The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-28
PROPOSITION IN RE-
GARD TO THE LEGISLATIVE
PAY ROLL,
BUT THEY DID NOT PASS IT.
REPRESENTATIVES, TORsON WANTS
THE MORTGAGEE TO PAY ALL
REALTY TAXES.
Australian Ballot Law, Says Dom
nelly, Should Not Exact Exhor-
bitant Fees FROM Candidates.

Matters in the house OF representa-
tives are, In vulgar parlance, getting
good" and each day develops an Incl
dent or two which relieves the sessions
OF utter monotony. Yesterday there
were several matters which could
hardly be called routine In their ma
ture. Perhaps the most interesting of
them was started by the request of
Representative Heimerdinger, Of Gold
en- Gate, that his resolution introduced
a week or more ago, and providing for
generous slashing in the salaries of
state officers, be taken UP by the men,
bers for consideration.
The resolution sets forth that in view
of the hard times there should be seal
ing down Of all public salaries Of about
70 per cent to correspond to the re-
auction made by private corporations
In wages of their employees.
When the reading clerk had gone
over the resolution, Representative Feig
suggested an amendment. He believed
the resolution was quite right in It's
1ntent and favored it, but It was an
error, he thought, to specify any per-
centage Of reduction.
He hardly believed the members
would favor plan by which their own
stipends would be reduced, and wound
up by moving that the 20 per cent
clause be stricken out. Mr.. Heimer-
dinger, from Golden Gate, nobly de-
Tended his measure, by stating that he
provided for the reduction in the sal
aries Of the members Of the legisla-
ture If only to show good faith in the
matter.
Other representatives saw q solu-
ton Of the present difficulty by elimi-
mating the Objectionable clause from
the resolution, but the matter was only
then half opened. Mr.. Donnelly ex-
pressed the view that the time was
ripe for reduction Of salaries. He
was constantly reminded, he said, of
the poverty which was bearing on the
people, by the numerous letters he re-
ceived. complaining of the large sala-
ries paid county officers when their
equals were working in banks and
stores for beggarly pittances.
1t was not to be thought, however,
that the members would vote to re-
duce their own per diem. It was al
ready small enough, when the duties
and responsibilities were taken into
consideration. Said Mr. Donnelly in
concluding: 'Tt Is an unpleasant task
to reduce the income Of any man, but
the French have a saying that If you
would make an onnlet you first must
break the eggs" .-att[ ~-~---i
MI. Jacobson, in a most earnest tone,
begged his fellows not to seriously con-
Ci6aYs a fIIf VIII L.
they would never pass, at least in its
present shape, cutting down the sala-
ries of the members. ST do not wish to
act as a demagogue," he said, pre-
tending to do what I know and you
know nobody really intends to vote for
after ALL
He wanted the resolution referred to
committee which should draft q bill
amended along the line Of what the
house really wanted to do in the matter
and that after cutting off all refer
ence to a specific reduction, and any
reference to the legislature Repre-
sentative Dan Shell sent up joke sub
stitute, which provided that the MEM
bers' salaries be made hereafter $3.50
per day, but needless to say, it was not
seriously considered.
Mr.. Douglas took his cue from what
Mr.. Shell had intended as a joke, and
in a brief talk, deprecated what he
called a frecracker resolution in favor
OF some pretended economy which
everybody knew would not be adopted.
Admitting that there was some re-
adjustment necessary, he said he
thought the best way to bring it about
was by means Of bills not vaguely
drawn, but covering specific cases.
Representative Stockwell, Of Henne-
pin, advocated retrenchmemt all along
the line, and after several of the house
warriors had taken their turns at the
resolution, it was 50 amended so as
to provide that the speaker appoint a
committee Of five to consider it's pro-
visions, and draft a bill and in this
shape the resolution was adopted and
the incident closed.