The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-04-27
LEGISLATIVE WORK.


= Resume Of the Doinss Of the Twenty.
eighth Minnesota Legislature.
The 28th session of Minnesota law
makers is ended. The list of important
bills that have become laws is bv M
means as short as some may imagine.
Heading the list probably, in point of
general interest, is the free text book
bill, and ranking close to it, as far as
. certain classes of the population are
concerned, are the administration grain
bills, so called, and bills which have for
their object the relief of organized
labor In the cities. An important bill
that passed is the bill making it mis-
demeanor for any person to cruelty
whip child. Under the present law
such offenders can only be reached un-
der warrant for disturbance of the
peace. Bills that are nearly akin to
the bill last named were passed at the
instance of the Minneapolis society for
the prevention of cruelty to animals.
Under their operation the society can
proceed in a systematic manner and
reach certain offenders who until now
have been able to escape punishment.
The only bill the society lost was the
bill prohibiting the docking of horses
tails.
The present legislature passed law
providing penalty for the crime of in
cest. Strange as it may seem, there
has been no law on this point, and the
fact was not discovered until this win
ter, when an incest case came before
a judge in the southern part of the
state. The legislature promptly took
hold of the matter and has filled this
big gap in the penal code. A bill that
will be regarded as important is the
bill providing for a parole system at
the penitentiary and reformatory. The
matter was suggested by the governor
in message to the legislature, and the
bill was passed without opposition or
discussion.
A bill was passed which will affect
insane persons charged with crime. It
was called out by the facts in connec-
ton with the trial of the young man
who shot the editor of the Saltwater
Messenger. The aim of the law will
be to make the escape of such persons
to their mental condition.
The new capitol bill must, of course,
be considered an important measure,
no matter what opinion may be enter
tanned of its merits. Under it's provis-
ions the building will be completed in
10 years, and be located at some point
within three-quarters Of mile of the
present site.
The Winston election bill does not
seek to affect the relations established
by the old law between the voter and
the judges of election, but does affect
the judges in the matter of counting the
ballots. The present form of the bal
lot is not changed. According to an es-
innate made by Mr.. Winston, the
judges, with the new law, ought to fin
ish the count in the slowest precinct in
a city by o'clock of the morning after
the election.
Senator Leavitt is responsible for a
proposition to amend the constitution
which will be submitted to the people
at the next election and which provides
for tax upon incomes over a certain
size.
The bill providing that railroad COM
panies shall make their selection of
swamp lands within two years will |
please the people living in the counties
where these lands are situated.
Mr.. Rleecker of Hennepin got through
bill which the travelling public will
appreciate. 1t provides that railroad
ticket shall be good for Transportation
both ways between the destination
points.
Many citizens of the state will long
remember the legislature for the pas
sage of the bill adopting state flag.
The idea originated with the women
who are interested in the worlds fair
in Minnesota, and the bill was engi-
neered through the senate by Mr.. Don
nelly and through the house by Mr..
Wyman.
Aside from the bills passed, there is
one matter that will commend itself to
the people of the state by reason of the
investigation put under way to run to
earth the coal combine. The commit
tee having charge of the investigation
will turn its evidence and papers over
to the attorney general, who has ex-
plicit instructions to proceed with the
prosecution as rapidly as possible. 1t
remains to be seen whether the investi-
cation will bring any direct benefits to
the people of the state in the way of re-
duced prices for hard coal. But if there
is no such result Immediately there are
many who believe such reduction will |
come in time, owing to the efforts of
the committee.
There were certainly important bills
that failed to pass. At the head of the
list stands the Markham bill for the
taxation of unused railway lands. The
rcapportionment bills and the charter
bill come next, and then follow in order
the primary election bills, the income
tax bill, the sleeping car tax bill, the
county option bill, the anti-pool room
bill, the corrupt practices bill, the
woman suffrage bill, and possibly a
few others.
Among the bills passed were two
known by the members as the ''admin-
istrative bills" because it was said and
believed that the present executive had.
to a certain extent, something to do
with the paternity of them. One pro-
vides that all country elevators shall
be public warehouses and brought un-
der the control of the railroad and
warehouse commission. The other pro-
vides for condemnation proceedings for
the erection Of elevators alongside of or
adjacent to railroad rights of way, and
for the construction of sidetracks to
these elevators. At present only ele-
vators of a certain capacity-sO,o 900
bushels-can be built on railroad rights
of way, and if they are built alongside
the rights of Mav the comnanies Will