The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-01-25
THE LEGISLATIVE MILL.


Senator Allen has introduced a bill
into the senate looking to the protec-
tion from forest fires, and similar
bill has been introduced into the
house. The bill provides for the ap-
pointment of a forest commissioner
who shall hold his office for three years
and receive some appropriate salary
vet to be fixed. His duties are to use
his best efforts to prevent forest and
prairie fires: to investigate the extent
of primeval and secondary forests !:
consumption of logs; methods OF lum-
boring: approximate revenue annu-
ally derived from forests, damages or
forest fires and kindred subjects.
The bill also provides that township
supervisors are constituted nre
wardens, with the duty OF taking pre-
cautions to prevent forest and prairie
fires and when fire is discovered to
summon assistance and eXtingulsh IL
if possible. He is to post notices and
warnings against fires and report TO
the forest commissioner All forest fires
and their causes. Fire wardens and
their employees are to be paid at Sl.5O
a day for fighting fires but one warden
is limited to 10 days pay year for
fighting fires and days pay for post
ing notices and his employees to days
Day for any purpose; and the total ex-
rpenditure of any township for this
purpose is limited to 800 year.
A penal section makes it punishable
by fine of 800 or imprisonment for
one month to leave camp fires burn
ing in the woods, and similar pun
ishment is fixed for persons who are
convicted of setting fire to any waste
or other forest or prairie lands.
Railroad companies whose lines run
through forest or prairie lands are re-
-uuired to clear their right of way OF
grass and weeds at least once year;
locomotives are required to use spark
.arresters, and no railway emplOye is
to deposit fire or live Goals upon the
track near any forest. 1t is made the
duty of railway employees to report and
extinguish fires, particularly in the
dry season, under penalty OF 500
fine for each offense. All fines collected
are to be divided between the in
former and the district school fund,
equally.
Legislation is also projected regard
ing the bank examiner. The bill in
troduced by Senator Larson amends
the law applying to bank examiners,
and provides that the examiner shall,
without prior notice, visit and ex-
anime institutions where money is de-
posted subject to check, draft or Or
der, at least once in each year, and in
spect and verify the validity of assets
and securities; he shall report any
neglect or infringement Of the laws to
the governor, who may publish the
fact and take such other action as the
emergency may demand. The bill
further provides for reports from the
cashier and president of such institu-
tions to the auditor in January, April,
July and October of each year, under
penalty of 800 for failure. 1t is made
the duty of the state auditor to trans
NIT the collated information to the
legislature annually"
The matter of interest will also re-
,ceive little tinkering if possible, a
bill having been introduced to make
the legal rate 6 per cent and the
maximum rate by contract at s per
cent.
A bill for the better protection of
1aboring and material men was intro
educed in the house by Mr.. Sutton. 1t
gives these men claim against public
corporations for which they have
erected buildings, bridges, ETC., for
the amount due for services in the
construction, the claim to be itemized
and filed within 80 days with the pub
lie officer through whose order pay
ment is to be made. The public cor
poration, on the filing of the claim, is
required to retain all moneys due or
to become due on account of such con-
=struction, until the validity of the
claim is determined; nor shall such
claim be defeated by any assignment
of moneys due made by the contractor.
The principal contractor may release
the claim by filing with the treasurer
of the corporation bond for the bene-
fit of the claimant. He may prevent
the filing of claims for labor by filing
a bond in advance with the treasurer
in sufficient penalty to cover all
amounts due for labor. Suit may be
brought on such bonds within one
year.
Representative Blagik has intro
duced bill providing for bounty of
one cent pound for all sugars manu-
featured in the state under the pro-
visions of the bill. This probably has
in view the encouragement Of the
manufacture of beet sugar.