Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-21

sloner was unexpectedly given to Chas. A. Gill
man, OF st. Cloud, instead of to A. ]. Edger-
ton, the former incumbent, who was sup
posed to be sure of the candidacy, as the office
IS OF no possible account anyhow, it did not
make much matter who was nominated. Mr..
Gilman is competent enough for much more
important office" The next day, July 30,
1870 the same paper said: ''The railroad com.
missioner is now mere statistical clerk with a
clerk to perform his duties As there is moth
ing in the world for him to do except to draw
his salary of $4,000 year, either Of the able
gentlemen nominated by the respective parties
for this office will be admitted even by their
most prejudicod enemies to be abundantly
competent to perform this high duty" Again
on the SOth of August the Pioneer Press said !:
IF it should really turn out that neither Gil
man nor Sencerbox is eligible to the office of
railroad commissioner and there should be no
valid election and the Office should become va
can't why the people would be the gamer by
the sum Of $3 900 or $4,000, and that would be
the extent OF the calamity" He submitted
lessness OF the office-and nothing had since
been shown to prove that it had Increased in
etficlency-the House could not 60 back upon
this bill, but would recommend it for passage
MIR. >. N. Stacy submitted a few facts and
hgures to show that the Office useful one,
and had brought money into the treasury
through listing lands fer taxation.
Mr.. j. Thompson, Jr., submitted the same
facts and figures in precisely the same Ian
guage.
Mr.: HUM presented the same facts and fig
ures in little different language.
Mr. Gearsy said he had favored the bill in
the first place, but had received new light. and
would now vote against it.
MIR. Denny opposed the bill because he es-
teemed 1t wrong. 1t transferred the duties of
the office to subordinate bureau to which
tnose dntles did not properly belong.
:. Mr. McCracken favored the bill. Although
IL might not save great deal, it was some
thing, and 1t $4,000 could be saved to the State
without injury to its interests, it ought to be
done.
MIR. benson protested against this way of
doing business. He had offered an amendment
t" the BILL and though he had risen several
times to explain that amendment he had not
been recognized by the chair. He thought it
was discourteous to him, to say the least. He
though ut 1t was the duty of the State auditor to
attend to the taxation of railroad lands; that it
was the duty of the attorney general to con-
duct prosecutions when they were necessary,
and that it was the duty of the secretary of
state to compile the statistics. He regarded
these officers as the proper ones to attend to
the duties of the Office.
Mr.. Schroth offered an amendment cutting
out the clause providing for extra clerk hire
for the insurance commissioner. If the Office
was useless this appropriation was not needed.
Both MIR. BensOn's and Mr.. Schroth's amend
ments were lost.
MIR. Hicks had heard no good reason why the
office should be maintained. He should favor
the bill.
Mr.. Comstock offered the bill substantially
on the same line as last week, and endeavored
to make it a party question, which imputation
was energetically denied by Mr.. W. M. Camp
bell.
Mr.. Fairbank favored the passage of the bill
and cited some figures as to the Winona Il st.
Peter railroad to sustain his position.
Mr.. Riley said his constituents were in favor
OF the abolition of the Office, and he would
favor it. 1t was a useless office, and in these
hard times we ought to save as much as posi-
BILE.
Mr.. Bohan opposed the bill. He saw many
good reasons why the Office should not be
abolished. He did not consider the bill in the
interest Of true retrenchment.
Mr.. J. N Stacy moved that when the COM
mittee rise they recommend that the bill be in
definitely postponed. Mr.. McCracken and Mr..
". M. Campbell moved to amend by recon-
aending it for passage.
A division was called, and 81 votes found to
be in the affirmative.
MIR. Comstock charged that the clerk had
counted persons not members who were stand
ing in the lobby, and demanded new count.
Mr.. Hicks resented this imputation upon the
integrity of the clerk, and would vouch for
the absolute accuracy Of his count.
MIR. Comstock insisted upon new count.
Mr.. Jones moved that the committee rise.
Carried.
The report of the committee was then
adopted by the House; yeas SO, nays A, az fol-
lows: