St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-16
By a Vote of 81 to 29, After
a Very Fierce Bat
tie.
The Oil Inspector Must Re-
eeive a Salary and Not
Fat Fees.
Representative Haven Tri-
umphs for the People Over
the Oil Lobby.

HI JliC bCiiiOCldtlS coobN PioshOAA' ~
1855 occurs the following paragraphs:
at the Republican parity has created
an oil inspector whose fees are paid by
the consumer and amount to $4,000 per
year, and the legislature at its last
session refused TO take any action,
though requested"
Yesterday in the house fifty-one Re-
publicans ami three Democrats recon-
mended bin to pass which effectually
dlspoSeS of the fee system of the Oil in
spector's Office. Twentyseven Repub-
licaDS and two Democrats voted against
the bill-eight Democrats were absent.
Of those voting against the reform,
eighteen were either residents of
the large cities, political adherents of
the governor, personal friends of the
present oil inspector. or tied up in COM
plications which they could not shake
OFF; one was an old deputy Oil in
spector, and the remaining ten, while
willing to reform the Office, disagreed
with some points of the bill under dis
cussion. The representatives of farm
ing communities. led by Representative
Haven and ably aided by John Day
Smith, MesSrs. Hoyt, Morgan and
others, carried the reform measure
through i'll the teeth of as hot and po-
litical all opposition as any bill has met
since the session opened. 1t is curious
to note how the members of the Twin
Cities stood OH the reform:
For Against.
Ellingson, Davenport,
Hay, EimquiSt,
Husher. Ives.
IND erTood, Lane,
Smith. Savage,
Stevens. +. c.,
Stevens, ii. F.,
Williams.
The bill under discussion was the one
which has passed the senate, Senator
Day being the author of it. The fight
in the house yesterday by the friends of
the oil inspector was for the passage of
the Lane bill and the defeat of the
senate bill. The senate bill won.
THE REFORM BILL.
Its provisions are as follows:
The inspector of Illuminating oils
shall receive an annual salary of S2.40O
per annum, payable monthly, as pro-
Vided for in the case of other state
officers. which salary shall be in full
compensation for all services and eX-
penses for the performance of duties
now or hereafter required by law. The
said inspector shall collect the fees now
Or hereafter provided by law for in
spectng oils. He shall make monthly
statements in detail, under oath, to the
state auditor of all fees collected by
himself OF received from his deputies
under the provisions of this act,and pay
the amounts so shown to be col
lected or received to the state
the 10th day of each and every month.
Not more than one deputy inspector of
illuminating oils shall be appointed in
any county. Such deputies shall col
lect all fees now or hereafter provided
by law for inspecting oils, earned by
them, and pay over the same, with a
monthly report under oath, to the in
spector of Illuminating oils, retaining
for their services so per centum of the
same until the commission shall amount
to fifty go dollars per month, and there
after until the commission shall amount
to one hundred 900 dollars per month,
twenty-five per centum: thereafter ten
per centum; provided that no deputy
shall receive as compensation for his
services sum to exceed the sum of
$1,000 per annum, and that all fees col
lected in excess of $1,000 be paid into
the state treasury; provided, however,
that when the fees so collected amount
to less than thirty dollars per month in
any county the deputy inspector may
retain the entire amount thereof, on
making report of the same. The in
SpectOr of Illuminating oils and his
deputies may inspect and test illuminat-
Ing oils in a tank railroad car, SO called,
standing on railroad track, and such
oil shall not be transferred into ware
house or storage tanks or unloaded
until so inspected. When such oil has
been SO tested and inspected, no other
inspection shall be necessary, but the
inspector or deputy shall, when such oil
is put into barrels. brand the said bar
rels without charge. When the amount
contained in any such tank shall exceed
fifty gallons, each fifty gallons shall
constitute a barrel within the meaning
of the law. and the fees for inspecting
the same and for branding the barrels
shall, for each fifty gallons, be the same
as prescribed for each barrel or package
by law. All acts or parts of acts incon-
sistent with or conflicting with the pro-
visions of this act are hereby repealed
The debate opened on the Lane bill.
The house was in committee of the
whole.
Mr. Lane, as compromise between
the enemies of his bill and himself, ac-
cepted the amendment of the gentle
man from Anoka (Eastman), fixing the
rate of inspection at 25 cents per barrel
and requiring the oil inspector every
three months to turn into the state
treasury one-half of the fees collected
by him.
Representative Benson-What has
become of the senate bill on this sub
ject?
Chair-It is on general orders.
Mr.. Lane was willing that the senate
bill should be discussed with his.
Representative Benson-I am in favor
of the senate bill. The feeling of the
committee and this house is that the
only way we can reform this office is to
pass the senate bill
Chair-The gentleman from Anoka is
out of order.
Representative Benson-Will the
chair inform me how can get in order!
John Day Smith offered the senate
bill as substitute for the Lane bill and
Its amendments, but was ruled out OF
order by the chair (Crossfield). The
ruling was wrong, but the house was
badly ratified and confused. Afterwards
the chair ruled Mr.. Smiths motion in
order, but it was subsequently with
drawn. The senate bill was read, after
which Mr.. Haven moved that it be sub
stituted for the Lane bill. seconded by
Hoyt.
Representative Jacobson-Does the
senate bill give TO the state treasury as
much or more than the amended Lane
law?
Mir. Lane protested against the sub
stitution of the senate bill for his own,
.lls. I.nAs Il oE1