGAINST BILL

Senator Ed Howell was the prin
cipal character under FIRE for three
hours following a luncheon at the
Commercial club rooms Saturday
noon. when the pending bills provid.
ing for the Omaha Board OF Educa.
ton representation by wards was dis.
cussed.
The meeting was called by the
Commercial club, and besides the
club the Omaha Real Estate board
the municipal officers, the school
board members, the Women's club
the suffrage societies and the Wom-
ems Christian Temperance union and
other organizations were represented.
Then sentiment was all against the
bills, but Howell stood we'll under
fire and argued for his bills. Sem
ators Howell, Moriarty and Strehlow
were present. Senator Howell is the
man who introduced the bill in the
senate. Senator Howell charged that
the persons at the meeting did not
know the facts about the bill thew
were attempting to criticize. 1t has
been charged that outsiders had pre-
pared the bill and that the real att
thorship Of the bill was being kept
hidden.
Sponsor for the Bill.
u stand here sponsor for the BILL"
said Senator Howell. when | sign
a bill become the author of it, and
| am here to defend it to the best of
my ability. You stand here and tell
the people that this bill puts us back
to the ward system OF election OF
school board members. 1t does moth
ing of the kind. There is not a word
in the bill that provides for that. 1t
provides the members OF the board
shall be nominated at large and
elected at large. 1t merely provides
that those elected shall be residents
Of the various wards"
Senator Howell was brought TO the
floor largely by the speech of Robert
Cowcll, member OF the Omaha Board
OF Education, who challenged the men
who introduced the bills to get up
and defend them.
+. A. Brogan believed it would be
better to let the matter 60 for two
years, since the bill was not to 20 into
effect until the expiration of the terms
of the present board, and then bring
It up, in the meantime giving the pub
lie an opportunity to study the argu-
ments for and against it. Mr.. Howell
admitted that this might be worth
while considering.
Calls for Signatures.
Mrs. J. II. Dumont called the SEN
ator's attention to provision reuuir-
ing candidates for the board to have
petitions for their candidacy with $50
signatures. Senator Howell said he
did not know that provision was in
the bill, but" he said, 1T is a good
provision" .
F. A. Brogan rose to say he had
definite information that f, Holovt-
chiner, former member OF the board,
had prepared the bill Whose hands
the bill then went through before it
reached the senator | am not prepared
10 state" said Mr.. Brogan.
Howell again maintained he was
The author Of the bill, and when
asked il he wrote it. said. mo, sir, |
never wrote bill myself in my life.
take them to the legislative refer
nee bureau, where give them my
IDEAS, and where they are prepared
o draft such bills properly"
Would it be improper to ask you,"
laid Robert Cowell, whether you did
hat in this casei"
mo, sir, ! did not" replied the
Senator Moriarty said he had the
ill in his possession for a week after
was introduced and that during that
ime he never got one protest from
omaha, by letter, telephone or per-
onal visit.
Senator Strehlow said he believed
senator Howell could be prevailed
pon to withdraw the bill. Howell,
owever, declared that he would with
raw nothing under fire and that he
must first be convinced that the bill
] wrong.
1t was arranged that the meeting
hould be continued next Saturday,
,hen the senators will again be in
omaha.