The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-03-08
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP
Our Special Correspondent Tells Of
the Solons' Doings.
Bills are Being Rapidly introduced and
Sent on Their Way by the Commit
tee of the Whole But Few
Have Become Laws.

*
evening to indicate that the members
were seriously considering the sugges'
tions to expedite business and adjourn
at the end of the allotted time. So
but Is minutes were devoted to bust
ness. Stockton, president pro tenn,
occupied the chair. Two bills were
introduced by Senator Mccarthy, le-
CALLING the Indebtedness of certain
counties in his district, and the APP
pointment of Robert II. Johnson as
boiler inspector for the st. Paul dis
trict was received, when a motion to
adjourn was carried.
The house members, on their return
from the long adjournment, met and
remained in session so minutes.
Among the bills introduced was that
by Representative Hickey permitting
school trustees to set aside sum each
year equivalent to l per cent of the
salaries paid the teachers, to be used
as pension fund for the retirement
of teachers incapacitated from duty
owing to old age or mental disability.
similar measure was introduced in
the senate last week.
Representative Deming seeks to re-
duce the price paid for the official legal
notices, making it SO cents for the first
and 80 cents for the second insertion,
whereas, as the law now stands, the
sums of rs and 35 cents respectively
are paid for such work.
In the belief that the state should
own what is known as the Schroeder
Museum of stuffed birds and animals,
Representative finland introduced
bill calling for an appropriation of ST.
500 for such purpose. After passing
the bill introduced by Representative
Schultz, placing farmers mutual in
surance companies on the same basis
as those of other township companies,
adjournment was taken.
st. Paul, Feb. 27.-There never has
been session of the legislature since
the state was organized when some
movement was not sprung to shorten
the session and there never has been a
session shortened. When we used to
have annual sessions, limited to sixty
days. there would always be propo-
sition to shorten it to forty-five or fifty
days. and since we have ninety-day
sessions, rounded out by Sundays and
holidays, until the per diem exceeds
$500, there is always talk of making
the session sixty or seventy-fve days,
but so far the per diem has not been
reduced. Senator Young offered
resolution yesterday to adjourn on
April 5, cutting off twenty days of the
session, with view of having an ex-
ira session of twenty days next win
ter to consider the report of the tax
commission. If this should be done it
would violate all precedent. and the
chances are more likely in favor of
this session being continued to its Bit
ter end, and an extra session besides.
The taxes in Beltrami county are
not sufficient to punish. the criminals
and keep up a smallpox hospi tai with
thirty-two patients. The limit of in
debtedness of the county is $4,000,
and as that has been reached, no one
will trust the county with supplies,
and the prisoners in Jail will have to
be released or starve, while the small
pox patients can be sent to board with
the people who oppose vaccination.
Two bills have been offered in the SEN
ate, one to remove the limit of in
debtodness and the other to allow
special taxation. Immediate action is
urged in the interest of criminals and
the smallpox.
The experimental farm and agri-
cultural college were heard from in
the shape of a bill appropriating $780,
500 for new buildings at ST. Anthony
d. &c Sc
.ated at the state university by a bill
appropriating $4,000. A bill that
does not carry an appropriation in
this legislature does not cut much
figure.
Blair, (rep.(, of LIE Sueur county,
who contested the seat of Mayhood,
Sdem.) is in with bill of 81, 172.75 for
expenses of the contest. This is more
than twice his salary if he had been
elected originally. AS he failed in the
contest, it is SO much gone to waste,
and as Mayhood's bill was over $500,
it makes substantially $4,000 for this
little advertisement. The house passed
a bill reducing the rate of interest up
on contracts arising from the sale of
state lands from 5 per cent to per
cent. The special committee appoint
ed by Governor Van SAINT have report
ed in favor of establishing a board of
control to take charge of all public in
situations in the state and the COVER
nor sent the report to the legislature
with a message urging the passage of
of the bill.
The constitutional convention ques-
ton, cropped up in a new form yester-
day in the shape of bill to have
popular vote to decide whether the
next legislature shall call a constitu-
tional convention or not. This would
make double headed arrangement,
for if the people voted to have the con-
vention then when the legislature
ordered it they would have to vote for
it again and perhaps in the end vote
down the new constitution after it was
constructed. At best the movement
has rocky road to travel.
st. Paul, Feb. 28.-Both branches of
the legislature did a large amount of
talking yesterday, but neither one
succeeded in accomplishing much. One
of the leading topics in the senate was
concerning bill creating board of