The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-24
JENS GRONDAHL'S PET, TOO
GOES DOWN TO ITS DEATH IN SPITE
OF HIS BITTER PRO-
TESTS.
MR. REEVES NEW TAX ON MINES
Is Aimed to EMISSIONS Pos
sibIe Under the First Bill He In
due

the house over the matter Of organiz-
ing several unorganized counties in
Northern Minnesota.
The matter came up in the form of a
dcuble-headed number on general Or
ders, embracing H. F. 331 Substitute
for H. F. 1910, by the committee on
towns and counties, and H. F. sos, a
substitute for H. F. S31, by the same
committee of which the Kandiyohi
member is chairman. Up to a certain
point in the debate Mr.. Jacobson stood
near his friend from Atwater, but as
the discussion developed Mr.. Feig stood
alone, and saw the bill for which his
committee had sent up a substitute,
recommended for passage in practically
it's original shape. 1t was a clean vic
tory for Mr.. HartshOrn, of Todd county,
who has been ably seconded all through
the fight by Speaker Jones.
When the committee measure was
reported, Mr.. Hartshorn submitted an
amendment which differed from it in
all save the enactirg clause. Mr.. Hart
shorn urged, while he had no charges
to make, that when his measure had
been sent to the towns and counties
committee, no one was heard save the
pine land spectators, and that the sub-
stitute was so drawn in their interests
hat no such thing as organization could
be thought of for ten years.
He picked flaws in every section of
the substitute and said he felt that if
it passed, obstacles could be placed in
the settlers way, and they could be
forced into litigation until they grew
tired of the whole thing, when the tim
Der interests would be victorious. His
own measure, he said, declared unor-
ganized counties organized, provided
that the governor named the county
commissioners, who in turn named the
county officers and the temporary DUN
ty seat. Either it guarded against in
curing unnecessary Indebtedness. In
CasS county, he said, there was one
farm with 900 acres under the plough,
and yet roads and schools were not
known. He wanted his amendment
adopted even if slightly changed. Upon
the suggestion of Mr.. Jacobson, the
limit of indebtedness was lowered from
$4,000 to $40, 900. This Mr.. Jacobson
thought, would prevent outsiders from
dragging new counties into needless
Indebtedness. This restraint would also
prevent the building Of a permanent
county building on a site which later
might be Oun to be not the best. He
wanted new counties restrained for
several years from mourning any debts,
and urged that if organization were re-
tarded, especially in Northern Mime
sofa, injury would come to the whole
state. The provisions Of the substitute,
in his OnjniOn WPra absurd and I'M
reasonable. He would not sickle at
the manner of choosing the commits
sioners, and would agree to either their
appointment by the governor or cleo
ton by the people. Mr.. Feig made a
firm stand for his substitute, which he
said truckled to neither the pine land
faction, nor the county seat Spectator.
After a general discussion Of the his
tory leading up to the presentation
of the substitute bill, Mr.. jacobson
moved to further amend by cutting
out the section which bound the new
county to assume the Indebtedness now
outstanding. The amendment was in
corpOrated. Speaker Jones explained
that, for twenty years, bona fide set
tiers living in a corner of Cass county.
who had no hope or wish for a county
seat. had been reaching Out for organ
ization. To pass the bill requiring that
500 qualified electors must petition for
organization when counties had been
organized upon the request of 100 or
$50 men, would place the legislature
in the most ridiculous position. Such a
law would be unconstitutional, and the
attorney who drew the bill must have
known it. Mr.. Jones declined to fur
Their discuss the matter until this Sec
ton was eliminated. Without further
ceremony Mr.. HartshOrn's bill, rae
ticaIly the text of H. F. 331, was adopt
al &c on fn Mr. Eoio'C
committee substitute, numbered H. F.
568. H. f. 568, therefore, stood before
the committee providing for the ap-
pointment by the governor of the COM
missioners and the naming by them
Of the county officers n temporary
county seat.
At this point Mr.. Feig was given a
brief interval in which to SO amend
the first section as to provide for the
election by the people of the COM
missioners.
The amended section, when read,
provided for a special election, at
which time the county seat was also
to be chosen by the people. The house
would nave non of this, however, and,
when Messrs. Jones and Jacobson
pointed out that such a change would
throw the matter over another year
the thing was emphatically put down..
Mr.. Harthorn's amendment was rec
commended for passage and the town
n counties committee substitute sent
Town the dreary corridors of indefinite
pOStpOnement.
The pine land owners, headed by T.
B. Walker, do not want these coun-
ties organized, n claim that the pur-
pose to organize them is a subterfuge
to permit a lot of town site boomers
to bond the county and then. get away.
Mr.. Feig introduced a compromise bill
said to be satisfactory to the lumber
interests, which provided for a census
and election Of county commissioners.
The original bill provided for h ap-
pointment by the governor of county
commissioners, and organization by
proclamation.
ON GENERAL ORDERS.
The house, in committee of the whole
with Mr.. Snyder in the chair, took I'D
and recommended the following bills.
as Indicated:
H. F. 300 DahD-To amend free text hook
law so as to enable any board Of education
or school trustees to terminate any selection
of text books and to make new designations
Tor from three to five years, provided the
free text book plan is adopted. The hill is
recommended for passage, and If it masses
1t will open a new text book war and give the
text book trust a lease Of life for from three
to five years.
II. F. 339 COMMITTEE on Education)-Pro-
viding that candidates for first and second
grade teachers certificates shall, In addition
to other studies, pass an examination in-ele-
mentary vocal music 10 pass.
H. +. 259 Oonnelly)-To provide for the
immediate enforcement Of stockholders liabiI-
iy to creditors. A fight against the bill was
put up by Mr.. Schmidt, who predicted no
end Of litigation as a result Of Its becoming
a law, and other untold Of evils. But Messrs
Dahl and EfrHa RQmn N lnnDaIIr 49,