The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-25
Dull WEEK IN THE HOUSE
BRIEF SESSIONS ARE SUGGESTIVE
OF ABSENCE OF IMPORTANT
BUSINESS
THREE DAYS RECESS TAKEN
JacObsOn's Bill to Increase Gross
Earnings Tax on Railroads
Made Its Long Expected
Appearance.

The house established a precedent last
week in meeting on Monday morning.
This was the first such meeting during
the present session. 1t compensated for
this extra effort, however, by adjourning
Thursday noon to meet no more until
tonight at p. IN. The long recess was
taken, of course, in observance of Wash
ington's birthday.
The brief sessions of last week are no
exceptions to the rule this year. 1t has
become quite suggestive that the house
is confronted by little important business
this session. Having disposed of the tax
commission bill there is perhaps nothing
of half this measures Importance to
come up now.
On Monday the house witnessed the
Introduction by Mr. Jacobson of his
much-talked-of bill to increase the rail-
roads gross earnings taxation from 8
to per cent The bill was relegated to
the supervision of the railroad commit
tee On the same day two normal school
measures were presented. one by Mr..
Mallory, of Duluth, and one by Mr.. An
derson, of Winona. The former calls
for an appropriation of 1904 600 to be
used for making Improvements to the
five schools of the state. The Anderson
bill provides $5S,0e0 for the curreft ex-
penses of the year ending June, 1902, ap-
portiOning this among the five institu-
tions. This is a much smaller amount
than was used during the last year for
this purpose; at least the separate
amounts are much less
Tuesday the house was as quiet and
inactive as it has been on almost any
day Of the session. The only bill of in
terest was one by Mr. Johnson, of Hen
nepin, to provide for the appointment of
court of arbitration, consisting of three
members.
Speaker Dowling's bill, raising the sal
airy of county commissioners from So to
81 a day, passed the house on Wednes-
day with several other measures. There
was a fight on the bill 60 the very last
Mr.. Sageng, for the minority, and Jacob
son, for the majority, taking the lead in
opposing the measure. The speaker had
precluded the possibility of Mr. Plow-
man, an avowed enemy of the BILL from
participating in the effort to accomplish
it's defeat by calling him to occupy the
chair.
On Thursday. the last day of the
weeks operations Mr. Hickeys bill, reg
ulating the rate of interest on contracts
arising from the sale of state lands, pass
ed. The passage of the bill was regard
ed as victory for the people of the
state, since it will save to them a great
deal of money Heretofore the interest
required by the state on school land pur-
chases was per cent, and the bill re-
duces this to 4. The state cannot legally
collect more than per cent on the
bonds when disposed of to other parties,
and, as the principal of the purchase can
not be RENTED to the state by the pur-
chaser of the land in less than fifteen
years, the payment of per cent more
for this period than the state could re-
ceive on the second transaction has
amounted to heavy loss to the residents
of the state.
A bill of more than ordinary interest,
because of the political motives believed
to be back of It, was introduced by Mr..
Riley Thursday. It provides for the
abolition of the office of chief grain in
spector of the state, transferring the
work Of that Office to the state railroad
and warehouse commission.
S. D. Peterson on the same day pre-
scented memorial to congress, which
was passed under the suspension of the
rules, asking for the establishment of
federal building in every town In the
state where second-class postoff1ce ia
cilities are enjoyed. New Ulm, the resi-
dent town Of Mr.. Peterson, will be bene-
fitted if congress grants the petition
During the week there have been an
unusually large number of applications
for local option received from the various
counties. Over fifty such applications
are now on the files of the house clerks
or In the hands OF sthe temperance COM
mittee.
The total number of bills introduced
up to Thursday was 325, and about fortv
have been passed since the first of the
session.