St. Paul daily globe., 1889-07-18
SOME BIG. SALARIES.
North Dakotans Inclined to
Deal Literally With the
State Officers.
Prospects Depend Upon the
Constitutional Con-
Vention.
Judge Cooley Advises State
makers Not to Legislate
Too Much.
Montanans Must Be Well Up
in Years to Hold
Office.

BISMARCK, OAK, July 1.-THE poll
ticians, and especially the aspirants for
Office under the state government. are
beginning to realize that the cOnStitu-
tional convention has much to do with
their prospects, financial and political,
and lively interest is being mani
tested in the committee reports now be-
ing prepared and submitted. They are
particularly interested in the report of
the committee on executive. The COM
mittee has agreed on its report Oh sal
aries of state officers, but will not sub
nit it to the convention for several
days. The salaries recommended are
as follows: Governor, $1,000; lieuten-
ant governor, $1,000: auditor and
commissioner of insurance, $4,000 each;
secretary of state, treasurer, superin-
tendent of public instruction. commits
sioner of schools and public lands, and
attorney general, $4,000 each. The COM
mittee also recommends that the rail-
road commission consist of three men,
berS, who shall be elected, and whose
salary shall be $4,000 each. This opens
one of the most interesting questions to
be discussed in the convention. for the
sentiment is pretty evenly divided be-
tween elective and appointive commits
Sioners, many believing that 1t is safer
to have the commissioners appointed
by the governor than to place them
under the influence of political pledges
in conventions and campaigns. In an
swer to this the friends of the PROPOSE
ton say that it will be much easier for
ba lroaHc tn nlpnt thl UOVprnnr than
to elect the commissioners, and claim
the recommendation is in the interests
of the farmers. 1t is debatable ques-
ton. and the orators of the convention
will be heard from when 1t comes up for
actual disposition. The school lands, of
which North Dakota has so magnificent
a grant, demand attention, and the
recommendation of the convention Of
county superlntendents. recently held in
Fargo, is worthy of consideration. The
convention agreed upon a plan of
disposing of the school lands and have
submitted their proposition to the com
mittee on school lands, with the request
that it be incorporated in the constitu-
ton. They ask that no school lands be
sold for less than $40 per acre without
the consent of at least two consecutive
legislatures. That no more than one
five years, and that at least One-fourth
shall never be sold. Lands may be
leased, but not more than one sec
ton to one individual or COM
pany. No lease shall be valid
unless receiving the sanction of
the state board of school lands. Tt pro-
vides that all property that shall fall to
the state by escheat, or the proceeds
thereof, all gifts or donation for school
purposes not otherwise appropriated,
or the interest from perpetual trust
funds, all clear net fines and penalties
for crimes or miSdemeanors, and all
taxes collected by general levy Oh prop
erty of the state, under general law for
the maintenance of public schools,
shall constitute state tuition fund for
the
SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOLS
and shall be distributed among the
counties. This proposed article also
provides that at the first general cleo
ton there shall be elected state board
of public lands and school fund, to con-
Slst of three members. An ingenious
checkmate on Chairman Colton'S plan
of taxing railroads under special state
board of assessors, was presented to-
day. Mr.. COltOn'S proposition was that
railroads should be assessed by the state
officers at not less than $4,000 nor more
than $1,000 per mile, 1t appears Mr..
Cotton owns large area of coal lands,
and to-day proposition was submitted
providing that the lieutenant governor,
secretary of state and state auditor shall
constitute board of assessors to assess
all native coal and bullion, and fixes the
value of the coal for taxation at not
less than 81, nor more than 81 per ton.
1t is said the proposition will be pushed
upon it's reading. The convention burst
into a roar of laughter at Mr.. COlton's
expense, and he manifested his appre-
citation of the situation by joining in the
levity. Parsons. of Morton, introduced
two proposed articles in the interest of
the Knights of Labor, of which organi-
zation he is member. He desires that
the labor of children, under fifteen
shall be prohibited, and that a state
board of labor shall be appointed to
communicate with the labor bureaus of
the East, to ascertain the financial con-
dition and mode of living of the labor
ing class of the country. At last the
constitution is confronted with the SyS-
TEN of exemptions which has been so
bitterly assailed during territorial days.
The proposed article provides that
every homestead consisting of not more
than 100 acres outside of any incorpor-
ated city or village, and the buildings
used thereon, or in lieu thereof,
any lot in any city, town
or village with the dwellings
and building thereon owned and occu-
pied as home, by any resident of this
state and not exceeding in value, in
either case. the sum of $4,000 shall be
co1n
| other final process obtained on debt.
The article also directs the legislature
| to exempt reasonable amount of per-
| sOnal property to each resident of the
state, the exemption not to cover prop
| erty in excess of the value of S1,5O0 nor
| less than $500. Lowell. of CaSS, intro
| duced a proposed article limiting the
amount of debt to be contracted
| by the state to meet casual deficits or
failures in revenues to S500,000, except
| in cases of
EXTRAORDINARY EMERGENCIES.
| Proposed articles were introduced as
follows: Providing that license of sale
of intoxicating liquor shall be $1,000 in
cities with over 5000 population, and
| $500 in towns of less: making the basis
of representation in the legislature one
representative for every 700 votes;
mdkluS III ueCeSSdIy W HdNt dIl DdHk
notes issued for circulation registered,
and countersigned by an officer of
the state, and compelling security
for the full amount of the treasurer;
restricting the power of taxation in
cities and villages; providing that all
officers, civil and military, now in
Office shall serve until suspended under
the constitution. Judge Cooley, chair
man of the interstate commerce COM
mission being in the city. was invited
to address the convention, which he