The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-04-03
MUCH WORK IN HAND

LEGISLATURES HAS TWELVE HUN
DaED BILLS TO DISPOSE c..
Session Ems in Tree weeks and
Much o. -he Eus;ne7s ksppsd Out
Must Be ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Rail
road Rate Sill Still in Conferences.
St. Paul, March 25.-With over l.
200 bills under consideration and with
but little more than three weeks left
of the legislative session the members
are beginning to awake to the fact
that it will require very Industrious
work to finish up the business. Of
course it goes without saying that the
business mapped out will never be alb
solutely finished. Each day a good
deal of proposed legislation is either
absolutely killed or set to one side
indefinitely.
1t looks now as if there will be no
separate girls industrial school. This
is perhaps public calamity, but as it
carries an appropriation of over $780,
600 the case seems almost hopeless
1t looked at one time as if the ST.
100000 appropriation for the proposed
semi-centennial given by the State
Fair association would pass, but even
that meritorious measure is now in
doubt It was absolutely a loan and
every dollar would have been returned
to the state treasury, but the legisla-
ture is apparently in favor of keeping
on the safe side by not making the
loan.
The proposed women's department
was killed by the senate, but has been
resurrected in the house and may pos
sibly still be heard from, but this is
very doubtful.
Rate Bill Still in Conference.
The 2-cent railroad rate bill is still
in the hands of the conference com
mittee appointed by both houses to
u.
Both houses have passed the 2-cent
fare bill, but now the rub is to get
them to agree to pass the same bill
The situation is really quite peculiar
The early sentiment was very strong
in favor of the 2-cent railroad fare,
their respective bills a sentiment Of
conservatism has been growing and
there is feeling that they are over
doing the war on railroads 1t is quite
ominous to me that the railroads
should take so little interest in secur-
tireiy practical for the railroads to
secure a compromise Of 21a cents a
mile if they care to do So But they
are making no effort in that direction
and the final outcome will doubtless
be 2-cent bill. Recent ammo nee
ments from Washington are sigG cant
and | am inclined to think taat that
accounts for the position C The rail.
roads. The Washington statements
are that the interstate commerce COM
is supreme and that all this
regulation of railroads by
state legislatures is illegal and will
be upset by the interstate
commission taking charge Of the whole
thing
Railroads Show Lack of Interest.
The railroads continue opposing
some of the hostile legislation, but
they do not seem to take the interest
that they have done and | can only
account for their inactivity by the
supposition that they are relying upon
the interstate commerce commission
for their salvation. The consequence
is the legislature is having a go-as-
time with the railroad bills
and practical experience can only de-
termine what will ultimately be &C
Reciprocal demurrage
and distance tariff bills will undoubt-
edly become laws, so that from the
Of the legislator great
deal will be accomplished this winter.
For many years the railroads have
crippled and hampered the interstate
seem to seek that commission as a
rock of refuge to save them from the
radical legislation Of various states
which have been wrought up to the
fighting point by freight charges. The
change of sentiment has been mani
tested on both sides. The legislature
Is really anxious to compromise upon
some less radical legislation, while
the railroads give no sign that they
care anything about the compromise.
A month ago the situation was ex-
actly the reverse.
Semi-Centennial Bill in Doubt.
In previous letter l stated that
the bill providing s1,500,OO0 for the
semi-centennial celebration under the
auspices of the State Fair association
would mace If did 1ooly tbo+ of