The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1897-04-14

| mlt1ee says that failure was honest
The expert testimony developed by the
committee shows that in some of the
| banks records were falsitied. and in
most of them the officers and directors
were large borrowers. which caused
the failures. The evidence is now left
to the public and the prosecuting at
torneys.
The other report was from the COM
mittee appointed TO investigate the
transfer of the Mountain Iron mine to
private parties. The conclusions of
the committee are that these iron lands
became part of the school lands of the
state in 1854: that the state auditor
had no right to relinquish them and
that his action was null and void.
The committee further state that thev
believe a combination was entered
into by private parties to secure these
lands and that it is the duty of the
state to recover them. They further
recommend that a joint commission Of
three senators and four representa-
tives. be appointed to sit after the leg
islature ajourns and bring such pro-
ceedings as may be necessary to recov-
er the lands containing the valuable
mine.
Aside from these reports. the inter
est of the day centered in the house,
where the Douglas distance tariff bill
was the special order. This bill fixes
railroad rates according TO distance
and has been strenuousiy opposed by
the roads. Petitions have been sent in
4 ~ n
feat on the ground that it would Grip
pie the roads and cause reduction of
their pay. A large number came in
yesterday. The debate began at II a.
m. Representative Douglas, of Moor
| head, who introduced the bill, being
the first speaker. He was followed by
Mr.. Schmidt, of Duluth, the leader in
opposition to the bill. Messrs. Jacob
son. Donnelly, Dahl, Gear and Foss
spoke for the bill, and Messrs. Little
ton, Reeves and Cray against. 1t was
p. N. when the debate concluded and
a vote was reached, resulting in the
defeat of the bill by AZ yeas to 81 nays.
The senate put in full day yester-
| day in committee of the whole, recon-
mending SO bills for passage. There
were 12s bills in the committee, and
yesterdays work cleared the decks ma
terially. Among the bills recommend
ed to pass was Sheehan's antitrust
| bill. So many senators were visiting
the state university that no attempt
was made to pass any bills.
st. Paul, April s-The era of inves-
tigating reports is still on. The senate
committee appointed to investigate
Labor Commissioner Powers submitted
its report yesterday. There were six
charges The committee finds that the
factory law has been enforced in part.
| but when employers were notified and
did not obey they were not prosecuted.
! The book, purchasing Power of Gold, !"
| issued by Mr.. Powers at state expense,
was not proper public document. All
the statistics collected have been pub
llshed, SO far as they were of value.
None of them were ''garbled." None
of the personal charges were sustained.
This mixed report concludes by rec
ommending labor commissioner at a
salary of 81. 900 a year. and three as
sistants, effecting saving of Sc, 600 in
the departing A bill to accomplish
this is now pending.
The senate passed the house bill re-
curing peddlers to take out town IL
censes, very few besides the city mem.
bers opposing it.
| The house broke out yesterday in
favor of abolishing the Office of state
| fire warden, a position now held by
Gen. c. c. Andrews. A bill was intro
duced some time ago to abolish the Of
fee and on yesterday the majority of
the committee on forestry reported
against the bill and the minority in its
favor. After debate, made lively by
personalities, the minority report was
adopted. An effort to suspend the
rules and pass the bill failed. but the
motion developed 81 votes in its favor,
which Insures its passage by the house
when reached in its regular order.
The house passed bill forbidding
sectarian teaching in public schools or
the wearing of sectarian garb. and re-
fused to pass a memorial to congress
for general bankrupt law.
The senate took up the reapportion-
ment bill as special order yesterday
afternoon and fought 1t to finish,
holding an evening session to complete
the work. As the bill was finally
passed it makes 50 senators and 1876
representatives. The vote on passage
stood 80 to Is.
The house, with great unanimity.
passed four bills taxing corporations.
One makes Eve per cent tax on the
gross earnings of express companies;
second levies 8 per cent tax on the
gross earnings of sleeping and parlor
cars; third imposes per cent tax
on the assessed valuation of freight
line and equipment companies, and the
| fourth 5 per cent tax on the gross
earnings of telephone companies.
There were IL negative votes on the
last named measure. but the others
passed unanimously. 1t is estimated
fb AZ The four hilIs will odd GIG nm 70