The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-04-13
R0CKNE BILL KILLED
House Votes Down Railroad
Stock Issue Measure.
BATTLE WAS HARD FOUGHT

While the Measure Was Popular One
in the House, Some Members Con-
cIuded There Was no Demand for
Its Passage.
st. Paul, April 1.-THE Rockne bill
for the regulation of railroad stock
and bond issues failed of passage when
it was put to a vote in the house.
There were 81 votes against the bill
and AZ for it. The vote was taken af-
ter long and earnest discussion and
the battle was one of the hardest
fought in years. -
AS was stated on the floor of the
house, the measure was a popular one,
as are most Of the measures directed
against corporations, but the members
of the house concluded that there is
no valid demand for the passage of the
bill, that it is uncalled for and unwise
because it would hamper the building
and improvement of railroads in the
state, and unjust because it would af-
feet only the roads that have their
home in the state. During the discus
sion it was pointed out that the Great
Northern and the 500 line, besides
some local roads in the northern part,
are the only roads that are organized
as Minnesota roads. The Northern
Pacific, Northwestern, Milwaukee,
Great Western, Minneapolis and st.
Louis and the other roads in the state
are organized in some other state.
This bill provided that before any
railroad company issues any stocks Or
bonds, either on original organization
or increase, it must make application
to the railroad and warehouse COM
mission and secure its approval The
commission must give hearing, and
If it finds that the company has COM
piled with the laws of the state and
the issue is warranted it is to allow
the issue. If it refuses the applica-
ton, the railroad may appeal, but the
court may reverse the order only if
the order is confscatory or in some
manner a denial of the right Of the
corporation or denial of justice. The
word "coniscatory' was one Of the
things objected to by the constitution
al lawyers, and on Mr.. Rockne's mo-
ton this was stricken out. The bill re-
enacted the present statute that no
stocks or bonds should be issued be-
low par.
Drawn by the Attorney General.
The bill was drawn by the attorney
general and was intended to overcome
the defects of the present law, which
was recently declared unconstitutional
because it was delegation Of legisla
tive powers to the railroad commits
sion.
The senate committee on general
legislation voted to report for indefi-
mite postponement Representative
Stokes bill providing for the licensing
of clarivoyants, trance mediums, palm
lists and fortune tellers. The same
committee also recommended the
same action with reference to the
More bill prohibiting junk dealers,
pawn brokers or secondhand dealers
from purchasing or receiving me-
chanics' tools as security for money.
The sheriff's salary bill, introduced
In the house by F. T. White of Elk
River, was approved in the committee
of the whole The bill does not relate
to counties having population of 35,-
900 or over or to counties having $500
square miles of territory, but in the
other counties the sheriffs are placed
on straight salary instead of fee
basis. Counties having less than 49,
900 inhabitants must pay their sher-
ifs a salary of $500 and for each addi-
tional 5000: inhabitants an additional
$1O0, so that sheriffs in counties of
10000 to $4,000 get $1,000. They are
to be allowed their actual expenses.
For Indefinite Postponement.
The house appropriations committee
| reported the semi-centennial bill for
| indefinite postponement. The other
two state fair bills, one providing an
appropriation of $4,000, and the 9th.
er for a loan Of $250,000 for the pur,
chase of land and Improvement of the
state fair grounds, were reported for
| passage.
The senate passed the bill raising
the salaries of the judges of the SUI
preme court and the district courts as
amended by the house. The bill now
! provides for salary Of $1,000 a year
for the judges Of the supreme court, q
raise of $4,000, and $4,000 FOR the
| judges of the district court, a raise Of
$500. The district judges Of Ramsey
Hennepin and st. Louis counties will
receive also $1,000 additional from the
/ counties.
A bill making it the duty of each vii
1age, township and county to cut and