The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1899-02-25
THE LEGISLATURE

stature recOnvened yesterday. None
of the more important measures came
up in either house. The house re.
ceived the report Of the oil inspector,
which was called for by that body
just prior to adjournment in connec-
ton with a bill introduced by the COM
mittee m state affairs to make the
office a salaricd one ut $4,000 annually
instead of conducting 1t on the fee sys-
TEN. The report showed a total num-
Der Of 2 1000 barrels of oil inspected In
1897, and approximately $1,000 barrels
inspected in 1898. At ar average of
Is cents a barrel for inspection, which
is believed to be the average. the total
fees of the Office the last year would
be between $4,000 and $4,000.
The house had a long discussion in
committee of the whole over the bill
to increase the penalty for Sabbath
breaking, a question which comes reg
ularly before the legislature through
the efforts of enthusiasts to secure IN
increase of the present penalty, which
is 81 fine. The hill provoking the dis
chssion made tire fines to range frc.s
81 to $40 at the discretion of the courts
and was finally recommended to pass
by the committee. The discussion Of
the measure was warm, many mem
L.rs arguing that it would give an OPP
portunity for the more enthusiastic adj
vocates Of the law to harrass farmers,
whom necessity might compel to work
on Sunday. Hale's bill to take the ap-
portionment of the school poll tax lev
led on all electors in the state from
the hands Of the state superintendent
and place it With the county auditors
provoked another extended discussion
and was not acted upon. Kennedy's
bill to prohibit the use of repeating
shotguns in huAt4ns game in the state
was indefinitely postponed.
The senate passed the following
bills: Providing for lien upon thresh-
ing engines and senarators for work
in repairing; authorizing the commits
sioner of school lands to charge fees
for making records; providing for the
levy of annual tax for the building and
maintenance of fire breaks. The SEN
ate also passed the house bill declaring
all elevators public elevators, but af-
forwards reconsidered the bill and
made it q special order for tomorrow.
Bills introduced in the house:
Thomas, prohibiting the use of dogs
in hunting prairie chicken; Brakk,
amending the mechanics lien law;
Erickson, prohibiting the sale of fire.
arms to minors; Petersou, amending
the law relating to the fi!Iug of deeds
or mortgages; Hare, p,:riding that
butchers shall keep a recora Of brands
on hides of slaughtered animals; Tuft,
amending the law relating to the care
of poor strangers; Alshouse, providing
for the redemption of real property
sold ut tax sales; Clarke, providing for
poundmasters in unorg dnized town.
ships; McHarg, providirg for the re-
of real property sold at tax
sales.
In the senate the bills introduced
were:
Marshall, creating the Office of state
dairy commissioner and regulating the
sale of adulterated foods; McCana, con-
current resolution for the conserving
of the supply of water in Revils lake;
Porter, requiring long-distance tele-
phone companies to form connections
with local exchanges where lines inter-
ceSt; Marshall, making an %appropria-
ton of $4,000 for the industrial school
ut Glendale; Arnold, appropriating
5000 for the expense of a geological
survey of certain portions of the state;
Arnold, appropriating the proposed tax
of 2-5 of q mill on the dollar for the
support of the state university.
Bismarck, N. D., Feb. 16.-The house
passed the senate resolution for the
sale. Of $15O,OOO of certificates of in
debtedness to secure funds for the es-
Enlistment of a state Irvine plant at
the penitentiary and the house commit.
tee bill providing for the establish
ing the plant and comforting the neces-
sary authority on the board of trus-
tees. The bills were passed with little
debate. Representative Wallace op-
posed the measures for the reason that
he was opposed to convict labor in any
form that would come into competition
with free labor. Representatives Sar-
gent and Hare urged the passage of
the bills, both for the benefit and profit
of the state and for the moral welfare
of the convicts, whose enforced idle
ness is O serious problem for the state
prison officials.
The Twitchell bill for the taxation Of
EXPRESS, eleSfdpu uuu SIuIIidl Gull
panies was to-day reported back from
the senate ways and means committee
without recommendation and was re-
ferred to the committee Of the whole.
The house voted not to adopt the
Laughlin resolution for O legislative
protest against the seating of Con-
gresham Roberts of Utah because of
alleged polygamy. The concurrent res
olutions providing for constitutional
amendments for q Switchboard of par-
dons and for the equitable assessment
Of express. telegraph and similar com-
panies we're passed. This passed the
fifth assembly, and IL passed by the
senate will be submitted at the coming
election. The house also passed the
following bills:
Fixing the date Of annual township
meetings; providing for the granting Of
right Of way by municipalities to tele-
graph companies; for the creation OF
new school distrlces; increasing the
penalty for Sabbath breaking; for the
creation Of new election precincts; reg
ulating the salaries Of county auditors
and clerks of county courts.
In the senate the concurrent resolu-
ton for q reduction OF the minimum
price Of school lands to SIS nm acre was
Indefinitely postponed On recommends
ton Of the committee. Senator Por-
ter,s proposed amendment providing