The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-04-16
Ole Legislature.
Items Of Interest from
Minnesota So10nS. e

all working hard to secure the passage
of such bills as they are personally in
terested in as well as few bills in
which the public in general is in
terested.
Last week the senate recommended
for passage the Fryberger bill increas-
ing the gross earnings tax of railroads
from three to four per cent. The COM
mittee considered in connection with
the Fryberger bill the measure of Sen
ator Wilson which provides for a diff
ferent method of computing gross earn
ings and specifies, unlike the Fryber-
all other taxes on the property of the
railroad. The house bill provides for
the present method of computing gross
earnings, as follows: ''The term gross
earning shall be construed to mean all
earnings on business beginning and
ending in the State and a proportion,
based on the proportion of the mileage
in the State to the entire mileage over
which business is done, of earnings on
all interstate business passing into,
through or out of the State.' Senator
Wilson's bill makes no distinction be-
tween State and Interstate business,
and provides that the earnings shall be
computed by multiplying the entire
earnings of the road by it's entire mile
age, and dividing the product by the
State mileage. Representative Fry
berger's measure also stipulates that
the gross earnings tax shall be levied
on the earnings "arising out of the
the operation of the road" while Sen
atOr Wilson's provides that it shall be
in lieu of all taxes on the 'roadbed,
rolling stock, real estate and personal
property" Mr.. Fryberger maintains
that his measure will allow the tax
alton of railroads real estate not
used in the operation of the road, in ad-
dition to the gross earnings tax. The
gross earnings bill will probably be-
come a law at the present session and
the proposition will be submitted to
the people at the next general election.
The senate did not see fit to recon-
mend the Stone rate bill for passage
and the bill was killed. A motion by
Senator J. 7. Schain of Browns Valley
that the bill be printed and placed on
general orders was lost by vote of fif-
teen yeas and thirty-one nays. The
bill provides that when any two or
more carriers have made Joint rate
for transportion on State business it
shall be unlawful for them to discon-
tinue the rate or change the classifca-
ton of any freight articles making the
joint rate higher, without written Or
der from the railroad and warehouse
commission. A fine of 800 was i'm
posed for each days violation.
The house committee on education
has recommended for passage the bill
providing a plan for consolidation of
country schools and providing for the
transportation of children. This bill
makes it optional with the counties and
requires a petition signed by 10 per
cent of the freeholders living upon
farms. A similar bill from the senate
providing that smaller districts may be
attached to larger ones was also recon-
mended for passage.
The Pugh grain bill to put the en-
ployes of the grain department. on a
civil service basis was passed by the
senate by vote of - to II. A number
of the friends of the measure were I'M
2lvoidably absent, or the vote would
have showed up much better. The
bill was amended while being consid-
cred on general orders so that it pro-
vides that all of the employees now in
the department must take civil service
examinations to hold their jobs, as we'll
as compelling new applicants to take
the examination. 1t is said that the
Pugh bill is doomed to defeat in the
house.
The Thorpe bill providing for con-
gressional assemblies or conventions
and for the adoption OF the party dec
larations, principles or platforms, was
passed last week. The bill provides
that in each congressional district, the
parties putting candidates in the field,
may meet in convention and adopt a
platform.
The Johnson bill providing for the
suspension or cancellation Of teachers
certificates when contracts are broken
has been passed by the senate.
The beet sugar incident has been
closed. The bill to permit suit to be
brought against the State to recover
$4,000 bounty has been killed.
The senate finance committee has
recommended for passage the Horton
bill creating department of immigra-
tiOn. IT. is so amended as to make the