The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-10
NORTH DAKOTA 49,.
WHI1E'SHANDSFULL
Fate of Some of the Appropriation
Bills Hangs in the
- Balance.
Primary Bill Would Have Failed in
Senate Had It Reached
Vote.
Special to The journal,

Special to The Journal.
Bismarck, N. D., March 10.--Governor
White has fifteen days in which to- pass
upon the bills in his hands. AS there are
about $50 bills awaiting action it will take
the entire time allowed by law to examine
and pass upon them. There is particular
interest in the appropriation bills. There
was radical difference between the
members of the two houses as to the
amount that could be appropriated with
safety, and keep within the revenues of
the state. 1t is expected that the gov
ernor will, if necessary, cut down the ap-
preparations to what he deems the safest
limit.
That the governor will consider the
matter carefully is certain. It is said that
well-known. senator went to him Satur-
day with a pen with which he desired
him to sign a certain appropriation BILL
the senator desiring to keep the pen as a,
souvenir Of the bill. What the governor
said to the senator Is not known but he
came away without the pen and the bill
has not yet been signed.
There was only one veto filed during
the session, that of the Hale bill pro-.
viding bonds for the Devils Lake deaf
school. That was vetoed because Of de-
fective title, and a new bill covering the
same ground was passed.
In legislating for the st. Louis eXposi-
ton, the solons provided that the exhibits
been displayed, should be shipped direct
to Portland, Oregon, for display at the
Lewis and Clark centennial exposition in
| 1905. This was done largely through the
| efforts Of DR.. H. w. Coe, formerly a
resident of this section, and now Of Port
| land, Ore. gon. - 1850
Loss of the Primary Bill.
There is .disappointmen among the
friends Of the primary election system at
the failure of the legislature to pass the
Davis bill. AS a matter Of fact, the
sweeping majority with which this bill
passed the house was no index of it's real
support The senate had some days be-
fore directed the amendment of the
Sharpe bill by taking legislative nominees
| out of the list to be nominated at primary
elections and limiting the operation of the
law to county officers. The senate hay
ing so expressed itself on primary elec-
| tions, the house naturally believed that no
| such sweeping measure as the Davis bill,
| which provides for the nomination Of all
officers in the state, would pass the SEN
ate and it felt safe in passing the bill and
putting the matter up to the senate. -.
/ While there were some sincere advo-
Gates Of primary e4ection in the house,
many who voted for the bill had only a
hazy idea of it's provisions and voted for
it out Of a band wagon tendency.
| The Sharpe bill, which was directed to
be amended, was never reported. back
to the senate. In a telegram regarding
this matter, it was stated that the senate
steering committee had unanimously
agreed that the Davis primary bill should
not be reported to the senate. This was
true, but misleading. When that report
was agreed upon, Sharpe and Hale, mem
bers of the steering committee, were not
present When they came in afterward,
they recorded themselves as favoring
the reporting of the bill. An attempt was
made to get it up, but the senate de-
feated it by vote of 10 to 16.
Several Of those who voted against
bringing the bill up for action would have
voted for it had it come UP. A poll OF
the senate on the subject showed, how
ever. that the bill would have failed of
passage by two or three votes.
Status Of Grain Inspection.
i The legislature took action on the Wis
consin grain inspection matter, but die
!, not take radical ground. The house unan-
imously adopted the report of Young O1
Barnes county that the Wisconsin grair
inspection would be a good thing. The
senate also had the majority and minority
, reports Of the committee that visited
Madison but no action was ever taker
on either report.
The legislature, however, passed a bill
authorizingwth governor to recommend {
person to be appointed on the Wisconsin
grain and warehouse commission from
). North Dakota, If the Wisconsin bill passee
II and the governor of that state should re-
! quest it. The action Of the North Dakots
legislature was desired largely for it
z moral effect, and as that was accom-
p1ished there was nothing more that th
q Legislature of this could do.
McGat1an and the Penitentiary.
$ The bitter fight that was made Of
Il Warden Boucher and the state peniten