The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-22


-Peterson Hill to Reduce Inter-
est Rate Less Fortunate.
The house in committee Of the
whole, Mr.. Laybourn (Rep), of ST.
Louis, in the chair, spent nearly two
hours yesterday discussing the bill ap-
propriating $24.500 TO reimburse the
persons who put up that amount for
the Minnesota exhibit al the Omaha ex-
position last year. After amendment.
motions and substitutes galore had
been made and voted down, the COM
mittee recommended the bill to pass
The bill, as introduced by Mr. Staples
(RepD, of Dakota, had been recon-
mended to pass by the committee on
appropriations and an effort was made
thursday to suspend the rules and put
the bill on its passage This was op-
posed and the bill took it's regular
course
After it had been read Mr.. Staples
moved that il be recommended to pass
Mr.. Lampe Union). of Hennepin NOV
ed for indefinite postponement on the
ground that the legislature two years
ago had refused to make the appro-
priation and the passage of the meas
ure would establish a precedent which
would give rise to mucn trouble in the
future
Mr.. Staples said the business men Of
the state had banded together and
raised the money for an exhibit which
had been of great interest and of bene-
fit to the state. and this in the face of
the fact that he legislature had denied
the appropriation. He had voted
against the appropriation two years
ago. but he was glad to say that he
and the state had made a record at
the Omaha exposition. The question
was whether the parties who had sign
ed notes and made the exhibit a sue
cess were TO be held personally re-
sponsibe for the expenditure. He read
report Of the prizes awarded to Min
nesota at the exposition and stated
that the dairy exhibit alone benefited
the state more than the amount of the
appropriation asked for. He knew Of
his own knowledge of persons who, by
reason Of the exhibit at Omaha, had
been interested in the state, and two
colonies would be located here from
Nebraska. In view of the splendid
work and benefits derived from the ex-
hibit he favored the appropriation.
Mr. Abbott (RepD, of Faribault, in
quired how many notes had been given
and what counties had contributed.
Mr. Staples read a long list of the
counties and the amounts raised by
each and contended that this showed
that all parts of the state took an In
terest in and took part in the exhibit
Mr. Plowman Pop.), Of Otter Tail.
questioned if the appropriation was
not voted down in the house at the last
session on the ground that the state
could not afford the expense. This, Mr..
Staples said, was not correct
Mr.. Gutterson Rep.), of Blue Earth,
offered an amendment to cut the appro-
priation in two and give $12,25O He
was opposed to pledging the credit OF
the state in this way. The exhibit at
Omaha had been a benefit to the state.
but he favored a chance to teach the
parties who pledged the credit of the
state in this way a lesson. If the leg
islature should be asked this year to
make an appropriation and it should
be voted down it would make no diff
ference and parties would do the same
thing as they had in the Omaha ex-
position matter He had been approach
ed during the campaign and requested
by parties who signed the notes In his
district and asked not to oppose the
appropriation. He had stated that he
would not make any promises The
lesson. he thought, would be sufficient
If the state paid half the amount and
allowed the signers of the notes to pay
the other half.
Mr. Staples favored the state paying
all or nothing The plan suggested by
MI Gutterson was milk and water
stand Either vote the bill up or down.
Mr.. Finland (Dem.l. of Ramsey,
thought the amounts raised were pref
ty we'll divided among the counties. His
idea was that the greater number of
those who signed the notes did not eX-
pect to be reimbursed, but simply did
SO for the benefit of the state. If they
did not do 1t with this idea then it was
a mercenary one and they should not
be paid.
Mr.. Marin Pop), of Pope, said all
the men who signed the notes were
fully aware of the action of the legis-
lature In denying the appropriation. He
noticed in the report of the gentlemen
who had charge of the exhibit that the
secretary had drawn $3.50 per month
and an additional s1,6SS was given him.
He thought some one had had a snap
The principle was all wrong and the
appropriation should be turned down.
Mr.. Roberts (Rep), of Hennepin, said
the affair showed that all the intelli-
gence of the state was not lodged in
the legislature. The result showed the
hindsf9ht of the members of the legis-
lature and the foresight of the bust
ness men who had taken charge Of the
exhibit. The amount, asked for to re-
imburse those who had made the ex-
hib1t success was a mere bagatelle
The legislature would be deluged with
bills asking for appropriations, asking
for things untried, while here was one
which had proved benefit to the state.
The business men had put UP their
money for the benefit of the state and
not for their own good and it would
be penny wise and pound foolish not
to reimburse them.
Mr.. Jacobson CRep.) of Lac qui Parle,
was glad to see such spirit of econo-
my on the floor. There would be a
chance later in the session for the gen
tlemen to show the same spirit. The
question was should the state or 100 or
1000 persons pay for the exhibit? The
state was not in honor bound to pay.