The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-05
VOTING In THE DARK
CRITICISM OF THE CUSTOM OF THE
PRESENTATION OF HOUSE
BILLS
BAKING POWDER LABEL LAW
Perennial BHl Introduced Looking
TO the Regulation of the Alum
PONders-Senator baldwin En-
poses Some Curious Eccentricf-
ties in the Passing of House Bills
in the Senate.

One of the most careleSsly drawn
bills that has been presented to the
Minnesota legislature this year is the
usual baking powder BILL which pro-
fesses by its title to amend a law Of
1891, concerning the manufacture and
sale of baking powder, vinegar, etc.
AS a matter of fact, the 1891 law refer
led To does not concern itself with the
manufacture of baking powder at all,
but only With vinegar. The bill intro
duced yesterday by Senator Meiickc
(Pop), Cottonwood, in fact, amends
chapter 7, if it ever can have any legal
force at all, which is the general bak-
ing powder vinegar syrup, and pure
food law.
The change made IN the baking pow
der law is that instead of the type in
which must be printed the legend,
This powder contains alum being OF
long primer or greater size ii must be
in an uncondensed Gothic letter, not
less than one-siXth of an inch in length.
a slightly larger letter. and printed in
dark colored ink on a light background.
This label must be placed upon any
baking powder which contains alum
in any of its compounds.
The vinegar provision of the Meilicke
bill merely defines With some more
exact scientific requisites. the stan
ddI 1OE pure vinegar 1uIe NlnSaI
must not only present the physical
characteristics of chemically pure vine
gar, but must yield a residue of solids
when eVaporaJed over hot water, which
when burned, shall leave an ash not
less than 25-100 of one per cent of the
origina! weight of the sample tested.
MYSTERIES IN HOUSE BILLS.
Senator Baldwin Oem), st. Louis,
called the attention of the senate to
the fact that the members were not
aware what they were voting upon
under the custom observed in the pres
eEtation of house bills to the co-ordi-
nate branch of the government He
called attention to the fact that he had
on the day previous voted against a
house bill, endangering its passage, as
it had a bare majority of the senate,
when, had he known that it had been
amended as it apparently needed, he
should have voted aye He brought
this matter up in connection with H.
f. 90, the bill of Mr.. Wethern Pop.), of
Beltrami, which has been the subject,
as it turned out on investigation yes
terday of a number of alterations
since it started on its course through
the legislature, so that not only was
the bill as presented for final passa ge
unlike the printed bill. but different
4AOlil VI Tie tAPldIdlIOllS given ny
its friends in the senate, either when
it was on general orders or on the cal
endar. The bill managed, however, to
muster thirty-nine votes a bare seven
more than We're needed. Senator Will
sen, who voted no, did not discover
what the bill under consideration was,
he said until too late to make a speech
against it.
Gov. Lind'S suggestion concerning of
ficers at present receiving fees of very
liberal emoluments has brought forth
new fruit. Senator Du Toit Oem), of
Carver, yesterday introduced a bill to
put the clerk of the supreme court on
a salary of s., 400 a year, which will
give those Republicans who have been
insisting on the Immediate chopping Off
of the oil inspectors emoluments a
chance to show whether or not they are
consistent, lor merely partisan.
DEFERRED A DAY.
The insane hospital bills, made a
special order for Tuesday, were defer
red until. Wednesday.
TO PERMIT ABSORPTION.
Senator Ives Dem.), Ramsey, intro
duced a bill to amend the law Of 1881,
authorizing the consolidation Of rail-
roads on the purchase of one by the
company owning the other, by adding
to the original law a provision extend
ing to foreign corporations which may
purchase lines in this state the same
complete control that may be acquired
by domestic corporations. The bill is
said to be designed to enable the Mil
waukee & st. Paul company to assume
control of the ST Paul & Duluth. II
would also enable the Burlington to as
sumo control Of the B., c. r. & N. in
this state