Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-02-20
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP
Our Special Correspondent Tells of
the Solons' Doings.
The Senatorial Question Being Settled. the
Members Are Rapidly Getting tho
Wheels Of Government
In Motion.

st. Paul, MINI. Feb. 8-For q good
many years the question of a consti-
tutional convention for the purpose of
making q new constitution, out of tho
present patchwork affair, has been
mooted and the senate judiciary COM
mittee declared itself practically I'M
animous in its favor. The friends of
the measure were therefore greatly
surprised when the bill was defeated
by vote of 90 to 81 as it required
two thirds vote to pass such bill.
The ground on which the negative
votes were cast was the expense which
the state would incur, and though
Senator Wilson, who had drawn the
bill, stated that the expense would be
spread over period of six years, he
could not secure the necessary votes.
A bill for meat inspection was intro
duced in the senate which provides for
the payment of losses incurred by
owners of live stock ordered killed by
by the state officials owing to the dis
eased condition of the animals. The
fund for this purpose is to be created
by fees charged for inspecting all live
stock.
1t was decided TO continue the pur-
chase of spring water for the senators
so that they can return home without
communicating their constituents by
microbes taken into their system
through St. Paul water. It does not
follow from this that the Senators
will necessarily consume water in i'm
moderate quantities.
The event of the day in the house
was the passage of Representative
Hurd's bill placing the state oil inspec-
tor on salary and cutting off the
fees. Notwithstanding the proper
title of the bill should be An act for
the relief of the Standard Oil COM
pany" it passed by vote of 81 to IA.
Quite an acrimonious debate occurred
before the bill was passed, its oppo-
nents claiming that it was unconsti-
tutional and would result, as similar
bill did some years ago, in the failure
to have oil properly inspected and the
saying of fees to the Standard Oil
company while the people will pay
the same price for oil as before.
There is a popular feeling that the
bill will be defeated in the senate, but
this remains to be seen.
One of the bills introduced in the
house gives Mahood, the Representa-
tive from lie Sueur county, whose seat
was contested, the sum of SS07.74 for
Mr.. Mahood has figured very closely
upon what it cost him.
OF course there will be another bill
introduced 20 reimburse Mr.. Blair,
who failed to secure the seat.
The Laybourne bill creating a tax
commission was passed.
A bill is in process of construction
which shows that more paternalism is
desired. 1t will create a board of
optometry, and its design is to protect
oculists who make speciality of that
line of work. 1t proposes to punish
those who practice in that line with
out license, and requires those who
sell eyeglasses and spectacles to pass
an examination before they will be
permitted to adjust those articles to
the eyes of their customers. 1t also
forbids the general practitioner from
practicing as an oculist.
St. Paul, MINI. Feb. 9.-The senate
cleared it's decks yesterday by passing
five bills, all that were ready for the
third reading. One of them makes
the wife equally liable for debts con-
tracted in the purchase of household
supplies. Another allows divorce
suits to be conducted in county other
than the one where the original action
was begun.
A good deal of the time of the SEN
ate was devoted to considering the
resolution ousting ]. S. Vandiver from
his clerkship. A compromise was fin
ally effected by passing resolution
appointing committee of five to re-
wise the entire list ofsenate employees
and ascertain whether there are not
others whose services can be dispensed
with. This makes every employee of
of the senate champion of Vandiver's
cause, as none of them want to let 20,
and if there really is to be reduction,
in the interest of economy, none of
them know just where lightning is
going to strike. The consequence is
that Vandiver will probably hold his
job and the pardon of Mollie Morris
will be again endorsed.
The house was in session two hours,
spending most of the time in consider
ing two bills. The one most con-
sidered was a bill allowing telegraph
and telephone companies to erect
poles and strinp wires. As orio;.