The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-09-26

Jail
Feed Bill.
The Omaha Bees Campaign
to End Douglas County
Scandal Fought at Last
Legislature.
Endres Predicted Riots

Four members of the Douglas voun-
Sheriff Endres, precipitated defeat
Of a senate bill last winter which
would have ended the Jail feeding sys-
tenn that caused Sundays riot in the
county Jail. These men are:
George B. Collins. George s. Col
Inns, A. w. Elsasser and Charles
Kautsky.
These men were looked upon in the
legislature as the active floor mem
bers interested in manipulating legis-
lation in the lower house in such a
manner as to kill by avote of 81 to
26.
1t was a significant fact that %
members of the lower house member.
ship mysteriously disappeared before
there was a roll call on this bill.
Upheld by Democrats.
This same bill. introduced by State
Senators John J. Larkin and William
N. Chambers of Omaha. passed the
state senate by a vote of % to TO-
Every state senator from Douglas
county voted for the bill.
The Douglas county delegation in
the lower house split along straight
party lines on the bill, the democrats
voting solidly against it and the re-
publicans voting solidly for it, ex-
cepting Tom B. Dysart. who joined
the democrats and voted against the
bill. Here is the Douglas county vote
on the bill:
For: Allan. Dyball. Baldrige. Beld.
ing, Strehlow, Timme. Smith.
Against: Collins. G. B.; Collins, G.
S.; Dysart, Elsasser. Kautsky, Quinn
The bin provided that the sheriff
should order and prepare the food
and that instead of the sheriff re-
ceiving the difference between the
amount allowed by state, federal and
county governments 1t should revert
back to the taxpayers and go into
the county treasury. Under the
present arrangement the sheriff re-
ceives so cents a day for feeding each
county prisoner and Is cents for fed
eral and state prisoners.
The introducers of the bill. together
with a representative of the Omaha
Chamber of Commerce and the Doug
las county commissioners. developed
facts indicating that the Douglas
county sheriff clears from $1,000 to
$4,000 a year In feeding prisoners.
Another fact developed was that
at the county hospital inmates are
fed at a cost ranging from Il to 20
cents a day against the rs and so
cents collected by Endres for county
Jail inmates. Then, too. it was shown
that prisoners wait tables at the
county Jail while walters must be EN-
ployed at the hospital.
Endres Predicted Riot.
Endres or one Of his deputies was
on the ground constantly from the
time the bill was introduced until ii
was killed in the lower house.
why if you take the feeding OF
prisoners from me it will cause riots
in the Jail, the men will break up the
furniture and | must control them.
through feeding him." he said.
It's the old gang in Omaha after
me, to get my scalp for defeating
Mike Clark. They want to cause a
lot Of trouble among the prisoners by
taking the feeding of them away
from me so l can't make good my
election promise to clean up bootleg
gers and gamblers in Omaha
" lam feeding the prisoners better
than they were ever fed before. They
are perfectly satisfied
Headed OFF Action.
The hard, undisputed economic facts
presented to both the senate and house
committee forced the bill out of both
committees with a favorable recon-.
mendation. But by demanding one
hearing after another on the bill In
the lower house committee. Endres
kept the bill from consideration on
the floor of the house until near the
close Of the session.
Meantime. his faithful quartet"
the two Colbpses, Kautsky and
Elsasser. was busy. Probably more
than one-half of the members of the
legislature go to Lincoln with a pet
bill or scheme. They want votes badly
and they are willing to trade votes.
The faithful quartet" aided a mum.
Der Of "the boys in putting their stuff
over" republican and democratic
members as well. They had two or
three months to prepare for the final
vote on the bill.
Defended by Newspaper.
Finally, Representative Ed Smith of
Omaha. who was stering the bill In
the lower. house. admltter only two
things that would save the bill as
result of the lobbying of Endres and
floor work OF his quartet.
One was editorial support of the bill
by democratic newspaper in Omaha.
The other was. word from Governor
Charles w. Bryan to his democratic
brethern In the lower house to vote
for the bill Bryan. as viters on other
bills he was interested I'm showed.
controlled nearly every democratic
vote In the lower house.
The Omaha Bee had supported the
bill stanchly In news columns and
editorials. The democratic newspaper.
now hurling rocks Mt Endres for the
riot at the jail, his profits from feed.
ing prisoners and his poor food served
TO prisoners. never opened its editorial
mouth once In favor OF the bill.
Newspapermen asked the governor
for public appreciation OF the bill. The
governor absolutely refused to be
quoted upon