The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-26
BILLS POUR INTO
THE HOUSE HOPPER
Facing Last Chance Members
Introduce Total of 1O2
Measures

The house of the Minnesota legisla-
ture yesterday shattered all previous
legislative records in the matter of
introduction OF bills. A total of 102
new bills was presented on the last
day permitted for the Introduction OF
bills, unless the consent of the governor
is first obtained.
Two years ago a total of So bills
marked the SEVENTEEN day of the ses-
sion. The total number of bills intro
duced to date is S55. Two years ago. on
the corresponding date. there were soS
bills introduced, but while the total is
less by SO than two years ago. no such
rush two years marked the proceedings
Of the last day for bills introduction.
The house did little else yesterday
than introduce bills. Scarcely were the
decks cleared for action when the rush
began. The clerks read industriously
until after IL o'clock. There were still
more bills on the desk. Somebody
moved an adjournment for lunch. The
adjournment was until 2:15 o'clock.
Members failed to go to lunch. Num-
bers Of them employed the house ste
nographers and clerks to draw bills
which they We're determined to get in
before the gavel fell on the days busi-
ness and with II the opportunity for
new legislation.
Still Framing Bills
When the time for converting the aft
ernoon session arrived several members
were still busy on bills in the commit
tee rooms. Word was sent TO Speaker
Clague to delay calling the house to or
der until everybody had accomplished
fEe <1s.r.F
portant to their authors in time for in
PRODUCTION yesterday. The speaker sat
In his private room awaiting notice
when all was in readiness. Chief Clerk
Julius Schmahl circulated about the
capitol building for an hour. A mem
Der occasionally would deposit a copy
of his latest.
Just after 3 o'clock SchmahI sounded
the final note of warning. Using his
hands for megaphone, he shouted
across the house chamber:
Are there any more new bills for in
PRODUCTION today?"
His words brought back no response,
and again the weary grind was resum-
ed. "A bill for an act" droned the chief
clerk, in the absence of the reading
clerk, whose voice had failed early in
the day. And so 1T went until John
I1andeen OF Douglas offered house file
NO. SOB, being bill for an act to create
a state license for persons engaged In
the survey or lands. The big clock in
the chamber lacked but a minute of
registering O'Clock when the final bill
or the big grist-was read and referred.
Ihen II took the house less than an
other minute to adjourn TO O'clock
Monday afternoon. 1t had been one OF
the busiest days of the session. But
one bill had been passed, neither the
calendar nor the general orders had
Deen touched, and but for the intro
duction of bills, the day had been al
most blank.
Woodchucks in Bunch
The bills cover almost every conceiv-
able subject of legislation, with some
questions that possibly ought not to be
considered legitimate meat for legisla-
i've attention. Oldtime members did
not hesitate to say that of the hundred
odd bills introduced yesterday there
were at least dozen woodchucks. They
did not include in this number bills of
a purely local nature. There were three
or four relating entirely to Ramsey
county affairs. with as many resnec-
lively In which Minneapolis and Du-
iutn solely are concerned. Salary bills
bobbed up serenely from different ouar-
ters OF the house, bills relating to lio-
uor laws. food laws. insurance matters.
regulation of public service corbora-
tons, In fact there is scarcely a line
or business in which. legislation has
ever been attempted that is not touch
ed by the 102 bills which were regis
tered by the chief clerk of the house