The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-03-02
NEWS AND GOSSIP FROM THE
STATE CAPITOL.
Feb. n, 1905.

as the Minnesota legislature is con-
cerned. The sentiment has been
amended by striking out the word
Improvement" and inserting in
lieu thereof the word investigation"
The record to date shows that the
new "order" is something more than
the poets idle dream" too. The
House, especially, seems to consider
that day lost that does not see some
new investigation ordered, and as
result there are now very few house
members who have not been honored
with place on some one or other OF
the numerous investigating commit
tees.
The investigation of railroad rates
and alleged discrimination in same
is no doubt the most important, but
it's not the whole thing by any
manner of means. The state grain
inspection and weighing department
is being Investigated quite thoroughly,
the insurance commissioners depart
ment has already run the gauntlet,
the matter of fire insurance rates mas
been taken up likewise the Oil In
spection department, and so on ana
so forth, ad nauseam. The very
latest, however, is an investigation by
the House committee on Legislative
expenses. tho object OF which is to
find out whether or not the state was
"soaked'' by the firms which FUR
nished the legislative supplies, such
as pens, pencils, writing paper, jack
knives, ink wells and bill files. Until
the committee delves deeper than 1t
has and goes beyond the mere state
ments of certain disappointed Mime
apolis stationery houses, | prefer to
Withhold comment except to remark
that certain items appearing in the
Minneapolis papers are, to say the
least, very misleading.
i. + +
| do not wish to be understood as
decrying this investigating craze, fol
a craze it seems to be just now, be-
cause | believe in a most thorough
and careful investigation OF any
office or any condition that seems tc
demand it. The trouble is that these
so-called investigations" are alto
gether too often mere formalities and
deserving the name often given them
namely, embarrassing episodes .
Even the present investigation o.
rate discrimination, hard and faith
full as the Joint committee has been
laboring since the beginning OF the
session, bids fair to result in little OF
actual benefit to the state, unless
appearauces are deceitful. The great
est benefit will probably accrue from
.the fact that the legislators and the
general public will have better
knowledge of existing conditions ano
practices, and this may serve tt
stiffen the backbone of the railway
and warehouse commission. Ie
with only such indirect results thu
investigation cannot be said to have
been in vain.
j. i. +
Poor S. F. No. 10S This noted bill
lived a short but eventful life. Ate
suffering from a most severe attach
of "amendmentites" it died on Fri
day last, though not without {
desperate struggle to the very last
This bill was probably better known
by it's alias, ''anti-board-of-cOntro
BILL" as it's original aim in life wa
to divest the state board of control o
all authority over the University ant
Normal schools. For time it reall,
seemed as if the bill was health.
enough to accomplish its purpose
but when it suffered its first attack o
"amendmentites" its fate was sealed
Senators Peachey and Buck wer
Jointly and severally responsible il
that thew succeeded in attaching t.
the bill an amendment including tn
schools at Owatonna and Faribault
This brought on other attacks OF tn
disease mentioned and the result wa
that on Friday last the senatorial
doctors in consultation decided by
vote of SO to q that an operation wa
necessary. S. F. No. 108 burdene
as it was, could not stand the shOcl
and it became my pleasant duty t.
inter the remains in a pigeon hol
labelled "bills lost" Several nous
members were present during tn
obsequies and their sole regret ap
peared to spring from a sense of envy
they wanted to do the "killing' &C
themselves, and it's the common
opinion that they would have don
it even more expeditiously than tn
Senate did had the opportunity bee
theirs.
The House last week put an effect
ual quietus on a bill that wen
through the Senate without dis
senting vote. This was the bill
introduced by the Senate committe
on "Prison and Prison Labor" whic
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