Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1891-03-12
Various Items Of Interest Con-
cerning Things In and Out Of
North Dakota.
The Worlds Fair appropriation
Finally and FavOrably
Acted Upon.
Odds and Ends OF Legislation
Briefly Noted For Alert
Readers.
Legislative Links.

1t looked at one tine as if the Worlds
Fair bill was ''goner" sure The Scan
dinavians opposed it nearly to a man,
and many other members seemed anx-
ious to retrieve their records of extrav-
agance IN voting for every other big local
expenditure, by opposing one Of the
most meritorious of all, the Worlds
Fair bill. To the efforts of II. G. South
ard of Fargo, are due in great measure
the final success of the bill. He came
out to the capital and found that no one
was taking any particular interest in
the bill, being engrossed with private
measures. He went to work at once to
turn attention of the more intelligent
m 9mbers to the necessity of the state
hAing fitting display at Chicago, and
it required hard work to arouse much in
terest. The bill passed the senate, as
| we'll as the bill providing for commits
sioners to superintend the display and
get it in shape, but both measures stuck
| fast in the house and called forth some
remarkable declarations of desire to
economize on the part OF members who
had before voted for any and every bill
! that spent money, in order tC get their
own private measures through. At the
| first vote the Worlds Fair bill went in
| the soup, not getting constitutional
majority. Afterwards through the efforts
of number OF gentlemen, including
Judge Francis, of the Northern Pacific
and Col. Dodge of the Great Northern,
the bill was reconsidered and passed by
a neat majority. Seeing that South Da,
kota has failed to appropriate anything
for an exhibit. North Da-
kota can congratulate herself on being
ahead in this matter. It would have
been lasting disgrace to have had the
state exhibit a partial or complete fail
ure at the great exposition. With the
cooperation of the railroads and the
s25,UOO Of the state fund, North Dakota
will present to millions her famous ad-
vantages for immigration,-for grain
growing and stock raising, and for
healthy, happy low priced homes.
There is one thing to be SAID about
Representative Kearney-his frequent
motions to indefinitely postpone bills
have saved the state great deal of
money-roughly estimated by Chief
Clerk Hamilton at S25,OOO. Mr.. Kearney
had few measures of his own which be
cared to push through, and was there.
fore not afraid to antagonize others.
When the cheese bill, introduced by Mr..
Kearney, came up in the senate, it was
members who remembered who it was
that had been moving in the house to in
definitely postpone tteir bills There
fore the cheese bill found an early grave,
but the people of the state can afford to
lose that celebrated measure, seeing that
its author saved them a great deal of
cash by persistent opposition to reckless
expenditure, and by which he incurred
the hostility of every man who had bill
of doubtful merits, ard who wanted it
pushed through on the plan Of "yOu
scratch my back and I'll scratch yours"
Mr.. kearney even carried his opposition
so far as to vote against the Worlds fair
bill, but that excellent measure fCrtu-
mattel ly had enough votes to pass without
the determined old objector's vote. 1t
would be good thing for the tax payers
If every legislature had few more
kearney's in it.
One of the coming men among the
democrats is John Burke, of Rolette
county. He made an excellent record at
Bismarck, and was always to be found
on the SIDE OF common sense and good
business principles. 1t Was common
remark that the democrats in the last
legislature kept to the front in most
credltable manner. They happened to
exceed the republicans in number of
good debaters, and individually we're
popular with all at Bismarck the same as
they must necessarily have been at home
to win their election. Republicans can
not lay back on their oars and rest
secure on prohibition and confidence in
numbers. There are new issues coming
up and new men to advocate them.
A bill was passed transferring the un.
expended balance OF the stock indemnity
fund, to the general fund.
How 1t came to be that there was
any unexpended fund is matter of
mystery that will probably be cleared
up. In fact one member said he did not
believe there was such fund at all, and
that the bill was only passed to keep the
books straight. He was a democrat,
however, and may have been joking.
There was no end to the schemes to
beat the state out Of money. The SEN
ate agreed to pay 5000 for the rent OF
committee rooms down town, but the
bill, under some pretense or other, had
swelled to $500 when presented. 1t was
passed.
The bill amending the revenue law
which was lost in the honse, was recon
sidered and passed. The new law leaves
the assessors the same as last year, the
work to be done by he township asses
sors, and allows deduction of debts from
credits.