The Worthington advance., 1905-03-31
Legislative DOINGS.
BILL FIXING PAY OF INeUR-
ANcE COMMISSIONER 1s
CONSIDERED.
SENATE BUSY WITH CODE.
The End in sight-Time for the In
PRODUCTION of Bills to Cease
Now Reached.

St. Paul, March 2s..-An indication that
the session Is In its last stages Is TO De
found IN the fact that no 6s fne be m
duTns na fSa
After that day 1t will require written
request from the governor to entitle new
bills to any consideration whatever:
While the senate is passing the time as
best it may until the Judiciary committee tee
revised code. an event fixed by Chairman
Sonerville for some day this week, the
lower house is grinding away with great
daily ii has already passed and sent up
to the senate almost score OF very I'M
portant measures. 1t is no exaggeratton
sentatives does business faster than any
which has sat in the capitol for dozen
years past: This il not due to the su-
those Of the past so much as it is to the
absence OF talkative opposition when I'M
portant bills come up for ANAL action.
teriay when. by almost unanimous vote
that body passed the Peterson bill. inn
posing franchise tax and creating the
9ee Of state .ba tax took
many days Of time. 1t was then known
as the Iaugland bill: 1t is an important
providing that the governor arn,,a aPi
salary Of $4,000. who shall have entire
supervision Of the leyying OF taxes In the
state This official Is to EepSrt TO- eaes tiaoa
and make such legislative recommenda-
tions as he may deem necessary. Inc
franchise tax is to he paid by an pubic
be paid Is to be arrived at by ascertainlng
the market value of stocks and bonds and
deducting therefrom the value OF real
estate and other property as listed Tor
taxation. This measure is almost certain
to meet strenuous opposition in the sem
ate. where it met death two years ago.
Road and Bridge Tax.
The passage by the house OF the bill OF
a state highway commission and increas;;
ing the tax from 1-2Oth to Y tn OF mn mn
was another evidence Of business-like
Still another important measure adopt
ed was that introduced by S. D. Peterson.
prohibiting telegraph companies from
saEng % han pons Is s
More important than any OF these per-
haps was the Smith bill. providing for
the holding Of convention for the pur.
nose of revising the constitution OF the
state. All these measures went through
with little OF no opposition at yesterdays
session.
The iund bill, wiping out state banks.
was passed by narrow majority: AS the
bill related to banking it required q two
thirds vote. and , for TIN time it Locked as
Another bill Of sensational character
which was passed with the others YVES
that introduced by Representative W: ].
n TSe anthor Of this S S
made the claim that it was introduced
and urged as. being in line with senti-
mentS expressed by President Roosevelt.
Railway Rates.
The Gandrud bill. prohibiting railway
companies from raising rates without the
consent Of the railroad and warehouse
commission was passed; and the now "a.
news meow staee ee'ea epoi H Budinss cHn the hands
Of the state capitol commission for the
next two years, came under the wire a
N Noian bill. es reauirinS theaters and halls Of
fire-proof curtain in front Of the stage,
It viii be understood by anyone that
the passage OF the above bills in one day
comes very nearly breaking the legisla-
''Ys RepTesentatiSe reen al Ware is again to the
front with a bill to regulate railways.
This time he Is joint author with Repre-
sey oscs OF e ~ TaG ne as
recently introduced in Wisconsin, known
as the I.aFollette bill The measure is
one Of the most sweeping character and
change in the railway commission law
The bill gives the commission power to
investigate and adjust freight and pas.
control over the charges OF express com
panies. It requires complete annual state
ments. and oftener II desired. from rail-
are issued and for what reason. Power
to investigate alleged Determinations OF
whatever nature are conferred on the
commission and to make regulations to
suppress the evils: The commission is
also given authority to regulate demur-
rage charges and the movements OF
freights. The bill is made effective Aug.
/, 1906. While the Wisconsin bill cre-
ates an appointive railroad commission.
no change IN the present Minnesota meth
cd OF etecting its commissioners Is con-
templated by the Ware -Anderegg bill.
Tie senate passed the Ward anti-buck-
etshop bill.
Governors Secretary.
In committee on the whole the senate
recommended favorably the Cole bill plac-
ing the governors private secretary upon
a Salary OF $3, 500 per year and providing
that all fees be covered ! into the ,a state t,s
biil providing for the appointment OF
county assessors in oil counties having
more than 10000 Inhabitants:
"A bill offered by Senator Barker does
away with old time caucuses and pri-