The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-04

The house held its first afternoon
session yesterday and by working five
hours disposed of a grist Of routine
business. Thirteen bills were intro
duced and the same number passed.
The house adjourned at o'clock to
Monday morning at 10 o'clock.
Among the bills passed by the house
yesterday was one introduced by Mr..
Wallace RepO, of Hennepin. to pro-
tect bicycle paths. The measure met
with opposition from a number of the
farmer members.
Mr.. Foss Rep) of Grant. favored
the penalty for dropping a handker-
chief on a cycle path being made
twenty Years in states prison, but
wanted it to apply only to the cities.
Mr.. Umland Oem.), of Ramsey. said
he never rode a bicycle and hoped he
never would. but he favored the bill
because SO much money had been in
vested in paths in the Twin Cities.
Mr.. Plowman PopD, of Otter Tail,
took the ground that cattle might stray
on a cycle path. and this would make
the owner pay a fire or be imprisoned.
He could not vote for it,
Mr.. Dealy Oem), of Scott declared
the bill would prevent farmers herding
cattle along the roads and would have
to be amended in this particular before
it received his sanction.
Mr.. Feeney Oem.), Of LIE Sueur,
urged the farmer members not to vote
for the bill without amendment.
Mr. O'Neill Uniom stated he would
vote for the bill as a matter of pro-
lection. 1t would only be a short time
before the country members would
come in and ask the city members to
pass a bill to protect them from the
cyclists AS it was how the wives of
the farmers who drove out Sundays
to get the fresh air were compelled to
give the whole road to persons bent
over like monkeys on machines.
The bill passed by a vote of so to 70,
those voting against it being:
Benolken, Brusletten, Dealy, Donohue, En-
erson, Estbv, Feeney, Fosnes, Foss. John
son, ]. E.; Johnsrud Marin, OLSON. F.;
Peterson, K: Peterson, G.; Plowman, Riley,
Sander, Scribner, TORY, Truwe, Won Lehe,
Wethern.
WHEATON'S BILL PASSES.
Mr.. Wheaton's civil rights bill, al
lowing colored persons the privilege of
entering saloons the same as other
races, was passed with but two dis
senting votes.
Mr. Riley (Rep), of Jackson, con-
tended that the measure was In reality
a temperance one. The objection now
should not be allowed to patronize sa-
Icons visited by white men. If the
passage of the bill would have the eff
feet of keeping white men out of these
resorts by allowing negroes to visit
them it would be good thing for the
general public.
Mr.. Benolkeh Oem.), of Stearns, and
Mr.. Hazlett Rep.), of Hubbard, voted
against the measure.
TAXING INSURANCE COMPANIES.
In H. F. 233, Mr.. Gutterson Rep), of
Blue Earth, seeks to amend the law
requiring insurance companies to pay
a tax on gross premiums. The present
law all fire and life companies pay
Per cent upon gross premiums and as
sessment life companies are not includ-
ed. The bill provides that all foreign
companies organized outside of the
United States and all branches shall
pay a tax of 31a per cent on gross pre-
MUM receipts. All companies organ
lied in the United States outside of
Minnesota shall pay a tax of per
cent upon gross premiums received or
assessments collected. All Minnesota
companies shall pay a tax of 2 per cent
on gross premiums. The taxes paid
under the bill and in lieu Of other taxes
except upon real estate. All township
life associations and all strictly mutual
companies not organized for profit are
exempted. The changes proposed are
to bring several money-making inSur-
ance companies to pay tax to the
state, also to impose heavier tax
upon European companies and branch
es than upon domestic companies.
TO ABOLISH DAYS OF GRACE.
The bill of Mr.. Yale Rep.), of Vino
ma, H. F. SO. to abolish days of grace,
was passed, but it had a close call, the
vote being 81 ayes and 10 nays.
H. F. Ill, by Mr.. Henderson Rep.),
of Fillmore, providing for the payment
of clerk hire in counties where no pro-
vision was made for this purpose, was
passed. Mr.. Roberts (Rep), of Henne-
pin, did mot think the bill was worth
the paper it was printed on and was
the only one to vote in the negative.
TWO BILLS SETTLED.
H. F. 103, by Mr.. Wheaton (Rep), Of
Hennepin, relating to the liability Of
railroad companies, and H. F. 1T, by
Mr.. Hillary Rep.), Of Washington, re-
ducing the rate for publishing delin-
quent tax lists, were indefinitely post
poned
REGULATING STREET RAILWAYS.
Mr.. Schurman Rep), Of Fillmore,
In H. F. 225, provides for street rail-
way companies in the state being de-
clared common carriers and placing
them under the power and authority
of the. railroad and warehouse COM
missioners. The measure will proba-
bly, have to be amended, as under it's
present provisions all hacks and bus
lines are included as common carriers
STATE FIRE MARSHAL.
Mr.. Henderson Rep), of Fillmore,
introduced a bill providing for the
appointment by the insurance commits
sioner of state fire marshal. The
official is to be appointed for a term
of two years, and receive a salary Of
$4,000, with an additional $1,000 for
travelling expenses. His duties are to
investigate and report to the insur-
anee commissioner on all fires brought
to his attention. A bill of similar pur-
port was defeated in the house at the
last session.