Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-03-01
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP
Our Special Correspondent Tells of
the Solons' Doings.

the oOl0nS' DOlngS.
The Work OF Introducing Bills, Both Pub
lie and Private Goes Merrily On. As
| Yet but Few Measures Have
| Received Final Action.
| St. Paul, Feb. lit Senator Halvorsen
can have his way there will be some new
offices created. He introduced a bill yes
terday to have the Office of temperance
commissioner created, with a salary Of
$1,000 year. and one deputy with 81 900
salary with special deputies at 50 per day,
TO be selected by the commissioner The
Dill carries an appropriation of $4,000.
| Senator Miller offered a bill compelling
individuals, partnerships or corporations
to exhibit their insurance policies and
premiums paid to the assessor for the
purpose of being used as a basis for tax
| alton.
Only two bills passed the Senate. In
surance Commissioner Dearth is now out
as John O'Shaughnessy, of Saltwater,
was confirmed as his successor
The House now has county option bill
pending as we'll as the Senate, and there
seems to be very determined effort on
the part of the temperance people to Sc
| cure some restrictive legislation, The bill
granting bounty of so cents Per ton on
pig iron manufactured in the state. was
recommended to pass, but almost at the
| same time the Governor sent in a. veto
message on the proposed increase of the
sugar beet bounty, which may indicate
the flute of this bill if it passes both
| houses.
Prison labor and good roads combined
received some attention in a bill appro-
pr1at1ng $4,000 to enable the state prison
commissioners to secure rock land near
the prison and use the prisoners and ma
chinery to crush rock, which is to be- de-
l1Vered free of charge to commissioners
of any county asking for the same.
st. Paul. Feb 18.-The bill placing COM
mission men under the control of the rail-
road and warehouse commission, and re-
curing them to give bonds, precipitated
a lively debate in the Senate and was
finally sent to the judiciary committee to
see If it was constitutional. The commit
tee on Illuminating oils presented a SUBJ
stitute bill for the one pending, making
the state oil inspector a salaried office.
The new bill fixes the salary at s., 400 per
year, and provides for one deputy in each
county, at a salary of 500 per month.
The SO cents per ton bounty on pig iron
bill was again the subject of a lively de-
bate in the house. Numerous amend
ments were offered, and j. J. HILL presi-
dent of the Great Northern, was assailed
| by Mr.. Jacobson, but no result was
reached
This debate occupied so much of the
session that little else was done. A bill
was offered exempting newspapers from
execution to the extent of 2,0OO and job
printing offices to the extent of $500.
st. Paul, Feb. 20-There was a semi
sensation in the house Saturday when
the question of the Governors veto
of the sugar beet bounty bill came
up. The bill appropriated s19,975 to
pay the one cent per pound bounty
on the beet sugar produced at St..
Louis Park. Minneapolis, last year. 1t
was a sort of vested right, the works
having been erected and operated with a.
law on the statute book promising the
one cent bounty. The argument upon
which the Governor based his veto was
that the law creating the bounty did not
! limit the length of time the bounty
should run or the amount which might be
paid. He argued that before another ses-
| sion of the legislature obligations to- the
extent OF 100000 or more might be
created. The house grew indignant over
| the interference" with legislation, as the
members termed it. 1t was the first di-
| rect issue between the governor and the
| legislature. and the vote on passing the
| bill over the governors veto was largely
on party lines, only two Democrats vot-
ing to pass the hill over the veto. The
bill passed by "a to 20. It is predicted
that it will go through the senate over
the veto as we'll. 1t is quite probable
| that even with this result some limitation
| will be placed upon the amount Of future
bounties. The veto message was read in
| the house when the bill providing for
bounty of so cents a ton upon pig iron
| manufactured in the state was pending.
1t is customary to interrupt business at
any stage Of the proceedings to receive a
! message from the governor. This only
applies, however, to the mere clerical act
OF the governors private secretary hand
| ling the document to the clerk Of the
| house and it can be read at some future
| time, not necessarily interrupting the
| pending proceedings. Mr.. Staples was in
the speakers chair, owing to the illness
of Speaker Dare, and he had the message
read as soon as received. A vote on the
| pig iron bounty bill Immediately followed
and as the result of the veto bounties ar
| gument it was defeated So it might be
termed drawn battle between the gov
eminent and the legislature.
Under the present law saloon cannot
be located within 1900 feet of school
building, but a bill was offered in the
house reducing the limit to 900 feet.
The house passed bill providing, for
| the taxation of sleeping cars used in
| whole or in part in the state, the same as
| other property.
BY comparison with the house the SEN
ate Was dull body today. The only
scrimmage was over a bill which prohib-
its probate judges or their clerks from
| acting as attorneys in cases pending be-
fore them. The lawyers all favored the
| bill, as it would increase their business,
while the four editors in the senate OPP
! posed it, so that it became a battle of
professions. An effort to Indefinitely post
pone failed, and the bill goes on the CAL