Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-04-22
WILL M TRI UNE
Official Newspaper of K andiyohi County
WEDNESDAY. APRIL %, 1908.
the ADJOURNED LEGISLATURE.

" lC1A ~, lSUOs
The ADJOURNED LEGISLATURE.
The legislature has adjourned, be-
ing forced to take that desperate step
by the constitutional provision that
limits the length of the session to
ninety legislative days. Efforts were
made early in the session to provide
for an earlier adjournment, but so
strong was the patriotic wish of the
legislators to do their full duty to the
state-and to themselves-that they
positively declined to abate one
minute of the time they were sent up
for.
The appropriation for the legisla-
tive expenses was exhausted some
time Ego, but still the solons hung on
TO their job. To reward themselves
for this faithfulness to duty under
difficulties they voted an extra allow
ance of $4,000 for legislative ex-
penses.
The superabunda nce of brains in the
legislature manifested itself in the in =.
PRODUCTION OF over fourteen hundred
bills. Judging from the nature Of
most of the bills it must have been
quite relief for their authors to get
the stuff out of their heads.
One good thing can be said of the
legislature-it didn't do as much mis-
chief as it might have done. Instead
of meddling very much with matters
of state it spent most of it's time
when it was in session-in discussing
private or special bills masquerading
as general legislation. A daily pa
per says great deal of the time of the
legislature and most of the time Of the
Hennepin members was taken up with
bills affecting only Minneapolis.
This undoubtedly kept the Legislature
out of considerable mischief that it
would have got into if it had not had
this vent for its active spirits.
The rest of the time was occupied
with killing bills aimed at the board
of control. AS all such bills were
killed the board gets another two
years to demonstrate the usefulness
or uselessness of the idea. The board
has done quite we'll during the short
time it has managed affairs, and we
believe it is entitled to fair trial af-
ter it's members get the system estab-
lished. If the system is good it ought
to be able to show better record af-
ter getting thoroughly established
than it could do during the transition
period. B 9TH of Kandiyohi county g
members in the legislature voted
against every proposed change in this
system every time the question came
up. On this point at least we can
clap them on the shoulder and say,
swell done"
The bill for resubmitting the ques-
ton of increasing the gross earnings
tax was passed. This was perhaps
the most important measure actually
passed. To compel the people to re-
member this measure when they come
to voting it was ordered that the ques-
tion shall be printed on q separate
ballot.
Taxation reform was given "knock-
out" drops, and now the two houses
are pointing at each other and shout.
ing, you did it. " The house passed
a wide-open amendment; the senate
insisted on having restrictive amend.
ment submitted. Neither would give
in. So we can get no constitutional
amendment submitted for at least four
years more. The corporations and
other taxdodgers are highly pleased
The people will continue to grin and
bear the burden, and vote the same
old ticket.
Local county option on the liquor
question was killed without ceremony
in the senate, the saloon people no.
being in favor of any such measure.
The majority of the members of the
legislature will probably arrange tc
get home on the night trains. Theil
native modesty will prevent them from
meeting the great demonstrations O.
JOY and gratitude that would undoubt
eddy meet them If they should arriv,
at their homes when the people ar,
awake.