The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-01-31
STATE LEGISLATURE.
WORK OF THE MINNESOTA LAW.
MAKERS.

Condensed Report of the Proceed
sngs I'm the Senate ana House, Com.
rising u Brief Summary of the
Weeks Business.
D st. Paul, Jan. 27-tIoward the close
of the session Of tie senate Lieut.. Gov.
ClOugh created q stir by announcing
that it would be necessary for the sen
ate to elets a president pro tenn at
once. This was - straight tip that
before the senate iIeets again, Mon
day evening, the lieutenant governor
will be governor, and Knute Nelson
free to assume his duties in the sen
ate at Washington on March a. A
move was made by several senators,
who are opposed to the election Of
Senator Day, to postpone the voting,
but this was not successful. Senator
Yale made a motion that the business
of election Of president pro tenn be
made special business Of Tuesday,
but this was thw arted again upon it
being stated by the president that that
date was too late. Upon vote being
taken 36 voted for Senator Frank A.
Day of Martin and IL for Senator
Barr OF Blue Earth. Mr.. Days cleo
ton was then made unanimous.
=. SIX financial measures were intro
duced by Senator Wyman to straight
en- out the finarces of the state in all
the departments. Probably the most
important Of these was bill appropri-
atlng 100000 to pay the revenue and
building bonds Of the state now due.
There were two bills making appro-
priations for the payment of the sal
aries of supreme and district court
judges. The fund for this purpose has
been short, and there is now IL $685.
600 deficiency in their salaries. The
second was an appropriation of $751;
600 to make up the shortage in the
appropriation 70: their future salaries.
A third bill in the same line simply
orders the state auditor to draw his
warrants for the deficiencies in these
two bills. Still another transfers the
surplus in the school text book fund
to the general fund. In relation to the
$4,000 additional appropriation for
the salaries of the supreme and dis
trict court judges, it may be stated
that the old law makes an annual an
preparation for these salaries, and this
has long since become too small.
through the increase in the number of
district judges, so the legislature has
been obliged at every session to pass
deficiency bill. The addition of the
$1S7 900 to the standing appropriation
will do away with the necessity for
the biennial deficiency appropriations
Senator Pottgelser introduced his
long looked-for liquor license bill. 1t
is sort of high license, local option
measure. providing that the minimum
license shall be $500 in cities of 49,
600 or more inhabitants, and provid-
ing that the councils of these cities
may n AXE the license as much higher
as they see fit. It is expressly pro-
vided that the bill shall not in any
way IL terfere will the operation of IL
local option law.
The House.
In the house Representative Staples
introduced a series of joint resolutions
directly aimed at the taking of tim
Der from mineral lands under mineral
leases and contracts, and they were
unanimously passed under suspension
OF the rules. The state has been de-
frauded of two millions of feet of val
liable pine by the Vaccinations of
certain cliques of men operating under
the law allowing leases and contracts
to be made for mineral lands, and
the action of the resolutions, if they
become law, in Immediately stopping
the further issuance Of such leases in
the auditors office will preserve to
Minnesota extensive tracts of pine
land yet untouched, but which these
operators are now scheming to denude
of its forest growth.
Mr.. Staples introduced a Joint reso-
luton calculated to hold up the miner
al leases until the legislature can act
upon some of the recommendations of
the pine land committee with regard
to changes in the laws. The resolution
prohibits the auditor from issuing any
more permits upon timber or mineral
lands until the legislature has disposed
of some Of these bills, which will be
introduced shortly
Bills Introduced.
Two important measures were intro
duced in the house. One provides for
constitutional amendment relating
to the taxation of the product of mines
and other property owned by mining
companies. The other, which was pre-
pared by the state labor commissioner,
cCCAo@ w dmcuu luc present laws re-
lating to child labor.
The first bill, proposed constitu-
tional amendment, was introduced by
Mr.. Parker Of Washington county. 1t
proposes to add to section 3, of article
8, Of the constitution, the following:
I'm lieu of other taxation there be
specific tax on the product of all mines,
but no such tax shall be construed to
prevent taxation of real estate of mine
owners not used in the business of
mining" This would have to be SUBJ
mitted to the vote of the people at
the next general election for adoption
or rejection. At the present time the
output of the mines on fee lands paws
q state tax Of l per cent per ton.
The other lands held by the mining
companies, If taxed at all, pay but a
small amount into the state treasury.
The child labor bill was introduced
by Mr.. Lovejoy and contemplates a
number OF changes in the present law.
Mr.. Nieman presented the petition of
Anton LIE Bonte of Stearns county
who prays for indemnity in the sum Of
81, 100 for the crops which he lost
during the Indian outbreak in the
early sixties. Referred to the com
mtttee on claims.
Mr.. Knuteson presented O. petition