The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-03-09

the pudding Legislative. 1t takes all
kinds of people to make the world and
few of these various "kinds" are
without some sort of representation
even in legislature.
One afternoon last week those mem
bers and visitors who were present in
the capitol, we're given an unlocked
for and rare treat. The Third Regi-
ment Band of Duluth, which accom-
panied the St. Paul Roosevelt club to
Washington, came up to the capitol
and played a number of selections in
the main corridor beneath the grand
dome. The band is one of the crack
musical organizations of the state and
it received an ovation on its visit to
the capitol, which, so far as l know,
was the first time band has made its
appearance within these walls.
Senator Cooke last week introduced
one of the important measures OF the
session and one that promises to Stir
up quite a fight both in committee
and on the floor. The bill provides
that all telegraph and telephone lines
be designated as common carriers. "
This will bring them under the
supervision of the state railway and
warehouse commission and make
telegraph and telephone rates subject
to investigation and change. That
the big telegraph and telephone con-
Germs will fight the Cooke bill to a
finish goes without saying.
The time-honored and revered grand
jury system has been started down
the line to adjustment by the pas
sage in the Senate of S. F. No. 20 by
Senator Lagbourn. The friends OF
the bill were vociferous in their claims
that it does not abolish the grand
jury while it's opponents were equally
positive that such would be the in
evitable result of the bill if it became
law. In brief, the Laybourn bill
provides that grand jury shall not
be summoned except under three
conditions, namely: Upon order by
the district judge if he think the
public welfare be best subserved
thereby; if ordered by the county COM
missioners; or on petition to the
court signed by at least 100 Legislators.
1t would seem that the bill is
properly safeguarded and although
the consequence will naturally be
that grand juries will not be sum.
moned very often, the people still
have ample opportunity to secure the
services of grand jury in case OF
need. The bill passed the senate by
vote of "a to "a, just two votes more
than necessary. l have heard very
few opinions expressed by house
members on the the proposition so
am unable to venture an opionion as
to its probable fate in that body.
A rather novel idea on taxation has
cen advanced in bill by Representa-
tive Tanning. He would make the
amount of fire insurance carried the
basis for computing tax assessments
on goods and merchandise, and pro-
vides that in making his return to
the assessor the merchant must
accompany same with duplicates OF
his fire insurance policies and that
the assessed valuation in no case
shall be less than the amount of
insurance carried the previous year.
1t would be highly interesting to
note the working of such law.
However, it requires no prophetic
powers to predict that the Tanning
idea will never be incorporated in the
tax laws of Minnesota.
!. j. +
AS already stated it is the expressed
intention of number of house
leaders to pass the code up to the
senate at the earliest possible moment
in order to place the bulk of response