The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-02-22
CHEAPER SCHOOL BOOKS.
Aim OF a Bill for a State Text
Book Commission.
finkering the BallOt.---COunty Auditors
Salaries. ==-Other Legislative
Gossip.

st. Paul, Feb. 10. Purchasers of
books for Minnesota school children
Will be made by a state text book COM
mission, under five years contracts,
should a bill submitted to the upper
house by Senator Reeves of Glencoe
become a law, Its author estimates
that the system will save parents
1884. 500 in five years, or 800, 800 for
the hrst year of the commissions
operation and $199, 500 for each OF the
four years following.
Senator Reeves plan is to have a
commission purchase at one time all
the books needed in the state. Their
immense number and the enormous
contracts that would be awarded
would result in a tremendous saving,
estimated at about 40 per cent, over
the amounts now paid. The profits on
text books would remain in the pockets
| of the people, and in five years the
actual amount expended would be
about $3.50, 600. In five years under
the present arrangements, Minnesota
people pay 81, 191, 600.
The bill limits the amounts to be
paid by the commission, to a little
more than half the present prices and
provides for uniform text books. 1t
is not the intention of the measure to
provide free books, but to place the
state in the position of retailer and cut
prices by means of heavy purchases
and no profits.
Three important changes in the cleo
ton laws are made in a senate bill
offered by E. T. Young of Appleton.
The principal provision is that party
candidates for presidential electors
be grouped in such a manne that a
vote for one carries a vote for all.
The position of Fusion candidates
on the ballot is determined by a pro-
vision that they shall be given order
by the vote of their party before the
fusion occurred, instead of being
placed in the order of their party vote
at the preceding election. Another
provision is that county officers shall
take Office IN the same day as newly
| elected boards of county commissioners.
Senator Chiffon has presented a
new marriage bill to take the place of
his measure previously introduced,
that requires physicians certificates
before licenses are issued, but does not
make the presence of certain diseases
among immediate relatives a bar.
The actual condition of the contract
ing parties alone determines their
rights of union.
The substitute was given its second
reading and placed on the general
orders in place of the former bill.
Representative Pope introduced a
bill in the house to regulate the COM
pensation of county auditors under a
per centum system based on the as
sessed valuation of taxable property
within the several counties. Under
the provisinos of Mr.. Pope's bill the
maximum compensation allowed any
auditor in the state would not exceed
So, 500 per year.
Auditors of counties in which the
assessed valuation does not exceed 81
500, 900 are to receive six mills for
each dollar of the valuation up to
500, 900 and one mill for each dollar
in excess of 10, 600 and less than
$500, 900. and one-third of one mill on
sums in excess Of $500, 600. In coun-
ties having an assessed valuation over
81, 800, 900 the auditors are to receive
five mills per dollar up to 800, 600
one-half mill on valuations in excess
of 800, 900 and less than So, 900, 600
and one-ifth of a mill per dollar on
valuations in excess of So, 600, 900.
A proviso fixes the maximum annual
compensation in each csae as follows
81, 200 in countess having valuations
note exceeding 81, 900, 600; 81, 800 for
valuations Of 81, 600, 900 to Sc, 600, 900 ;
So, 600 for valuations of So, 600. 600 to
$40, 600, 900; So, 500 for valuations in
excess of $40, 900, 900.
The Bush renovated bill passed the
house without opposition. One of the
chief objects of the bill is to prohibit
stamping renovated butter with the
word creamery" or the use of the
word on renovated butter packages.
1t is claimed that some renovated but
ter manufacturers comply with the law
requiring their product to be stamped
renovated" by putting the stamp on
the under side of the package which
on its upper side is boldly stamped
creamery"