Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1897-02-25
THE LEGISLATURE.
Both Bodies Are in Good Working
w. Order.
Cosby Letters Giving in Detail tho More
Important Work Of the Senate
and House of Repre-
sentatives.


Important Work Of the Senate
and House of Repre-
sentatives.
st. Paul, Feb. 1s.-Yesterday was a
fairly busy day in the legislature with
out very much being accomplished af-
ter all. Thirteen bills were introduced
in the senate and thirty-three in the
house, bringing the grand total of bills
introduced up to date of SOC.
One of the important measures in the
senate was the normal school appro-
priation bill, which carries $4,000
with it. No bill is really important
these times which does not carry a
handsome appropriation. Another sem
ate bill abolishes the game commits
sion and provides for three commits
sioners with salaries of $1,000 and ST.
200 respectively. Next to a bill with
an appropriation attached, one with a
salary appended ranks next in import
ance. Senator Yale got his resolution
through forbidding smoking in the SEN
ate chamber and the committee rooms
AS there is state law forbidding any,
thing stronger than tobacco in the cap
itol. the only recreation now left for
the senators is attending to business.
The special event in the house was
consideration of the bill increasing the
appropriation for the state university.
After a lengthy debate it was referred
to the appropriation committee to see
If it could be trimmed little. Mr..
Donuelly proposed an amendment to
the constitution exempting homesteads
from taxation to the extent of 81. 900.
He argued that by increasing taxes on
the railroads some of the burdens of
taxation could be lifted from the peo-
pie. Another bill proposes to have an
immigration commissioner appointed
by the governor. A bill is already
pending for an immigration commits
sion composed of one from each con-
gressional district, that body to select
a secretary of immigration. The indi-
cations are that something will be done
during the sessions to revive the immi-
grafton work which the state aban-
doned 20 years ago. Still another bill
creates the Office of county assessor, to
be elected by the people in counties
having over $4,000 population. No
bills were passed in either branch.
st. Paul, Feb. 19-To investigate or
not to investigate, that's the question.
Leastwise, it seemed as if that was the
question, for the senate spent the larg-
est portion of it's session yesterday in
debating whether the committee ap-
pointed to investigate Labor Commits
sioner Powers should continue it's work
or throw up the job. The investiga-
ton was started by the labor unions
mittee have gotten at loggerheads over
the manner of conducting the investi-
cation. In order to cut the Gordian
knot the committee proposes to stop
short and report no case while the la
Dor unions, through their friends,
come into the senate and desire to have
the committee instructed along the
lines they (the labor unions) have laid
down. After debating very consid-
cradle portion of the session the whole
matter was made the special order for
next Tuesday afternoon.
The only real important action of
the day in the senate was the passage
of a bill making loan to the counties
in the Red River valley for the pur-
chase of seed wheat. The counties are
to furnish the wheat to the farmers
who were drowned out last year and
unable to raise any crops, and at the
end of three years must reimburse the
state and look to the farmers for the
county compensation.
, The day was poor for new bills, if
teen coming in from the senate and
only two from the house.
+ The house was more barren of re-
suits than the senate. A large por-
ton of the session was devoted to dis
cussing the proposed reapportionment.
The house evidently does not have
much confidence in its committee and
after long discussion instructed the
committee to limit the number of sena-
tors to sixty five and representatives to
one hundred and twenty. No bills
were passed and it is really beginning
to be puzzle to dig business sufficient
to continue ninety days, which is the
constitutional limits of the per diem
for a member of the legislature. Bust
ness or no business, the session will
terminate with the per diem limit.
: st. Paul, Feb. 2o.-The weather was
very comfortable out of doors vester-
day, but q regular wind storm ragged in
the legislative halls. The session of
the senate was especially devoted to
considering the question whether the
tax payers should be allowed to paw
their taxes semi-annually, instead of
once year as now. Strange as it
may seem. this question has been