The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-04
TO PREVENT ARSON
SENATE RECOMMENDS THE STATE
FIRE MARSHAL BILL. FOR
PASSAGE.
ALSO THE WHITNEY MEASURE,
PROPOSING; TO Make THE SUPREME
COURT THE LEGISLATURES
LEGAL ADVISER,
LONG HOURS SPENT In DEBATE
atetard the Progress of the House
OF Lords, However, in Clearing
Up Its Work.

The senate went at business yester-
day with determination to do or die
and while a great deal Of time was
used, if not wasted, in futile efforts to
block proposed legislation-the Whit
ney bill for the supreme court to ad-
wise the legislature, and the Stebbins
Dill for state fire marshal-the SEN
ate managed to start a good calendar
Tor next week by clearing up nearly
dozen bills which have been hang
ing on general orders.
The adjournment was until 2:3O Mon
day, but there is a short calendar for
That day, and it is proposed to con-
1inue the attack on general orders that
day.
All the morning after the usual rou-
tine was taken up with the fire marshal
bill.
senator McHale opposed it and said.
In his opinion, the act was calculated
simply to establish a private detective
agency for the benefit of the insurance
companies.
Senator Knatvoid claimed that it
would give the insurance companies
another excuse for delaying the paw
.ment of policies.
Senator Pottgieser protested because
dt created another salaried office.
Senator Stevens defended the meas
,ure. There was great need Of some
state officer with authority to investi-
gate hres and prosecute incendiaries.
Senator Greer said that instead of
more delay there would be much less
under a fire marshal than at present.
No insurance company will now pay
Joss where there is a suspicion of in
cendiarism. The result was that the
case went into court and very often
was not settled for two years on ac-
count Of the difficulties in the way Of
investigation. Under the fire marshal
law, the investigation would be prompt
and effective
Senator Hits said that the rascals
who were likely to set fires would all
be opposed to the bill, and he did not
doubt that some opposition also came
from honest men, but they were mis-
taken. If the fire marshal and his staff
could stop incendiary fires the state
could we'll afford to pay him $50, 900 a
year instead of $1,000 or 81, 900.
Senator Schaller denied that the Mas
sachusetts law had been a success. or
that it could be made a success any,
where. A law that allowed a fire mar
sinai or any other man to go sneakine
around the private residences of peo-
pie not charged with crime was wrong.
Senator Stebbins quoted the Massa-
chusetts report to show that the law
had been beneficial in reducing rates
and the number Of fires.
Senator Sperry offered an amendment
taking away the authority Of the fire
marshal to investigate
senators Culkin and Wyman support
ed the bill, which was finally recon-
mended for passage. After the recess
the Whitney bill was taken up.
Senator Yale protested against it's
passage in view Of the judiciary com
mlttees recommendation that it be
indefinitely postponed. The boast OF
Americans was that there were three
coordinate branches of the govern
ment. The legislature should act in
dependently
There was some dispute as to the
attitude of the committee it developing
that there was really a difference of
opinion.
Senator Greer advocated the bill 1t
was no experiment. Massachusetts had
1t since the founding of the federal
government. 1t was only taken ad-
vantage OF in few instances and was
not customarilV resOrted to as a
method of evading legislative respon-
sibllity 1t would be of great advant-
age in the event that a legislature
should be chosen without any lawyers
in its composition. He himself had
served in the other branch when there
were only five lawyers therein
Senator Schaller wanted to know ;f
the supreme court could reverse itself
on such a law when it came up in act
ual legislation.
Senator Stevens thought the bill was
a good thing.
Senator Whitney called attention to
the fact that the federal supreme court
had reversed itself in the income tax
case.
Senator Spencer thought there was
no demand for the bill and believed it
was tying up the legislative and judi =