The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-21
Work Of BADGER S()L0NS /.
COMPROMISE MAY RESULT in PRI-
MARY ELECTION BILL GOING
TO THE PEOPLE
MUCH WORK YET TO BE DONE
Bill Providing That Poisons Must He
Put Up in Three-COrnered Bot
ties Likely to Become
Law.

MADISON, Wis, April 2O-The Hage-
meister substitute primary election bill
passed by the senate, which has been in
the hands of the assembly committee on
privileges all this week, will be reported
Monday evening with an amendment
which will apply the primary system to
members of the legislature and municipal
officers, as well as county officers. 1t will
then be made special order for Tuesday
evening, the debate to close Wednesday
evening, when the vote will be taken in
the assembly This at least is the pro-
gramne now laid out
Talk is growing, however, of a COM
promise which will settle the trouble
which has waged all through the session
and restore harmony. What this com
promise will be, and whether it will act
ually be accomplished, are still indefinite.
The friends Of the Stevens bill say they
will accept nothing which will do away
with the application of the primary sys-.
TEN to all officers below members of the
legislature The stalwarts are not ready
to say what they are willing to concede,
but it may develop that the compromise
may be reached by the submission of the
bill, as above outlined, to a vote of the
people for approval. The friends of the
bill claim enough votes to carry the ex-
pected committee amendments through
the lower house by a larger majority
than they had for the Stevens substi-
tute, but this is not conceded by the OPP
position. If It is carried there, it will
throw the issue back on the senate,
which last week defeated a similar
amendment. If the senate does not
back down, conference committee from
the two houses will result, and 1t may
be that the talked f-compromise will
be reached in this way
If the positive statements of the rail-
road legislative representatives are to be
believed, the report that the bill author
iZing the president. and the chief en-
gineer Of a railway company to order
extensions without waiting for action by
the directors was in reality intended to
Illustrate an attempt by J. J. Hill to
block improvements contemplated by the
Milwaukee road, originated solely in the
imagination of a newspaper correspond
ent. George Wiswell. the ST. Paul lob
byist, denies that he made statement
before the railroad committee which
could be so construed. NJ. G. Ring the
Northwesterns representative, told the
committee at a hearing this week that
the sole purpose Of the bill was to give
the president and engineer the right to
order spur tracks, to reach mills and
factories a little off the main line, with
out waiting for the authority of two
thirds vote of the directors some Of
whom might be in Europe Some of the
Milwaukee assemblymen thought the bill
was intended to give the Northwestern
the right to extend it's line along Com
merce street, in Milwaukee, but Mr. Ring
pointed out that if this were true it
would hardly receive the approval of the
Milwaukee company. He said he was
willing to have the bill amended in any
way that would not eliminate the pur-
pose which he stated was aimed att The
bill is still in the hands Of the commit
tee.
A compromise has been arrived at on
the Hall three-cornered poison bottle bill
against which the druggists OF the state
have been putting. up a vigorous fight,
and it is believed the bNl will at last
vided that in addition to being three
corncred, the bottles must be red. This
appeared to affect the druggists to the
same degree that the shaking of rag
of the same hue does a combative bull
and it is said that its elimination viii
satisfy them. Mr. Hall secured. post
ponement Of action on the bill, and an
amendment will probably be offered early
next week which will cut out the color
line, and will also provide that powders
and tablets containing poisons must be
kept in triangular boxes.
The railway taxation bill, increasing
the rate for the big roads from to 512
per cent, has a chance to pass the as
sembly, tWithstanding the majority re-
port of four to five against it by the
committee on assessment and collection
of taxes. The minority report submitted
Wednesday by Messrs. Hall, Stevens and
Frost, with figures to show that at the
same rate paid by all other properties,
the railroads should pay something like
$500 more annually, was a strong argu-
ment which is having effect.
The apportionment committee this
week fixed up twenty-five Of the thirty
three senate districts of the state, but
the remaining eight are likely to prove
the most troublesome Of the lot. With
the primary election contest on again it
is hardly probable that the committee
will accomplish much next week. When
the report is made the committee bill
will probably go through, though some
of the senators are already expressing
dissatisfaction with the makeup of their
districts. Tho congressional apportion-
ment is still untouched, and the opinion
Is growing that this will go over to an
adjourned session.
The date for final adjournment is still
uniixed by either house. The senate re-
considered its vote making the date May
4. after refusing to amend it by fixing
May IL, and put the matter over Until
Tuesday. No one expects that the work
can be finished by May H. which would
give only two more weeks, with only
week and half Of actual work, as busi-
ness must be closed two days before adj
journment to give the governor a chance
to pass on bills. 1t is doubtful whether
1t can be done, iii three weeks. but there
is strong opposition to a later date than
May H. t1sh