The Ely miner., 1907-03-01

with the Adams bill.
/ III. w. Libby of Winona introduced
bill establishing the bureau of s'La-
! Dor Industry and Commerce. The
/ der ar Jment of labor, as already es-
| tablished, is enlarged and salaries
generally increased. The bill provides
I for an assistant to the head of the de-
partment, three deputies, six factory
inspectors, and five assistant inspect
| Ors.
w. l.. Case of Cloquet is author of
bill which requires chaffeurs to stop
after an accident and secure the
name and address of such party as
may have been run down and injured.
and provides punishment as mis-
demeanor for violation of the act.
The tax committee reported with
recommendation for passage several
important bills. One was the Bur-
dette-Thayer measure making a
graded tax of from one to three per
cent on inheritances. Another was
the bill Of G. B. Miller of Duluth,
providing for submitting to vote OF
the people proposition to increase
the gross earnings taxes of the rail-
roads to five per cent.
E. S. Durment of ST. Paul presented
a bill in the senate this evening au-
| thorizing the fire marshall of the state
to app oint a deputy at $1,000 a year
who shall be detective and aid in
ferreting out 'fire-bugs." The chief
justice of the supreme court and the
president of the board of regents are
reinstated as members of the board OF
investment of state funds by a bill in
| troduced by Senator A. d. Stephens
| of Crookston.
At every session of both houses of
the legislature now, there are being
presented petitions from all over the
state asking for passage of the county
local option liquor bill. This bill is
being pushed hard by the prohibition
lists in the house and in the capitol
corridors and retiring rooms there are
always several men busy lobbying in
| the interests of the measure. The
liquor interests are fighting it, and
| beneath the surface of things there is
great battle waging for and against
the proposition.
st. Paul, Mimi, Feb. 25-Action by
the senate late today assures the peo-
pie of Minnesota two cent per mile
railroad fare from now on. The sen
ate passed the Peterson 2-cent mea-
sure by a vote of 81 to 6, and as the
house declared itself the other day,
the passage of the bill by each body
| formally endorsing the measures OF
the other, is simply a matter of a few
days. There is also no question but
what the governor will sign the mea-
sure. Not only did the senate today
pass a 2-cent fare bill, but at the
same time passed, the Peterson anti
pass bill, 81 senators voting in its fa-
vor and not one against.
The two bills were a special order
during the afternoon, The import
ance of the measures and the promise
of a wordy combat, attracted a large
number of people, the galleries being
full and the wasl aisles in the senate
chamber being occupied by onlookers.
Senator Hardy, democrat, of ST..
Paul, opened the 2-cent fare bill ball
with an amendment to make the rate
| 21a cents. This amendment gave a
test vote. The amendment failed, 81
to 10. Senator George P. Wilson
made lengthy speech against the
| bill. He said he supposed such atti-
| tude would place him in some odium
with certain class of people, but
that he believed it right to stand by
| his convictions and sense of Justice,
and that in his opinion the two cent
fare is two low rate to be reason
able for some of the roads in Mime
sofa. He reminded the senate that if
it can be proved to be confscatory
for single road, it is unconstitution-
al for all the roads. Senator Lay
bourn wanted an amendment to ex-
empt from application of the bill the
Duluth Belt Line, which he explained
Is brt two miles in length climbs a
200 foot hill. This company cannot
even do profitable business on a
three cent rate. Senator -Laybourn
was voted down. The bills both went
to vote shortly after this and were
passed amid much enthusiasm.
One of the most interesting events
of the day in the senate was the re-
port of the finance committee recon-
mending for indefinite postponment
the J. M. Hackney bill for semi
centennial exposition at the fair
grounds in 1908 and providing for use
of the states credit to raise $1,000, 600
to be paid back from future fair pro-
fits. The committee further reeoms
mended, however, the bill be adj.