Omaha daily bee., 1917-02-16
TWAS A ROUGH DAY
FOR OLD DOUGLAS
Demo Political Machine Cap
lures First Line Trench
and Plants Mine.
THEN STARTS BACKFIRE
tFrom a staff Correspondent,

Lincoln, Feb. l5.-(Special}-lt
was party line matter in the house
today when the Shannon bill, aimed to
pcrpetuate democratic control OF the
Douglas county political lunch-coun-
ter came up, and by vote OF 50
TO IS, the bill, House Roll No. 202,
was placed on third reading.
As Peterson. floor leader OF the re-
publican minority, said: THE purpose
Of the bill is to take care of political
machine in Omaha" However, in the
face OF great odds, the republicans put
up stiff fight, and although two
democrats, Olson OF Harlan and Wait
OF Lancaster, voted with the minority,
the latter lost out"
The bill removes the county Judge
from the board which, with the coun-
ty commissioners, gives out the coun-
~ jobs, and puts the county attorney
on the board instead, thus insuring
places for the democratic jobless and
sending republicans back to earning
an honest living.
Democrats admit that it was po-
litical game, pure and simple, and APP
pear TO be well pleased with the re-
suli.
Swat Jerry Howard.
Jerry Howard got another swat in
the house when his eight-hour-a-day
Tor female workers bill was sent to
the legislative scrapheap. Regan OF
Platte was the busy toiler in the de-
feat OF the bill Although Regain and
Howard both came from the isle
where the shamrock and the shelalah
thrive. they never seem to be SUI
prcmely happy unless they are oppos-
ing each other. Rcgan said that he
knew telephone company where they
required the girl who attended to the
phone during the day to sleep near
the exchange in the night and answer
what few calls might come. 1t was
no hardship upon her and gave her a
chance to make good wages. If she
had to hire someone to help her
neither one would be we'll paid for
their work. He did not think that the
small telephone exchanges could al
ford to take on the extra expense.
Registers Raise Fades.
Hopkins Of Douglas moved to post
pone indefinitely a bill OF his own,
House Roll No. 2l6, raising salaries OF
registers OF deeds and their deputies.
Hopkins had discovered that there
was a scheme on foot to murder his
bill and in reality the waylaying had
already been accomplished when he
moved to postpone. Amendments had
been inserted in the bill reducing the
proposed salaries to what the present
law provides, $500 for the register
and $l,S00 for the deputy and $50 a
month for assistants, The Hopkins
motion was carried unanimously
amidst laughter.
An amendment proposed by the
fees and salaries committee cutting
the fee for adoption papers from IS to
50 was agreed to. Fults compli-
mented member of the Douglas
county delegation for proposing to cni
out this fee altogether, but said that
such action might be unconstitutional
and for that reason il had been de-
cided to retain a 81 fee.
"This bill is for the protection oil
little children who have no homes
said the Furnas member. I'VE have
taken care Of the poor old landlords;
now let's do something for the or.
phans."
And the house did by sending the
bill as amended to third reading
Whaek at Bob Smith.
Representative Shannons bill &c
make Bob Smith, clerk Of the district
court in Douglas county, turn ovel
his naturalization fees to the count,
treasurer. instead of putting them into
his pocket, was advanced to the thirt
reading calendar 1t is an amendment
to the law fixing salaries and fees o
district court clerks in all counties
but as there are few naturalization,
outside OF Lincoln and Omaha the ef
feet will be small on officials else
where.
Mr.. Dalbey offered an amendmcn
10 take care Of Gage county, as L
salary and fees, on the present basi
after it passes the 10000 population
mark, which he said it will do soon
Favorable Action.
The committee of the whole als'
took favorable action on these bills
II. r. sas--ciaasing catfish as a gam
II. r. sss--Ffxfns both fine and imprison
ment as penalties for violating game an
II. n. si--Authoristng county board i
saunderx county and elsewhere to use count