The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-13

beneficial only to those who do an
enormous amount of traveling-the
wealthy and those who can spend the
winters in California or Cuba-Miller
has been looking after the interests
of his constituents and has been quiet
ly gathering in a force which it is
claimed will give the bill fair chance
of getting through. Mr. Miller spen,
the recent vacation at his home and
the introduction of the bill SO soon
as it could be prepared after his re-
turn would indicate that he had looked
the situation over carefully and knew
| what he was doing. Devils Lake Is
just now making desperate fight
for the position Of third city in the
state and something like five million
dollars have been spent in improve
ments there during the last year. 1t
has class Of citizens who do not
stand for anything when they attempt
to secure an enterprise and they will
not let the present opportunity pass
without giving some of the other
towns at least decidedly hot trail.
The bill which is officially known as
H. B. No. 229 was referred to the
committee on appropriations as it car
ried the usual amount of $1,000 to be
used for the promotion of the fair.
220 by Thoreson-Repeals section
1878 relating to estrays.
Committee Of the Whole.
The house went into committee OF
the whole for the consideration OF
general orders with Mr.. Gibbons in
the chair. H. B. 142 was recommend
ed for passage. 1t was introduced by
Mr.. Freeman and provides a means OF
taking away the increased jurisdiction
of county courts. It met practically
no opposition.
II. B. 1T was re-referred to the ju-
dietary committee. The principal fight
of the day was on H. B. No. lis,
bill introduced by Mr.. Mockler and en-
titled IAN act to protect the travelling
public from being compelled to eat
adulterated food stuffs served in no.
tells, restaurants and boarding houses
in the state of North Dakota without
having due notice thereof" The bin
requires all keepers of such places
to keep conspicuously displayed in the
Office and dining rooms cards on which
the words, 1--WE serve on our tables
food stuffs which the state of North
Dakota compel to be branded as adulte-
rated" in not less than seventy-two
point type, are printed, if they desire
to serve such articles. A failure to
keep the sign mentioned so displayed
is taken as prima facia evidence of the
violation of the law, and for the first
offense the violator may, as the bill
! was amended, be fined 500. for the
second offense, $500, and not less than
three months in the county Jail, and
for the third offense fine of $1,000
or term in the penitentiary Of not
less than one nor more than three
years. With these amendments the
bill was recommended for passage.
H. B. No. 1872, Mr.. Cunningham's
dairy and creamery bill. was discussed
at some length and was finally rec
commended for passage without any
material amendments.
The house then adjourned until
Tuesday at 2 o'clock p. M, at which
time joint session was held for the
observance of the birthday of Abra-
ham Lincoln.
Senate Hustling.
The public service corporations
were handed another bunch of ora
tory today when Senate Bill No. 40,
providing for the assessment of en-
press companies was under discus
sion. The bill provides that the state
board of equalization shall at it's an
nual meeting assess all franchises
and other property within the state
of all express companies. The value
of the franchises is to be estimated
from annual reports of the companies
which the bill provides shall be made,
showing all receipts and expenditures
of the companies on business done
within the state. In speaking for the
bill, its author Senator Simpson said
were assessed at about $4,000 for each
mile of railroad over which they han
die business, that the Northern Pacific
company was assessed only about
$65,000.O0 all told. The Northern En-
press company, which is the new
company that has taken over the bust
ness of the Great Northern and North
ern Pacific companies, he said had an
authorized capitalization of five mil
lion dollars and was doing an eno1-
nous business throughout the state
while paying but nominal tax. When
asked by Senator Cashel why he did
not include in the bill sleeping car
companies, refrigerator car companies
and telegraph and telephone compan-
les, none of which paid a Just share
of taxes and some of which paid none,
he said that wood chuck in section
one hundred forty of the state con-
stitution made it possible for railroad
corporations to evade making a re-
port and therefore there is no way to
get at their earnings. He thought his
bill would work with express COM
panies but did not think the state
could get at the other foreign corpor-
ations until the constitution was
changed The bill passed almost I'M
animously. Later in the session a res
olution by Senator Cashel was adop-
ted providing for the appointment of
a committee to investigate with the
attorney general and determine
whether or not a law can be enacted
for assessing sleeping car, refrlgera-
tor car, telegraph and telephone and