Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-02-13
Nebraska
HOUSE TACKLES
FOUR-YEAR TERM
Members Pay Little Attention
to Holiday, But Discuss
This Measure.
CLOSE CALL AT FINISH
(From a Staff Correspondent

tfrOm StaIl Corresponuent''
Lincoln, Feb. 12-(Special.) MAX
ing laws and then failing to observe
them, thus setting a good example
for the present and future generations,
appears to be the forte of the pres
cnt legislature, or at least the lower
branch for while Abraham Lincolns
birthday today is being observed all
over the state and all over the coun-
try, the house of representatives con-
tinued in session and paid little at
tention to the day as far as observ
ing it by taking a vacation out of
respect to the memory OF the Emanci-
pdtor.
The house took a whirl at few
bills in committee 70 the whole,
among them being one to limit ap-
peals in cases involving less than
$500 to the supreme court Flans-
burg of Lancaster made a heroic at
tempt to save the bill, but the house
looked at it otherwise and it was
killed.
Four Year Terms.
The bill regarding four-year terms
for county officers was discussed
without coming to final conclusion.
Mr.. Murtey objected to including
shcriffs in the bill for fear that IF
we got a bad one We would have
him too long" Mr.. White wanted
to cut the county attorney out alto
gcther in certain counties of smaller
population, but Mr.. Norton said that
under prohibition every county would
need county attorney.
Peterson of Lancaster managed to
get an amendment through, giving
the county treasurer two terms OF
four year each. Good wanted the
terms OF officials limited to one term
of four years, but before the thing
was settled the matter was laid over.
People crossing land must shut
gates they open in all cases, except
where the gates open on to railway
right -oi-way. In cases where the
gates are used to get from one part
OF farm to another, which rail
road has split up, it is not necessary
10 shut the gate.
Refer to Lincoln.
Right at this time Mr.. Neff discov-
cred that Abraham Lincoln had a
birthday and that today was the an
niversary, so he read a portion of Mr..
Lincoln's Gettysburg'h address, which
the house adopted by a rising vote
and then quietly resumed their seats.
Coming back. from lunch the men,
bers again assailed the four-year
term for county officers and the Good
amendment to limit officers to two
terms was again discussed. Fries.
Neff, Peterson, Greenwalt, Taylor and
several others opposed the motion,
stating that if an officer had been eff
fiicient and the people of his county
wanted to continue him in Office they
should have the right to do so.
Good and others favored the amend
ment because under the present sys-
TEN it was easy for the officer to build
up a machine and perpetuate himself
in office. The Good amendment was
defeated and the original bill went to
"a roll call on a motion by Good to
in definitely postpone The motion
failed to carry and the bill was saved
by vote of 40 to So.
School Book Commission.
Creation of a state school book
commission, with a secretary draw
ing $4,000 a year annual salary as its
principal officer, with a view to hav-
ing the state of Nebraska print text
books for all of its public schools or
contract for their publication on
royalty basis is the departure pro-
posed in a bill by Representative
Auten, now before the house commit
tee on education.
1t carries an appropriation Of $l34,-
800, but Representative Taylor is pro-
posing to have that amount included
in his ST 900, 0O0-a-year special state
levy for support of rural schools, and
that may be done Mr.. Taylor is only
TOO glad to do this, as he figures it
will help in the passage Of his own
bill
The commission, under the terms of
this contemplated enactment, would
have power to purchase copyrights
and to buy the product of text book
compiers. After that was done it
could have the books printed and Sup
piled to school boards at cost, as IS
done in Kansas and some other states.
Uniformity in Books.
One point in favor OF the scheme,
as its friends point out, is that this
would bring uniformity of text books
in the state. The appropriation is
divided as follows: For printing
plant, 100000; operating fund, $25,-
600; postage and miscellaneous ex-
pense, $500; salary of secretary,
$4,000.
Mr. Auten is also the author of
bill providing that the state shall buy
structural iron and heavy timbers for
constructing bridges in all counties,
so as to get the benefit of low prices
which comes from purchasing in large
quantities.