The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1899-02-18
THE LEGISLATURE

IL Mill.
Bismarck, Feb. S.-The house recon-
sidered- the Laughlin bill providing that
all county %treasurers In the state shall
give bonds in a fidelity Insurance COM
pany. After the bill had been amend
ed to provide that in all counties where
the salary Of the treasurer exceeds
$ 1880 a year he shoula pay the ex
penss of securing the bond Individual
~, the bill passed with a slight oppos-
ing vote. Tie object Of the S is
to guarantee the insurance of county
funds against loss, and it will in all
likelihood pass the senate. The senate
passed the appropriation bill to reim-
burse Governors Briggs and Devine for
moneys advanced in the prosecution Of
the maximum rate case.
Senator La Moure characterized the
creation of the special expenses and
some of the purposes to which the
money was put as a trrlesque on COM
mon sense, although lie said he should
vote for the appropriation bill because
the American people like to be hum
plugged and he was n of the people.
La Moure stated that the creation Of
these expenses without warrant of the
legislative assembly vas q dangerous
precedent. He quoted from the report
of expenditures, citing the payment OF
SIS q month to Frank H. Irons of Far
70, and stated that it was generally re-
ported that the former secretary Of the
railroad commission had: upon his own
authority, engaged Irons to write a &C.
ries of letters for the Fargo Forum
| over! the signature "XN," and that 1t
was moderately safe to put down that
| the state had been paying Irons the
SIS a month for the writing of these
letters, and he doubted whether the
benefit received by the state had been
worth the price. H A Edwards, a
brother of Maj. Edwards, of the For
UNI, he stated. had been paid for eX-
pert testimony when he had made only
one or two trips over the roads In the
state and then had gone before h
court and given testimony as to how
much it would cost to rebuild them.
La Moure. however, voted for the ap-
preparation to pay for the expenses.
Both houses passed q number OF
minor bills providing for technical
amendments of the code. Bills intro
duced in the senate:
Little (by request), providing for an
appropriation Of $4,000 for clerk hire
in the office of the commissioner of ag-
riculture and labor; Mobiles, providing
dates for terms of court in the Second
judicial district: Twitchell, providing
that in cases of insolvency debts of the
sthate should be preferred
The house passed the bill reducing
the maximum contract rate of interest
from u to 10 per cent. There were
several speeches against the bill, its
opponents arguing that 1t merely op-
Grated against small borrowers who
would be unable to secure loans at low
rates Of interest. The anti-tramp bill
passed, giving powers Of peace officers
to railroad employees for the arrest of
trespassers on trains. Bills introduced
in the house:
Gullack, providing that counties may
dispose of lands acquired at tax sale
by public or private sale as desired by
the county commissioners; Towle, re-
curing the covering or filling of all
wells OH lands in the state: Herbrand-
son, providing that regular railroad
trains shall stop at least three minutes
at all county seats where the popula-
ton is 1000 or over; Erickson, defining
the liability of corporations for person
al damage to employees; Wolbert, pro-
viding powers for boards of education
in special districts: for the prevention
of adulteration OF manufactured prod
ucts of flaXseed or linseed oil; Hare,
making the compensation of legislative
doorkeepers and janitors 81 Il day;
Ovind, reducing the salary of .ailroad
commissioners to $1,000 per annum,
and of the secretary to. 5000; Lee,
amending the law providing for the
| admission of pupils into foreign school
districts.
Bismarck. N. D.. Feb. 9.-Thc senate
passed the joint resolution authorizing
the issuance. of $4,000 of certificates
of indebtedness for the establishment
| of q Irvine plant at the state peniteu-
| tiary. Senator Luke wanted the bill
made 4, special order for Tuesday next,
| but Senator Twitchell. of the appro-
| priations committee. by whom the bill
was introduced. objected to deferring
action aud the bill was passed without
| debate. 1t was messaged to the house
ana read the first and second time, and
will come up there for early action.
| The house also recommended the bill
| for the establishment of the Irvine
plant to pass and the matter was made
a special order. The senate also passed
Mobiles bill providing for the approval
of trespass damage bonds by a Justice
of the peace. and McGilvray's. provid-
ing for the creation of irrigation dis
tricts. 5
House bill 20, providing for continu-
ance Of cases in court where my at
torney or party is serving as a mem
Der Of the legislature, was passed. The
penses for railroad rate a g was re-
| considered and referred back to the
committee, their estimate having
omitted from the appropriation pro-
| vision for the payment of bills aggre-
eating several hundreds Of. dollars in
Cured in the prosecution IF the case.
I The house committee reported OF a
large number Of bills, and those recon-
mended to pass were: Stevens. provid-
ing for the payment Of the firemen's 2
per cent tax on June i; providing re-
Insurance and regulating the business
of insurance in this regard, Lynch,
making $500 the maximum OF annual
| compensation Of state veterinarians,
and Daugherty. fixing the salaries Of
county Judges. The bills milking an
annual appropriation of $4,000 for