Omaha daily bee., 1919-10-17
HOUSE PASSES
POLICE BILL IN
AMENDED FORM
Chief Given Authority to
Discharge Men Found In
efficient-Salaries Are
Regulated.
,Centinued From Page One,

Regulated.
CONTINUED From Page one.>
ernor has specified laws dealing with
the control of the police depart
ment of Omaha and therefore any
amendment covering the matter OF
control of the police department
was in order.
Must Give Remedy.
In speaking on the amendment,
Representative Jenison said that the
legislature would not be doing its
duty to the city of Omaha and to
the people of the state of Nebraska
if it gave the people of Douglas
county the right to rebuild their
court house and then took no action
which would remedy the conditions
surrounding the city of Omaha.
1--WE are facing a condition and
not a theory" said the Clay county
man. Il have always been an favor
of home rule, but we are facing
condition which demands immediate
action. Everybody in the state
knows of the conditions which exist
in Omaha. That city has a large
class of good people, but it also has
a class which are the most corrupt
of any city in the country. The
present force of police contains a
large number who were in the en-
ploy of the police department back
in the days when things were long
way from being what they should
have been. At the last election the
good people of that city secured
control of the city, and when they
can elect as good man as Ed P.
Smith for mayor it is showing
condition for the best, and this leg
islature ought to send Mayor Smith
word that we are with him. But
ever since that election certain ele-
ments have been trying to discredit
the police department and the city
commission, and this legislature, by
adopting this amendment, can give
the commission authority to regu-
late the police force"
Fear Court Action.
Druesedow was opposed to the
amendment He feared that its pas
sage would invalidate the whole bill
because there was nothing specified
in the call of the governor regard
ing the matter.
Byrum of Franklin moved to take
a recess of half an hour and that the
matter be laid before the attorney
general and he be asked to render
an opinion.
Hardin of Harlan did not want
to take any action that would put
the matter up to the courts. you
know now slow the supreme court
would go unler influence from
OMAHA" said he.
Foscer OF Douglas did not want
to take any chance. Good of Ne
inaha thought il foolish for the leg
1slature to put the matter up to the
attorney general. There are sew
eral mighty good lawyers right here
in the legislature and | think their
opinion is worth taking" he said.
Barton Green of Lancaster said
that tine legislature should give
Omaha the legislation it needed to
bring about the conditions it wanted
and the amendment would do that
thing.
Opinions Differ.
Berka of Douglas said that the
proposition was a good one, but that
the legislature should 60 slow and
not spoil everything by taking any
action which would make the bill |
stitutional.
There appeared to be a strong
feeling among great number of
the members that it would be fool !
ish to give Omaha the right to go
outside TO secure chief of police
and then allow him to be tied up by
the law in its present form so he
could not FIRE incompetent and dis
honest officers under him if they de-
served it, They contend that if the
bill goes through as it is all the
advantage it creates would be to
raise the salaries of the present po-
lice force, which would include those
who failed to do their duty as we'll
as those who had endeavored to do
the right thing. According to an
Omaha man the new law will give
Omaha the right to hire about 100
rev policemen, but no authority to
fire the incompetents. and so there
would be little gained with such a
condition existing, for with part of
the force incompetent and perhaps
dishonest. the efficiency of the entire
department would be endangered.
Amendment is Passed.
When the house reconvened in the
afternoon action on the amendment
of Jenison was asked for without
waiting for the opinion of the attor-
ney general. The discussion COW
cred about the same points as that
OF the morning discussion and 80
minutes before the attorney general
was supposed to make his report
roll call was taken and by vote of
80 to 0 the resolution was unani-
mously adopted.
Opposes League Plan.
A resolution was sent up to the