Article Text
STATE CAPITAL NEWS
Road Building Will Be Curtailed This Year Due Reduced Gasoline Tax Receipts
PRIMARY CAMPAIGN EXPENSES
(By Parke F. Keays)
Lincoln, April 22, 1932 The capitol commission opened bids electrical fixtures for the house on chamber and for ornamental light posts around the grounds recently An estimate by the state auditor "placed the complete cost of the building $10,600,565. Total receipts in the capitol fund to date amount to $9,575,000. At present there is balance of on hand. Tax levies for 1931 and 1932 will raise about $600,000 up to July 1, 1933.
The annual spring round-up of graduates of the University of Nebraska will be held May 5 and 6. This will allow graduates to attend Ivy Day and other school closing events Depositors of failed banks at Wisner, Anselmo, Hartington, Crab Orchard and Pierce received $104,000 as dividends recently. Representatives of a drainage district near Dakota City called on the governor and state engineer recently urging that piling of a highway bridge over a creek used by the district be removed. The bridge has caused flooding of the land, it is said. Harry Sackett of Beatrice, has been named as the keynote speaker and temporary chairman of the republican state convention to be held in Lincoln May 5. The members of the platform committee have also been named. During the second week in April there were only six bank failures in the United States and these were offset by four reopenings. This is nw low record of bank suspensions since 1928. Senator L. J. Dickinson of Iowa, has selected temporary chairman of the republican national convention and will deliver the keynote address the June 14 in when gathering opens Chicago. Nebraska democrats in attendance the state convention in Omaha at will hear Fred G. Hawxby, May 5, who has been chosAuburn attorney, chairman of the en as temporary meeting and will make the keynote address. State Treasurer Bass is aiding officials in checking accounts of Iowa Mona Motor Oil of the company the in Nebraska. The comdone same Officers of the latter Corporation. aiding in the investigacompany are that they had no knowltion and say of the Council Bluffs transacedge tions. They have also assured Iowa and Nebraska officials that they will whatever amount be found pay may due the two states. Treasurer Bass has an auditor on the job representing Nebraska and says it may be necescheck back as far as April, sary to 1925, when the gasoline tax laws first went into effect. The state supreme court recently action of District Judge upheld the of Morrill, who refused to Carter name E. H. Luikart, secretary of trade and commerce, as receiver of number of western Nebraska banks. A. E. Torgeson, who had formerly been connected with the state department. by the judge. The was appointed legislature passed law providing that the secretary receiver. The supreme court opinion states that this can only be recommendation to the court since mandatory it would be an unconstitutional encroachment on judicial power. In all other liquidations the court has the power to name any receiver it desires. Counsel for the state deof trade and commerce has partment filed motion for a rehearing. The owner of motion picture theatre at Madison has brought suit on Governor in Nebraska and ent theatre owners and loss of busiHe claims damage until after it has been a film ten days in the larger town. It is the shown of the federal court to decide duty the small town exhibitor is whether damaged or benefited by the zoning and protection plan now practiced in the distribution of films. The state department of agriculture last week placed three farms in northwestern Nebraska under quarantine because of an outbreak of anthrax among livestock. Rigid quartines were in force there last fall but were lifted when the disease was under control. Seventeen residents of Cass county were granted a temporary restraining order by the federal court against the state department of agriculture to keep the state from cutting down their cedar trees. The petitioners have been notified that were infected by orange rust and were menacing orchards. A state law provides that where this is true the trees shall be cut down.
The capitol commission has notified the city of Lincoln that it ready to remove the rails and ties of the railroad spur running up to the capitol building. The spur may be classed as railroad, one of the smallest in is owned by the state and was granted ten franchise by the city of Linyear coln. $1200 was deposited with the to cover the estimated cost of city paving damages. When the rails are removed the city of Lincoln must replace the paving at its own expense. The road was used to transport materials for the new capitol building and the saved thousands of dolstate lars by owning its own transportation system.
The board of pardons met last week and granted six commutations of sentence, six penitentiary paroles, and five reformatory paroles. It is believed that road building will be considerably curtailed in Nebraska this year due to reduced gasoline tax receipts and lowered federal appropriations.
Governor Bryan's campaign expense account was filed recently and showed that he spent $2,698 in the campaign, of which $525 went for radio time, $1,230 postage, $692 newspaper advertising and printing, $251 for other expenses. The account also gave list of contributions to his fund. The names of 70 campaign state employees appeared with contributions ranging from $9 to $100. Under court order the state engineer and the state auditor have been restrained from making final payment of $23,000 to construction company which recently completed the highway viaduct at Grand Island. The action was brought by surety company which alleges that the construction is insolvent and company asks this protection so that all creditors can be paid. Statements filed by Dwight Griswold, republican candidate for govshow that he spent $4,336. Of ernor, this amount $400 was for postage, $576 for newspaper advertising. $407 for printed matter. The balance was for salaries and miscellaneous exthrough his campaign headpenses quarters. Governor Bryan has appointed commission of 24 headed by persons Fair which will open in June, 1933. tary subscriptions, the soliciting of which will be done by the committee. The recommended $40,000 governor appropriation to the legislature at the last session. The legislature reduced this to $15,000 and specifying that the state show only alfalfa. The vetoed this appropriation as governor inadequate. Warrants actually issued for the of the state government in expense March totaled to $1,633,000 as compared with $1,878,000 the previous month, according to the state budget commission. Warrants issued for highconstruction totaled $386,000 way compared with $811,000 in February. Highway maintenance expense in March was $415,000 in March as compared with $323,000 in February. The total of warrants issued since the beginning of the bi-ennium July 1931, is $19,165,822. To date there available $29,688,803 for expenditure during the bi-ennium. The unexpended balance is The paid March by the various departments is interesting. It does not include amounts paid out of highyay construction and highway maintenance funds: Supreme Court and Lib., District Courts 51,792.06 Law Enforcement 2,071.33 2,464.59 435.00 State Fire Marshal 1,041.00 2,078.33 3,064.38 State Treasurer 2,970.00 4,401.25 5,475.28 6,204.40 Dept. of Agriculture 9,981.40 Dept. of Labor 945.00 Dept. Pub. Welfare 5,150.27 Dept. of Pub. Works Dept. Trade & Comm. 8,069.35 Dept. Tax Comm. 1,691.67 Military 1,429.84 Railway Comm. 6,883.30 Public Lib. Comm. 408.75 Vocational Education 2,283.30 Pardons & Paroles 415.50 Game, For. & Parks State Hist. Soc. 585.00 A. R. 125.00 University of Nebr. 168,785.23 St. Normal Schools 53,440.56 Pen. & Char. Inst. 69,781.32 Capitol Comm 385.00 Total $459,978.10
