The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-02-09
NEWS AND GOSSIP FROM THE
STATE CAPITOL.

Feb. 6, 1905
"To pass or not to pass, that is the
question" While begging pardon
for thus mutilating the immortal
passage placed on the lips of the mad
Dane by the bard of Avon, l can find
no words that better express the pre-
vailing sentiment in Legislative
circles as regards the revised code.
Another week has come and gone, but
the code, like Tennyson's brook, goes
merrily on, unmindful of its fate. A
week ago it seemed that this "piece
de resistance" of the sessions menu
was being duly masticated and assim-
Hated, but now there appear symptoms
of internal disorders that may
possibly result fatally. Seems to be
but another case of "Where doctors
disagree, etc." and as usual the
subject bids fair to get the worst of it..
For more than three weeks the
lawyers of both houses have been
struggling valiantly, but progress has
necessarily been slow. AS stated
last week in these items the lawyers
in the house have sole charge of the
code and will brook no interference on
the part of the lay membe S, an at
tempt in that direction last week re-
ceiving rude setback.
In the "HOuse of Lords" however,
it is diffenent. Many of the standing
committees Of the senate will get
right down to work on those
parts of the code which properly
belong to such committees according
to subject matter, and if nothing
further results therefrom this method
will at least serve to make all the
senators more familiar with what the
code contains, what revision" has
been. accomplished, ETC., especially
with reference to the subjects in which
they are individually most interested.
The results are awaited with much
anxiety and curiosity by the entire
state.
Another and presumably the last
timber trespass sensation(?) was
sprung last Saturday by former
public examiner Sam Johnson, and
in the report made public that day he
not only takes parting shot at Bob
Dunn but also hurls few javelins at
present auditor Iverson. The report
is dated January q, but was not made
public by Gov. Johnson until Satur-
day. Mr.. Johnson (Sam, not John
Al would have us believe that Mr..
Dunn, during his incumbency,
robbed the school fund of something
over 500, OO0-this in addition to
amounts previously reported" which
brings the total cost to, the state of
Dunn's alleged NEGLIGENCE and dere-
LECTION up to the muniticent sum of
about 100000 The report further
alleges that since assuming the reins
of office in January 1908 auditor liver
son has failed to. collect about SIS, 200
due the. state for trespass. The report
will no doubt be sent to the Legislature
accompanied by message from the
governor. Then there may possibly
be some Investigating" by the leg
islature and who knows but that the
former public examiner may be put
on the carpet also?
There is a strong and growing
sentiment in favor of doing away with
all the so-called "fee" offices and
putting the officials on salary basis.
A good start was made in this direc-
ton four years ago when the office of the
state oil inspector was put On salary
basis, and what had long been a
sinecure was brought down to where it
properly belonged. Now the legisla-
ture is after the insurance commission
ership, which up until last fall was
not known to be what it was then dis
closed to be, veritable gold mine.
Last Friday afternoon at a hearing
held by the house committee on
public accounts and expenditures,
ex-commissioner Elmer H. Dearth
admitted that during his last term he
had collected about $60,000 in fees
from outside insurance companies
doing business in the state.- AS the
extra actuaries employed to examine
policies had not been paid to exceed
$40, 900, it is readily seen that Mr..
Dearth managed to line the pockets of
his jeans in fairly good shape. The
outcome will no doubt be the enact
ment of law giving the commission
er larger salary than before and
providing that the fees collected be
turned into the state treasury. 1t
is understood that the present COM
missioner, Mr.. O'Brien, wants the
salary placed at $1,000 per annum,
otherwise he will not serve. Maybe
the job is worth it, but if it is there
are severel other state officials whose
compensation ought to be increased.
For the past ten years or more the
office of private secretary to the
governor has been worth from Sc, ZOO