Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1897-04-29
LEGISLATIVE 400

1n0u1Dnd Ill ~ TUU
MEASURES THAT WE'RE FORTUNATE
- ENOUGH TO BE IN 1T
when the session Closed Only Few
Less Than Gothsm's Swell Society
Liss-A Goudly Number Of Important
Rills Passed, But Some Did Not-Briai
Correspondent Cowen.
ST.. PAUL, April 27.-[Special] The
legislator has gone but the legislation
remains. and by it alone can his quail
ity be judged. In the house there were
introduced l,o34 proposed. laws, and
the senate received $50. Altogether
3o5 bills met the approval of both
houses and were sent to the governor,
who vetoed half dozen and formally
approved the remainder. OF the bills
that reached the governor 100 had
originated in the senate and 205 in the
house. Among the LIZA bills intro.
duced in both houses many of them
were duplicates, being introduced
simultaneously in house and senate in
order to advance them more quickly
toward their goal. This fact TENDS to
the overthrow of all suggestions that
either house favored its own measures
to the undue disadvantage of bills
from the other body. The net
result of the session is the enact.
ment and approval of 800 more or less
important laws, and adjournment saw
the end of the work. This is very un.
usual, for it has almost invariably been
the case that large numbers of bills,
often hundreds of them, were still
awaiting action when the statutory
hour for adjournment arrived. The
senate this year had number of meas
ures still pending, but in the house the
calendar and general orders were both
cleared, several committees reported
that all bills referred to them had been
returned to the house with adverse or
favorable reports, and the work of the
session was completed. This was
largely due to the efficiency of the
clerical force.
With business reasonably well
cleared up, the legislature has its
record to stand on, aud it remains for
the people to decide whether the legis-
lation secured was what they needed
and desired. In real Importance the
tax laws would probably rank first
although in interest the reapportion-
ment law would first come to mind.
This latter law was, IS has been sew.
oral times stated, clearly matter of
compromise, but some form Of reappor-
tionment was 30 necessary that tho
people will readily 1eegive 80 large .
Legislative body because Of tho general
desire for fairness Indicated In the
passage Of the law. With 6s senators
and lIs representatives, the old capitol
will DO moro than ever crowded, bat
the newly settled counties will bs bet.
tor able to secure future legislative
action, having greater representation.
Tho Reeves mine tax bill failed Of
passage in the senate, after hard
struggle through tho house, and Mr..
Reeves later attempt to crowd through
q second bill failed. Az the old cent
ton tax was repealed, the mining COM
panies will, for At least two years, pay
taxes on their assessed valuation. This
will bring in larger return than the
old plan, but Reeves, jacobson and
other friends Of the tonnage tax priu.
ciple still maintain that the receipts
would have been greater had their pot
measure gone through.
All four bills for gross earnings tax
on express, sleeping and drawing room
car, freight line and equipment and
telephone companies went through
both houses and were signed by tho
governor. That one which was intro.
duced by Mr.. Dyer, and was originally
. copy Of part Of the Ohio law for tax
alton of express companies, will need
to be interpreted by the courts, for
amendments were made by the senate
that bear various constructions. The
intention was clearly to provide for q
3 per cent gross earnings tax on all
express business done within the state,
after deducting amounts paid to rail.
road companies, this deduction being
needed to avoid double taxation, as
the railroads already pay a tax on
their gross earnings, which include
receipts from express companies. The
senate amendment made it read tax
on business "between points within
the state" and some have taken this to
exclude business that goes out Of or
comes into the state, while others
maintain that it will not affect this
business, but will be tax on all OK.
press matter carried inside the state
boundaries. It will be decided by the
courts. It is estimated that about
&l2, 600 will be annually received from