Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-04-13
THE LEGISLATURE.
/
ihls Session is Rapidly Drawing
to Close.
All Bills Have Been Presented. The Mem
bers Can Now Devote Their Time
to Committee Work and the
Calender.

st. Paul. April 5.-Saturday was a
field day for talk in both houses. The
senate spent both forenoon and after
noon in debating bills in committee of
the whole and only found time to pass
TWO b1lls-one relating to township
treasurers and the other for bridge
In Chlsaso county. The most protract-
'ed &C bate in the senate was over the
bill establishing state fire marshal
The objection to making another sala-
rled office caused 4 good deal of oppo-
:sition, but it was finally recommended
to pass. The new local option bill was
also bone of contention, but received
a favorable recommendation. 1t for
bids the selling Or giving away of any
liquors in towns or cities which vote
against license, but recognizes the
liquor traffic by allowing manufacture
-ers in no-license towns to sell liquor
anywhere they choose.
The Senate bill establishing bicycle
paths was indefinitely postponed. A
similar bill met the same fate in the
house some time ago. just plain dirt
roads are considered good enough for
cyclists by the legislature.
A debate in the house over the salary
of the secretary of the state board of
health developed the fact that the new
secretary, DR.. Bracken, is receiving a
salary of $1,000 as professor in the
state university and Sl25 per month as
dean of the medical department, the
position formerly occupied by the late
DR.. Willard. AS he is receiving $500
as secretary of the state board Of health
the question was raised whether he
could earn his salary and devote so
much time to the university. An ef-
fort was made to cut his salary down
to $1,000. but it was finally referred to
committee to investigate more thor
-oughly before final action.
Another house incident was an ef-
fort to amend the divorce law, making
the habitual use of opium ground for
divorce. When the debate was ended
there were only % in favor of the bill.
The state fair buildings are still to
be left at the mercy of the flames, as
the house refused to appropriate 50, 900
to extend water mains to the grounds.
Over 5000, 600 worth Of property is thus
left without protection. The bill i'm
posing a local license tax on peddlers
was passed. This bill has been the
subject of mnch debate, and if it be-
comes a law will wipe out the stroll
ing peddler.
ST. Paul. April 6-The senate was
far from being in accord yesterday, but
when four hours afternoon session
was ended (there was no forenoon SEES
:sion) it was difficult to discover, by &C.
complished results, what it was all
about. Four bills successfully ran the
gauntlet of passage, one of which
gives the wealthy an opportunity to
purchase fame. 1t provides that the
regents of the state university can
name-a chair after anyone who gives
the institution $4,000 or more.
The bill requiring probate judges to
send insane persons to asylums by
>heriffs, where friends do not take
them, produced long de bate, finally
resulting in leaving the whole matter
to the discretion of the probate judge.
1t was claimed that the bill was de-
,vised to increase the fees of sheriffs.
An effort to rush the house bill licens-
ing peddlers ahead of its regular order
was only brought to a conclusion by
hunger causing an adjournment for
supper, with nothing done. The nub
of the measure is that the country de-
-sircs to put license on peddlers from
the city which will be practically pro-
hibitory.
A good many politicians breathe
-easicr today, and probably good
many liquor dealers as we'll. The
county option bill was considered at
length in the house. This bill is an ad-
-denda to town option. ltprovides that
if d town votes mo license' the vote
stands, even if the county votes eli
-cense," but if town votes 'for license"
and the county votes ''against license"
the county vote stands. This has Gre
politicians as to the general effect if
the bill was passed. 1t was one of the
early bills of the session, but was only
reached in earnest yesterday. After
long debate test vote showed but SO
in favor of the bill. or II less than
to pass it. No bills were passed,
but three sessions, morning. afternoon
and evening, were devoted to consider
ing bills in committee of the whole. S
being indefinitely postponed and So
to pass. Among the lat
ter was one authorizing iron miners to
furnish their own cars for transporting
ore, if the railroads would not, and
the railroads to haul them.
The governor has signed the bill au-
thorizing the Issue of half a million
certificates of indie btedness for
the new capitol.
st. Paul, April 1.-Two reports to
the legislature were made public yes
terday which will produce something
of sensation, and possibly something
more. Both were from joint commit
tees One was the report of the COM
mittee which Investigated the defunct
banks. their report being ordered fled
in the Office of secretary of state and
given to the public. The report makes
serious reflections on all of the broken
banks in the Twin Cities, except the
Scandal, of Minneapolis: The COM
mittee says that failure was honest.
The. expert testimony developed by the
shows that in some of the
banks records were falsifed. and in
.n.cb of +ho,,,-<h~ ofirors and directors