The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-21
The Minnesota Iegislatu
JOCKEYE||DI TO / SLEEP
Tax Reforms Prevented by Interests
Opposed to Change The
Closing Struggle.
Senate Prevented Legisla Lit
/. /. tie Hope Now Until Legis-
lature Of 1907.

Clever jockeying attributed to the
agents Of interests opposed to taxation re-
forms prevented the consideration of such
reforms In the legislature until the closing
days session and then prolonged wran-
giles by conference committees left mat
ters IN such shape that an agreement
4 Within the few moments which remained
was impossible. The defeat Of legislation
IN this line rests with the senate and as
this body Will remain unchanged until 1907
1t VIII probably be 1908 before the people
] VIII nave an opportunity to amend the
constitution with regard to taxation in the
manner proposed by the house. 5.@
| It will be remembered that the senate
so amended the taxation amendment as
TO tie the hands Of the legislature in every
! direction by imposing restrictions. The
mousse declined to accept this plan and
asked for conference There were five
OF these yesterday and while the fifth
committee was still out, the senate ad-
journed at 1880 this morning. No one
expected anything from the senate and
| the house was quite agreed that it would
be better to let the question of tax reforms
remain open for a few years than to adopt
plan that offered very little relief.
House Derlsve. Fl
The first committee consisted of Sena
| tors Dunn. Wilson and Somerville and
Representatives Armstrong, Stevenson
ana Wells. The committee agreed to the
senate proposition for restrictive policy,
but the house received the report with
deris1on and Representative G.: r. Smith
scored the house members for giving way
to the sophistries of, the senator's. &t.5f:.* = 4
+ Then the speaker appointed Represen-
tat1ves Clague, Hinton and Wilson and
when this action was announced the lieu
tenant governor selected Senators Horton,
Hawkins and Putnam: This committee
ta1
The house was anxious that there
should be something accomplished by the
th1rty-th1rd legislature and named Repre-
sentatives Haugland, Shearer, Helliwell,
Hugo, Burns and Ofsthun, to which the
senate added Senators Lord, .McGill, Pc
terson, E. 2. Smith, Collester and Cole.
This committee urged the senate to recede
from it's restrictive policy, but Senators
3. E. Smith, Collester and Cole dissented
and they had the committee discharged
after some parliamentary filibustering.
Over in the house that body patiently
selected another. conference committee
consisting of Representatives, ! Morley,
Minnette, Fryberger,] Putnam, Lemon and
r. r. Lewis, to which the senate added
Senators Laybourn W. A. Smith, Shell,
Torson and Collier. This committee sent
in a divided, report to- the house, urging
that it accede to the senate plan. = =
.. /. Called IT. a Farce.eH r.:
Representative B. S. Bennett OF :Fosston
declared .,thate-the farce had gone. far
enough and demanded the appointment
of a committee which would represent
the house. His rebuke to the presiding
officer was still more marked when he
undertook to name the committee him
self. He named Haugland, Tighe, He'll
WELL Dorsey, Shearer.S Clague and Smith.
Armstrong and Fryberger wished the
committees report adopted Armstrong,
Dorsey and. Burns wished the chair to
appoint the committee. T. Hickey sought
to have the Bennett motion tabled, but
all were ignored and the Bennett motion
was carried, 81 to 40. 49,.
The senate came tos the front with the
following friends %of the people: E. e:
Smith, A. F. Ferris "A. B. Cole, Henry
Morgan. J. f. Calhoun, G. W. Somerville
and Hitler Horton: 80 - -:*'
After hearing that the. house had adj
journed in. disgust the senate smiling
sardonical1y also adjourned, leaving the
conferees ito their, own devices, after the
senate had sat upon q final attempt by
sena atorsz Wilson and Thompson to con-
cur in the: house amendment. : - -