Mower County transcript., 1907-02-27
FEW BILLS. A APPRO ]

q 1865 AsAA11 y5Ej1k - l
ONLY FIFTEEN MEASURES HAVE
REACHED GOVERNOR So. Fan.
House Passes Two-c Cert Fare Bill, but
Senate Postpones Action for a Few
Days--Farm Machinery Plant at the
State Prison Authorized. " Is,
St. Paul, Feb. 525 s.. While there have
been a good many breaks in the. legis-
lative session owing to- holidays and
over Sunday adjournments about the
usual pace has been set for the gen
! eral work. Up to the adjournment for
the Washington birthday holiday
there had been 506 bills introduced in
the house and 418 in the senate. Only
! fifteen of this aggregate of 923 have
been signed by the governor as yet,
but that is to be expected. 1t would
rush these bills through without much
consideration and much committee
work, SO that while the public may
or1tlc1se the legislature as inactive in
reality they are doing the most i'm
bortant part of their work in commit
tees, which does not appeal to the
public. There has been considerable
feeling between the house and senate
as to which body will make the quick
est record in the anti-railroad legisla-
tion. The legislature has come to St.
| Paul very strongly impressed with
| the theory that the railroads must be
vory severely attacked. A good many
ways have been planned, but the most
; popular one is to reduce railroad
transportation in the state of Mime
sofa to 2 cents per mile. They have
! felt that they could not ask this of
the railroads without doing little
something in return and consequently
the popular plan has been to propose
!! the passage of bill 'forbidding the
issue of passes to the public by the
railroads and also forbidding the ac-
! ceptance of the same by members of
the legislature or other public Off
cials. -.
House Passes Two-Cent Fare Bill.
The interstate commerce law al
ready. forbids the railroads from issu-
ing Interstate passes, but that: does
not interfere with the issue Of passes
within the boundaries of Minnesota.
It is therefore quite an anomaly to
know that in spite of this intended
legislation the majority of the mem
bers of the legislature have passes in
their pockets good between st. Paul
and their homes. A few who were
i rendered them refused them, but the
majority, having considered it their
last chance, accepted them. There
does not seem to be any special i'm
propriety in this except as matter of
| taste, because there is so much anti
railroad steam on that it would be-
unfair and unjust to even intimate
that any member Of the legislature
would be: governed in his official iac-
tions by the possession of a pass.
One day this week the senate under
took to push along the bill reducing
railroad fare to 2 cents per mile, but
after quite an animated debate post
poned action for four or five days,
when it is to come up for final con-
sideration. The house took the alarm
! and in order to be first in the field the
next day passed a bill making cents
p! the legal rate in Minnesota under
suspension Of the rules by lis affrma-
! tive votes to 1 negative. This shows
! the temper and. spirit of the legisla-
! ture almost better than any comment
I can make.
Action Meets Popular Demand.
This has been the history of all
; legislation, but the wave of reform is
at it's summit and will overwhelm
any one who has the temerity to ques-
tion it's wisdom. Wisconsin has fixed
a rate of ~ cents and North Dakota
/ is reported to have defeated 2-cent
bill. There was a few days ago some
little talk that Minnesota might make
a 2h-cent rate, but the stalwart ac-
tion of the house has prevented all
thought Of any change in Minnesota.
It now only remains for the senate:t
reach the bill at the time already
specified to: have, It practically be-
come law. If there IS any method
by which the railroads can throw the
matter into the courts after the bill Is
q law I predict that it will be done,
but am very. much in doubt about
that process being at all practicable.
RI do not think there Is a member of
the legislature who would be willing
to face his stituents after opposing
such reform measure ..s: y.s g.:
~ might note in passing that there
Ewas much more haste and. resolute-
mess insulting through the s2-cent fare
bill than therp has been Id placing an
anti i-pass law supon thes1 statute books.
another bin which the: wave Of re-.
form has carried through do not hes
itate to criticise because I very much
doubt Its expediency. One of the bills
introduced In both branches OF the
Legislature was one appropriating a
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