Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-04-13

OSA4SSO q SOAOAAoGAOA =" o. SACOAOA l
into by private parties to secure these
lands and that it is the duty of the |
state to recover them. They further |
that joint commission of |
three senators and four representa- |
tives, be appointed to sit after the leg
islature ajourns and bring such pro-
ceedings as may be necessary to recov-
er the lands containing the valuable
mine.
Aside from these reports, the inter-
est of the day conferred in the house,
where the Douglas distance tariff bill
was the special order. This bill fixes
railroad rates according to distance
and has been strenuously opposed by
the roads. Petitions haye been sent in
by railroad employees requesting its de-
feat on the ground that it would Grip
pie the roads and cause reduction of
their pay. A large number came in
yesterday. The debate began at II a.
m. Representative Douglas, of Moor
head, who introduced the bill, being
the first speaker. He was followed by
Mr.. Schmidt, of Duluth, the leader in
opposition to the bill. Messrs. Jacob
son, Donnelly, Dahl. Gear and Foss
spoke for the bill, and Messrs. Little
ton, Reeves and Cray against. 1t was
p. M. when the debate concluded and
vote was reached, resulting in the
defeat of the bill by ~ yeas to g. nays.
The senate put in full day yester-
day in committee of the whole, recon-
mending SO bills for passage. There
were l2s bills in the committee, and
yesterdays work cleared the decks ma
terially. Among the bills recommend
ed to pass was Sheehan's antitrust
bill. So many senators were visiting
the state university that no attempt
was made to pass any bills.
St. Paul, April s.-The era of inves-
tigating reports is still on. The senate
committee appointed to investigate
its report yesterday. There were six
charges. The committee finds that the
factory law has been enforced in part,
but when employers were notified and
did not obey they were not prosecuted.
The book, "Purchasing Power of Cold"
issued by Mr.. Powers at state expense,
was not proper public document. All
the statistics collected have been pub
llshed, so far as they we're of value.
None of them were ''garbled." None
of the personal charges were sustained.
This mixed report concludes by rec
ommending labor commissioner at a
salary of $4,000 year, and three as
sistants, effecting saving of $4,000 in
the department. A bill to accomplish
this is now pending.
The senate passed the house bill re-
curing peddlers to take out town IL
censes, very few besides the city mem
bers opposing it.
The house broke out yesterday in
favor of abolishing the Office of state
fire warden, a position now held by
Gen. c. c. Andrews. A bill was intro
duced some time ago TO abolish the Of
fee and on yesterday the majority of
the committee on forestry reported
against the bill and the minority in its
favor After debate, made lively by
personalities, the minority report was
adopted. An effort TO suspend the
rules and pass the bill failed. but the
motion developed 81 votes in its favor,
which lnsures its passage by the house
when reached in its regular order.
The house passed a bill forbidding
sectarian teaching in public schools or
the wearing of sectarian garb, and re-
fused to pass a memorial to congress
for general bankrupt law.
The senate took up the reapportion-
ment bill as special order yesterday
afternoon and fought it to finish,
holding an evening session to complete
the work. As the bill was finally
passed it makes SO senators and 1875
representatives. The vote on passage
stood 3S to IS.
The house, with great unanimity,
passed four bills taxing corporations.
One makes five per cent tax on the
gross earnings of express companies;
"a second levies a per cent tax on the
gross earnings of sleeping and parlor
cars; third imposes a per cent tax
on the assessed valuation of freight
line and equipment companies. and the
fourth 5 per cent tax on the gross
earnings of telephone companies.
There were IL negative votes on the
last named measure, but the others
passed unanimously. It is estimated
that the four bills will add $4,000 to
the revenue of the state.
st. Paul, April 9.-An echo of the
last campaign was heard in the senate
yesterday, when bill declaring gold
and silver to be legal tender in this
state was defeated.
The commitment of Frank Hoskin to
the insane asylum at Fergus Falls
came up in the house yesterday in the
shape of a report from the committee
on insane hospitals. Mr.. Hoskins had
a bill introduced expunging the records
of the insane asylum showing his COM
mitment. The majority of the COM
mittee reported for ndefinite postpone
ment of the bill while the minority
favored its passage. The minority re-
port was lost by tie vote, and then the
majority report was also lost so that
the whole matter lies on the table and
Hoskins bill is likely to fail of passage.
The bill extending the water works to
the State Fair grounds was resurrected
and killed for the second time. The
legislature is evidently willing to
chance it on fire sweeping away $780,
600 worth of state property.
When the reform school was removed