The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-04-22

eliminate WQd6 IL believed are oXtraVa-
CANT items in the board of control
prospectus for the construction of a
new Saltwater prison. An appropri-
alton of So, 225, 900 was made primarily
on the promise that the new prison
was to include factory for the manu-
facture of farm machinery. Later,
when the plans were looked over, it
was found that no provision at all
had been made for such a factory and
an investigation was the result. BY
an agreement reached between the
+, warning factions an item of S91, 900 for
a prison chapel, $4,000 for a
warden's residence and several other
items amounting to $195, 900 are elimi-
mated, and the amount is to be put
into farm machinery building. The
bill appropriating the amount stated
has already passed and cannot be re-
called. All the resolution passed
amounts to is promise on the part
of the state board of control.
! - - -
Thanks for one thing, the state tax
levy, according to the house and SEN
ate finance committees, will be half a
mill less than the levy of two years
ago. This is because the appropria-
tions for the next two years have been
reduced something like $780, 900. One
thing the average taxpayer is inter-
ested in is his pocketbook, and the
party that makes the least inroads on
it has his best wishes.
The senate has given it's approval
to bill calling for tax levy of one
fifteenth of a mill for reforestation,
and it is expected that the house will
give approval. The bill is in the
shape of constitutional amendment.
It's chief hacker has been General
Andrews of the state forestry depart
ment.
IF the Thirty-sixth Minnesota legis-
lature is to play part in history
from the standpoint of the large
number of laws enacted, then it's ad-
mirers will be badly disappointed, but
if forbearance and a refusal to cater
to the extremists is to be accepted as
the legislative standard, then it has
accomplished all that could be de-
sired. In this respect it is without a
parallel.
| !. i. i.
When the gavel fell in the two
houses today at noon announcing ad-
journment sine die the Thirty sixth
Minnesota legislature had nearly $50
laws to it's credit. This was out of a
total of something like 1900 bills, so
it could be said that the biggest task
of the Thirty-sixth was that of officiat-
ing in the capacity of a morgue. In
all five laws might be said to repre-
sent the best efforts of the body that
has just passed into history.
The most noticeable failure to &C
complish results was along the line of
the restriction of the granting of
liquor licenses. After a long and de-
termined fight in the house of repre-
sentatives county option went down
to defeat. Statewide prohibition
never had chance to get through the
house, and the denial of local option
to cities of the fourth class was the
chief feature. Bills designed to &C.
complish this purpose we're introduced
in both the house and the senate, but
the house measure was defeated and
the senate had no other course but to
leave the matter alone.
The ghost of prohibitive measure
was originated in the senate by
Senator S. F. Alderman, Brainerd,
and was carried with the consent, it is
said, of many of the big brewing in
terests. Frank White of Elk River
fathered it in the house. This bill
was aimed at the small towns along
the iron ranges where the number of
licenses has grown SO out of proper
ton to the population that nine or ten
saloons are found adjoining each
| other on the main streets of the towns.
The Alderman bill limits the future
granting of liquor licenses to one for
each 500 of population. In towns
where this proportion is now exceeded
no more licenses are to, be granted
until the town has grown to the proper
size.
| I. i. 4.
The bill creating commission to
investigate the problem of an employ
ers' liability on account of accidents
to employees is a matter of state wide
interest to labor and capital. The
bill was foreshadowed in suggestion