The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-23
COUNTY SOLON TRIES
TO AMEND STATE LAW
Commissioners Powers Offers
Resolution Limiting Auto
Speed to s Miles an Hour

TO the tall pines with the legisla-
tIre' says the county board. up
the alley with the statute books! 4
snap Of the finger and a double fudge
Tor all lawmaking bodiesI Ramsey
county doesn't need them; what's
more, Ramsey county proposes to ig-
more them. We are going to make our
own laws
This new idea of self government
and utter disregard for all other law
making bodies originated in the mind
of Commissioner Powers, the member
OF the county board from the Mounds
View district, and when Mr. Powers
Jumped into the iimelight and sprung
his pet idea at yesterdays meeting of
the board, he remained in the center
OF the stage just long enough to make
himself and other members of the
board the laughing stock of an amused
constituency
Mr.. Powers new idea was thrust
upon an unsuspecting public in the
form of resolution regulating the
speed of automobiles and imposing a
penalty for any violation of its pro-
visions. This new law" goes the
state law few chips better and rem
ders the latter imperative, but de-
spite these facts it had the serious
consideration of other members of the
board. The absence from the meeting
OF three commissioners at the time ths
resolution was introduced had a sort
or a dampening effect upon the 1ardor
or Mr.. Powers and he reluctantly con-
Sented to permit the resolution to go
over until the next meeting, when he
VIII insist upon its passage.
Limits Speed to Eight Miles an Hour
By the terms of the powers bin'
the speed limit for automobiles and
motorcycles in the country is to be
limited to eight miles an hour. lust
the same as in the city, There is
nothing said about reduction of speed
70 TOUR miles an hour when approach
ing township or cross road, but there
IS yet time to amend the "bill''
But Mr.. Powers does not stop with
uniting the speed of the machines.
he provides a penalty in the way of a
nne, and provision is also made for
prosecution by the county attorney. A
violation of any of the provisions of
the Powers bilP' calls for fine Of
from $40 to 500, and the county at
torney is instructed" to prosecute all
such offenses. The bill is somewhat
lax in that it does not provide for i'm
pr1sonmeRt in lieu of the payment of
the fine, but it has been suggested that
this can also be remedied when other
minor defects are patched up.
There is now upon the statute books
a law limiting the speed Of the ma
chimes to twenty-five miles an hour in
the country, and proper provision is
made for violations, but the law does
not suit the Mounds View member of
the county board, and he has framed
up one more to his liking.
Relies on the "Bia Fourn
It was stated yesterday that Mr..
Powers counted upon the assistance of
the Big Four" combination in getting
his "bilP through 1t was the big
Four that passed the blanket resoln-'
ton providing for an appropriation Of
$1,000, to be spent under the super
vision of Commissioners Powers and
Wright, for road patchwork in their
respective districts, and the gentleman
from the classic banks of Lake Johanna
has expressed his confidence in the
ability of the combine to do almost
anything. Aside from the two coun-
try members, Commissioners Pott-
gieser and Nash are accredited mem
bers of the Big Four
In the preamble of his proposed new
law, Mr.. Powers says automobiles and
motor cycles are using the roads of
Ramsey county and are travelling
thereon at high rate of speed in dan
ger to human life all of which moves
the county commissioner to break in
with a few resolves, amending the
state law to such degree that auto
lists will not be permitted to run their
cars over the country roads at rate
of speed higher than eight miles an
hour.
The opinion of County Attorney
Kane as to the authority of the coun-
ty board to render the state law mop
erative and supersede it with one of
its own making does not conform with
the serious views held by Mr.. Powers
and is not quoted for this reason