The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-29
WILL CALL SESSION
GOVERNOR VAN SAINT HAS NOT
CHANGED HIS ATTI-
TUDE
CONTRARY REPORTS DENIED
Session Will Be Called Late in Feb
ruary to Head Off Ten
deney to Drag 1t
Out.

Reports have recently been sent out
that Gov. Van SAINT was ''hedging' on
the extra session proposition, and that in
all probability he would find an excuse
not to call the legislature together in
extra session this winter 1t is stated on
/ the best authority that this is absolutely
untrue, and that Gov. Van SAINT has not
changed his mind as to the necessity of
an extra session. He has declared to sew
eral of his friends that he will call 1t.
The governor expects that this extra
session will make his administration
stronger before the people of the state.
1t is true that some pressure has been
brought to bear upon the governor to
have him reconsider his position, but he
is aware that the majority of the mem
bers are in favor of the extra session,
and he has sounded the sentiment of the
state pretty well, and finds it to be large
ly in favor of it also. The reason for the
governors present reticence on the SUBJ
ject is that he does not propose. to call
the legislature in session before the mid
die of February, as he believes this will
insure short, busy session, and prevent
the dragging out of the session by those
who desire to put in the entire winter.
One of the members of the lower house,
from the northern part Of the state, in
speaking of the extra session, says:
There is something ominous about the
proposed extra, session. The Democrats
are digging pitfalls for the Republicans
and, am sorry to say, some of our own
party, consciously or unconSciouSly, are
aiding them. 1t IS the northern part of
the state that is in danger of unfaYor-
able action on the part of the commits
sion. shall not speak of all the dangers
that are prospective in the hope that they
VIII In some way be avoided, but will
refer to two of them. We are all very
proud of the fact that Duluth leads ali
other ports on the great lakes in the mat
ter of the vessel tonnage. 1t was possible
to attain this distinction only by a low
rate of taxation 1 am not saying that
the boats are paying a fair and reason
able rate, but l do say we shall drive
them out of our district if we increase
1t. If imitation is sincere flattery then
our present vessel taxation law must be
all right, for Superior last winter in
duced the Wisconsin legislature to enact
law just like it. There are other ports
on the Great Lakes where boats may hail
from and pay their taxes on basis as
favorable as that which Minnesota offers
1t was slow work getting the big enroll
ment of boats here, even under our IA
Vorable rate which prevails. 1t took, in
addition to the favorable system of taxa
ton, much personal pull on the part of
the people interested in Duluth to get
some of the lines. Duluth enjoys the pres
tige of having greater amount of ton
mage claiming it as a port of hail than
any other on the lakes, not excepting
Chicago and Cleveland. The distinction
is worth something Every boat that is
enrolled here carries 'Of1-Duluth' in let
tiers on her stern. Now understand that
the tax commission wants to increase the
tax four or five fold 1t will, if done,
rob Duluth of the greater part of the ton
mage enrolled here.
another one of the things that the
tax commission will handle adversely to
the interests of Duluth is the gross earn
ingS from railroads. An effort has been
made to induce the commission to report
in favor of distribution of the bulk of
the gross earnings in the counties in pro-
portion to the amount paid in the various
divisions of the state. There are other
matters, as I have said, which the COM
mission contemplates, which would be
detrimental to ST. Louis county"