The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-01-25
MONEY FOR ROADS.
Legislators Looking After Funds
for Their Constituents
Quite Draft Probable on Road and
Bridge Funds.-.-Other Legis-
lative Gossip.

done In legislative way yesterday,
and little is likely to be done until
after the senatorial elections are out
of the way The session of the senate
lasted only about fifteen minutes and
not even bill was introduced. In the
house two bills were introduced.
| The condition of the state treasury
is such that for the first time in four
years there will be money available
this session for road and bridge ap-
preparations. The amount is not large
but it holds out encouragement for
! the future to those sparsley settled dis
tricts so seriously in need of highways
constructed on the scientific principles
of modern road building. Mr.. Hen
ricks of the seventh congressional dis
trict introduced a bill in the house
yesterday morning setting apart 800,
900 to be utilized in this direction,
but it is hardly possible that vigi-
liant appropriations committee will
allow the figures to stand unamended.
State Auditor Dunn said this morning
that there was available about 1923,
900.
The Henricks bill provi des for an
equal distribution of the amount APP
propriated between the several counties
of the state This is considered an OBJ
jectionable feature because there are
some sections in which no improve
ments of this character are required,
while others suffer previously because
of absence of the means of communi
cation with the outer world.
Notwithstanding the impossibility
of obtaining appropriations of any size
there have already been introduced
this session an unusually large num-
Der of road and bridge bills. The pro
portion they maintain in the house is
about one to ten.
There was $50, 900 turned into the
inter- nal improvement fund in 1898.
The succeeding session there was no
money available In 1897 State Audi
tor Dunn managed to find $50, 900 mere
bagatelle when measured against the
total called for by the road and bridge
| bills of that session. Two years ago
there were innumerable appeals for
assistance but eventually the wise
counsels of the appropriations commit
tee prevailed and budget adopted
which made it impossible to reduce
the tax levy. Had the door been
opened to any of the demands so ener-
getically pressed by country members,
the outcome would have been a liberal
addition to the schedule of expendi-
lures
All road and bridge bills are more
or less local nature, and on occasion
this has led representatives of various
districts to combine, just as the con-
gressmen in Washington get together
about once every four years, and
force through an omnibus bill carry
ing appropriations for public build
ings In view of the fact that there
was no money allotted to roads and
bridges in 1899 this scheme may be
worked up before the session is over.
"This is worse and more of it, !"
said Senator Smith yesterday morning
as the senate adjourned after having
been in session less than fifteen min
utes why didn't we have sense
enough last Saturday to adjourn to
Tuesday as we might have known that
no one would have any time to pre-
pare any business while the senatorial
fight was on.
There was not even bill introduce
ed A rule dispensing with the read
ing of the journal in the morning was
adopted. Senator Wilson's bill pro-
viding for a new log mark record in
the Minneapolis district was referred
to the judiciary committee. as the logs
and lumber committee found some
legal features requiring attention.
Lieutenant Governor Smith an
Jnounced the appointment of Senators
Snyder, Thompson, Everett, Somer-
vile and Potter, .as members of the
special committee to look after all
matters relating to legislation on the
proposed board of control.
Both the house and senate members
from the seventh district will work
hard this session for the improvement
of the drainage system in the Red
River valley. They want at least
800, 900 and are willing to leave the
disbursement of the fund to a board
consisting of the governor, secretary
of state and auditor.
The matter will be watched much
more closely this year than during
the last session when the bill passed
the senate but lacked two votes on
the final vote in the house
The judiciary committee of the SEN
ate held short meeting yesterday and
voted to make a favorable report on
Senator Wilson'S bill to submit to the
people at the next general election the
proposition to hold a constitutional
convention.