Mower County transcript., 1897-01-27


companies the same as owned every
official and the reports Of the assessorl
would be such as the iron companies
desired. The last year showed tax re.
turns of this class of property at not
much more than per cent of its actual
value, and under the ordinary system
there seemed to be no way of correct.
ing these "inspired'' reports. Mr.,
Reeves wants complete detailed reports
of ore output, it's value, gross receipts,
net earnings, etc., from both the assessor
and from the mining companies, and
his bill directs that such reports be
turned over to the state board of equal.
ization, by whom the assessment will
then be fixed If the state board has
any reason to believe the reports are
not strictly correct they are authorized
to employ experts to secure the needed
information. The'assessed valuation is
then certified by the state auditor to
the county auditor. If the information
is withheld the state board is directed
to add 80 per. cent to the valuation.
Mr.. Reeves says he wanted to go at the
matter from both sides and treat it as
fairly as was possible.
Chief Clerk Bowling is usually equal
to any emergency. Occasionally some
committeeman in the past has asserted
that a bill has been reported back with.
out having been acted on by the COM
mittee. Mr.. Bowling therefore pre-
pared roll calls for the more important
committees and hereafter the clerks of
these committees will have on file the
recommendation Of the committee Oh
every bill before it and how each man
voted on it. However, this move may
not be wholly approved by dodgers, :"
as it places them on record.
The Hayter Amendment.
The Hayter bill for a constitutional
amendment to declare the governor and
governor elect ineligible to the Office of
United States senator has been reported
without recommendation and is on
general orders in the house, so that it
will come up for consideration at all
early day. It is similar but not so
sweeping as the Illinois provision
which shuts out all elective state Of
fcers from such contests. The famous
Sutton case in this state is similar in
effect, for the idea is to require officers
OF the state to serve the term of Office
for which they have been elected. The
action of the Legislature on such a
measure is problematical, for which
members might want the constitutional
limitation that now only applies to
them thus extended, there are enough
leaders in the two houses with ambi-
tions for future personal political ad-
vancement to block the whole scheme.
They think it good plan il an excep.
tion could be made in their own cases.
Executive Sessions Abolished.
A ridiculous feature of the senate has
always been the so-called executive ses-
sion. It has been d\'cribed as a session
from which everyb>ly but members
are locked out but about which every
body knows everything as soon as the
next newspaper appears. Originally it
may have had some excuse for it's ex-
istence, but it certainly seems to have
outlived it's usefulness. Under the
supposed secrecy of an executive ses-
sion appointments are considered and
other business of supposed semi -pri-
vate character transacted, senators feel
ing freer to air their opinions about in
dividuals thus in secNt. AS the aver.
age reporter has little difficulty in
learning all that happens behind the
closed doors, the privacy of the session
is farce. The Minnesota senate had
reason to realize this, for it has had
several experiences in the past that
proved the futility of trying to avoid
publicity in public business. Hence
the resolution in that body last week in
favor Of abolishing executive sessions
had less than the expected opposition
and was adopted, star chamber sessions
being thus formally dispensed with.
Roads and Bridges.
A large proportion of the bills intro.
duced at every session call for an ap
preparation to assist some county in
building roads or bridges. These bills
are always referred to the committee
on roads and bridges, and there they
stay until their friends fear they are
lost. However, it is the custom to hole
such bills until all are in, and then the
committee reports back an omnibu!
measure, giving each county as big {
"piece of pie'' as seems warranted by
its necessities and the size of the inter
nal improvement fund. Some people
guage members value by the amount
of public ''pie" he can secure for hi
constituents, although few member
positively refuse to have anything tt
do with such bills, resting content with
several clerkships or doorkeepers' places
for their constituents. It is simply
another kind Of "pie."
Donnelly and Hicks.
Judge Hicks and Ignatius Donnelly
although not the oldest members, ar
the veterans Of the house and each car
ries chip on his shoulder, so far as tn
other is concerned. A few days age
the democratic soul Of the Populis
leader was stirred by the general arbi
tration treaty with Great Britain anc
he presented resolutions, written in his
usual flowing style, denouncing th
treaty as, in effect, leaving it for an
European monarch to settle the dis