The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-02-07
The SOLONS MEET
Gathered in st. Paul Today to
Act Upon Tax Bill.
Governors Message Tomorrow--Mem-
bers Giving Opinions -Amend-
ments Insisted On.


today at II o'clock. The program 4
was that the two houses would re-or-
ganize at once and then adjourn. The :
house after its organization. was to ad- :
journ as a mark of respect to the Z
memory of the late J. W. Torrey of {
Meeker county. The governors mess .
age will be submitted tomorrow. This =
program is said to suit the governor -,
as it will give him a chance to revise
it somewhat. The situation as it stood
yesterday is summed up as follows by
the Minneapolis Journal:
The governor has prepared his
message with much care, He will not
urge the legislature to adopt the tax
code as it stands. He will probably
intimate that the bill may be i'm
proved. He favors retaining the 800
exemption, for instance. He has never
wanted the lawmakers to rush the
measure through without amendment.
AS to the rest of the message, the
governor sticks to his original purpose.
He will not drag in any other subject
but the railway merger. Even the
ST. Louis exposition will be ignored
for the present. 1t is bound to come
up later. Reference to the merger
question is made necessary by the need
of an appropriation for the attorney
generals use in fighting the case and
in requesting money, the governor
will explain the reasons for the suit
and it's present status, in some detail.
He will transmit the report of the tax
commission with the message.
1t is quite probable that in the
message the governor will gently re-
, mind the members that they are re-
! sponsible for the whole business-tax
commission, extra session and all, and
that it is ''up to them to carry out
their program and pass tax law.
Speaker Bowling called on Attorney
General Douglas this morning for an
opinion. All are agreed that the house
should reorganize. The question asked
was whether this should be done by a
simple resolution, or by formal cleo
tion.
The attorney general was inclined to
think there was no need for the
speaker to be reelected, but reserved
his decision for a little Investigation.
He advised Mr.. Bowling to call the
house to order himself, as there are
no oaths to be administered.
The elective officers are the
speaker, chief clerk, his two assist
ants, sergeant-at-arms and his assist,
ant, chaplain, postmaster, enrolling
clerk and engrossing clerk.
The old officers will all be chosen
without opposition, except the engross
ing clerk, W. W. Wall, who oficiatei
last winter. He is now secretary o.
, the dairy and food commission, anc
, A. P. Allen of Kasson, clerk Of th'
engrossing committee, will be his sue
cessor
e On converting Wednesday morning
, Speaker Bowling will announce tina
, the committees of the last house ar
all reappointed. He today notified W
W. Dunn of ST. Paul, chairman of thu
, rules committee, to have repor
ready Wednesday. This committee
, fixes the number and compensation o
, the employees, who are appointed b.
the speaker. There is some talk Of dis
pensing with a reading clerk. John I
: Jones of Minneapolis, who held tina
position last winter, will likely b
made clerk of the judiciary committee
, vice Simon Michelet now Indian agen
at White Earth. Captain John d
Finehout of st. Paul is mentioned TO
! the same place.
The senate is already organized, b,
a resolution passed on the final days,o
last session. When the house has dis
posed of preliminary business Wednes
day, the senate will be invited to
Joint session, and a committee will
wait on the governor, who will the
appear and read his message.
Who will introduce the tax bill is
question. There is no precedent and
is probable the senior member of eac
house will be given the honor. Thi
e will be J. F. Jacobson in the hous
g and Senator A. w. Stockton in tn
+ other body.
n Speaker Bowling finds sentiment i
!. favor of referring the bill to the ia
committee in each house. The tw
committees can then meet in joint ses
sion, afternoons and evenings, to hea
arguments and objections. This join
committee may then frame a report
recommending such amendments a
! the committee decides on, and repor
the whole proposition back to eacl
r house.
Then will come fight. Friends
s the bill will attempt to have it mad
q. a special order, and push it RICH
i through. Its opponents will insis
v that the bill take its place on genera
orders.
q Members are beginning to direc
b their attention to the constitutions
y amendments, which promise to be onl
j second to the code itself as bone Q
: contention.
o Caucus talk is not rife just now. A
q E. Ferris, chairman of the joint eau
4 Gus committee, says no request for
r caucus has reached him. Even friend
/ of the bill are hesitating. They wan
- 10 sr.a +bot q ooucus wouId accom-