The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-03-24
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.
THE HOUSE.

THE HOUSE.
ST. PAUL, March 22.-One of the
features Of the house for the past week
was the Investigation OF the Soldiers
Home at Minnehaha. The fnvestiga-
tion showed that there are some old
soldiers who are dissatisfied with the
management. There are also evil
6ences of inordinate use of liquor up
on the part of some Of the inmates,
and in few instances Of bad judg-
ment or what might be considered ex-
travagance, but the charges made by
Representative Stockwell, although
backed by more or less evidence, were
hardly such as would warrant the pub
lie scandal which has been caused.
Among the bills passed of more than
common interest was Mr.. Stockwell's
bill making the free text book law
practically compulsory. The bill has
no especial interest in Minneapolis,
because the free text book system has
been adopted in this city, and no one
thinks OF changing it. But it will ap-
ply to St. Paul and great many of
the country towns, as we'll as the dis
trict schools. The law provides that
school tax the district must furnish
school books free, and, OF course, every
district in the state will furnish the
books because the state school fund is
SO much greater than the cost of the
books that it would be folly to refuse
10 follow the law. The bill is in the
Senate, but it is almost certain of pass
ing.
During the past week reapportion-
mcnt has made fair progress. One or
two meetings Of the joint Sub-cOmmit-
tee will make the bill ready for public
inspection. 1t does not complete the
bill. however, because it is the inten-
ton to allow every county or, perhaps
every senatorial district to adjust in
ternal subdivisions as the members
from that diStricG may determine.
The event Of the week in the house
was the debate upon the Reeves min
ing tax bill. The only point in the
bill is the question whether the iron
mines in Northern Minnesota should
pay tonnage tax upon their output
and what that tax should be. The
bill, as introduced. fixed the tax at
eight cents. 1t was subsequently re-
duced to five uents, and in that shape
the bill went to vote and was defeat
Ell, lacking only two votes There was
mistake in recording the vote of Mr..
Mclean, and Mr.. Martin was out of
the capital for few minutes when
the bill came to a vote, SO that there
were just enough votes in the house to
pass the bill, II there had been no acct
dents. The bill will be reconsidered
on Saturday, and it will be taken up
as special order Tuesday afternoon.
SENATE.
The remarkable feature of the past
week has been the number Of hearings
on pending measures.
The public has awakened from its
apathy on few important meas ures,
nOticeably the an thrust, licensing Of
department stores and the immigra-
ton bill. While these public hearings
take up some time, they are held out
side the usual working hours, and if
mischievous legislation is prevented
the result is quite as valuable as any
amount of positive legislation.
The antitrust bill particularly is
causing uneasine in business circles.
1t will be remem Dered that the labor
unions first entered their protest and
claimed that the bill was not what it's
title purpOrted. Their protest is now
5 drowned in the storm Of remonstranc-
es which rises from wholesalers and
retailers in all classes Of business. The
bill is copy of the Georgia antitrust
bill, yet even when so carefully drawn
| for that specific purpose seems to be
giving legitimate lines of trade con-
siderable trouble. The protest agains t
the bill is SO very emphatic that it
will probably he killed when it comes
up on general orders. g..
The bill to license department.
stores succeeded in getting a fayorab bic
report from the judiciary committee,
and this action was great SURPRISE
The judiciary committee, however. by
this recommendation. only states that
such measure is cons titutional, ex-
pressing no opinion on its merits.
The bill is now on general orders and
may come up any day for discussion.
While opinion is somewhat divided it
hardly seems probab BILE that the meas
ure will pass the Senate, and still less
that it would pass the house if it got
that far.
The Powers labor bureau inves tiga-
ton is nearing close. The examina-
tion of witnesses will be finished next
Tuesday evening and Mr.. Powers will
then be given an opportunity to be
heard in his own defense The COM
mittee will probably report at the lat
ter end of the week
The bill to repeal the newspaper
libel law was the subject of interest
ing public hearing one day last week.
The judiciary committee and many
members of the senate listened with
interest to the forcible arguments
against its repeal presented by the
publishers of daily papers. No report
has been made on the bill as yet.
The formation of a state immigra-
tion bureau is also topic of some in
terest. There is a strong sentiment
against creating boards, and the pro-
test Of the labor people that immi-
grants tend to settle in the large
cities will make the legislators CON
slider carefully before sanctioning any
measure which increases the mum Der
of unemployed already in sight.
The English postof1ice department
does all the express business in Great
Britain, carries parcels at an average
cost of II cents and makes a profit of
s., 250, 600 year. like that scheme
very we'll, except the profit feature;
can't see why the people should make
profits off themselves. But the profits
of the express business in this smart