The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-02-08
THE LAWMAKERS.
Start Upon Their Fifth Week O
Work for the Dear People.
Brief Outline of Work That Occupies
Their Attention--=Vandiver is Re-
tanned in the Senate.

mas 6uI6Ieu upon UA0 81 lno VI re II :.
week, and transacted some business
Yesterday. The feature in the senate
was the refusal to dispense with j. S.
Vandiver who, it is alleged, was in
strumental in getting the pardon for
Mollie Morris, and the resolution to
dismiss his clerkship was defeated.
The number of senate measures were
increased from 1913 to Ill, while those
the house advocated from 161 to Ill.
Mr.. Morris of Hennepin in the
house has introduced permissive bill
allowing life insurance companies
operating on the stipulated premium
plan to resolve themselves into old line
companies. There are only two con-
Germs in Minneapolis transacting their
business on the stipulated premium
basis and these are looking forward to
the passage of this bill, it is said, with
view to changing their plan. The
two companies are the National
Mutual Life and the Northwestern Life
association. Their interests will be
unified Feb. 81, after which change
of plan will be made by reincorpora-
ton under the new law.
The Morris bill not only has the APP
probation of those who are to be Its
bene6ciaries, but has been favorably
passed upon by both the outgoing and
the incoming insurance commits
sioners.
There is at this time not single
old line insurance company in the
state. If one is chartered under the
law, and successfully carried forward
it would be an evidence of the re-
sources and prosperous condition of
the state
Last season Mr. Morris fathered
measure compelling life assessment
companies to embody in large type in
all their contracts the word assess
ment " The bill passed the house but
was coldly received by the senate. The
opposition emanated chiefly from the
two companies that now plan consoli-
dation.
Various attempts made to improve
the form of the present election ballot
have resulted in a formal suggestion
that Iowas example be followed. In
that state the candidates of the various
parties are placed in parallel columns.
The blanket ballot also obtains in
Iowa, but Mr. Rider, in bill intro
ducedtoday, excludes this characteristic.
Mr.. PloWman of the minority rein
troduced his bill of two years ago pro-
viding for a constitutional amendment
authorizing Investments of university
and state school funds in local bonds.
This was voted on in November, but
defeated because of a lack of interest.
Some of the representatives are bent
upon tinkering with the present wolf
bounty law. Mr.. Hunt wo uld like to
see a price of $15 set upon every female
wolf killed during the first five months
of the year, with proportionate
schedule for both sexes during the
other months.
Senator Potter is the father of an
eight hour law which differs materi-
ally from the one presented by Senator
MCGOWAN. While the latter bill in
cludes all employees of the state, re-
CARELESS of the nature of their work,
the Potter bill makes the eight-hour
day compulsory only on public works.
Contracts and subcontracts on state
work must include the eight-hour
clause, and public officials who violate
the law may be fined up to $500, or
imprisoned not to exceed one year in
the penitentiary.
Senator J. D. Jones has devised a
plan to reserve all iron, coal, copper.
etc., contained in the state lands or to
be found thereon even after they have
been sold.
Senator Shellbach introduced bill
authorizing the railroad and ware
house commission to designate dis
trict court judge to be present at the
trial of any contest before the COM
mission. The judge must be accom-
panied by his stenographer, the pur-
pose being to secure record of the
trial
Two bills of interest to mutual life
insurance companies were introduced
by Senator Ives One forces companies
to make an annual distribution of pro-
fits or surplus, to keep individual &C
counts of accumulations, and to carry
the latter as liability to policy holders
The other seeks to reduce expenses by
prohibiting the payment of commits
sions or fees for securing new policies
in excess of the expense loading of the
premium.
The Hurd bill, placing the Office of
Estate inspector of illuminating oils
on salary basis, is now in the hands
of the house of representatives, having
been favorably reported by the COM
mittee on general legislation But it
is not the same bill that Mr.. Hurd in
troduced. 1t is now practically the
same as the bill introduced by Senator
Wilson of Hennepin two years ago.
The Wilson bill provided that the
fees collected by the state inspector
should go into fund known as the
illuminating oil inspection fund. ;"
When Rukard Hurd of Ramsey county,
introduced his bill this winter, he did