The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-01-22
new PRIMARY
ELECTION Law
introduced in the Senate by
Briggs Of Houston.
little HOPE OF ITS PASSAGE

Author Not Sanguine That His Meas.
ure Will Get Through-Amendmen
Offered to the Anti-Pass Law Would
Give Free Tickets to Railroad Sur
geons and Attorneys-To Insure
Greater Safety of Bank Deposits.
ST.. Paul, Jan. 21.-Another twist
was given the primary election law in
the senate when J. I. Briggs of Hous-
ton introduced a bill providing that
the primary law shall extend only to
the selection of delegates to the party
conventions.
Mr.. Briggs says he has faint hope
that his bill will pass in the midst OF
the multitude of primary law meas
ures in the senate. The bill provides
that the polls for the primary shall be
open twelve hours, beginning at 9
o'clock in the morning. Voters shall
have an opportunity of naming the
delegates to party conventions. The
conventions are to proceed in the old
way to name the nominees for the va
rious offices. .,
The anti-pass law also took another
turn. An amendment was offered by
John Moonan of Waseca, and gives
permission to attorneys and surgeons
of railroads to accept free tickets.
Another bill by the same author
places on the railway company the re-
sponsibility for damage on account OF
fire to any buildings or valuables
along the right of way caused by To-
connective sparks. Under the present
law damages can be recovered only If
it can be shown that the fire was
caused by the negligence of the road.
Requiring chattel mortgages to be
filed with the register of deeds instead
of with the city clerk is a change in
the law of the state, which will inter
est many A bill making this change
was presented in the senate by H. B.
Hanson of Window. Chattel mort
cages have always been filed with
the city and village clerks.
Greater Safety to Bank Deposits.
A measure which helps the banks
and insures greater safety to deposits
at the same time, is bill presented
by Senator J. ]. Briggs of Houston.
It exempts banks from taxation on
their surplus to 100 per cent of their
capital! The present law requires
only 20 per cent of the capital to be
in the surplus fund. Directors are
loath to put more into that fund for
the greater security of the depositors
because it is liable to taxation. s
Three bills were sent to the tenn
perance committee of the senate One
by !. ]. Amman of Torah abolishes
the 1nebriate farm, which is to be To-
Gated at Willmar. Another by S. F.
Alderman of Brainerd prohibits the
granting of liquor licenses to other
than men of good character and
makes It obligatory, under a criminal
sentence, on the licensing body to in.
vestigate the record of the applicant
Another bill limits the number of sa-
looms to one for 500, and provides that
no more licenses shall be issued If
the number of saloons now exceed one
to 500 by the last census. This bill
Is also by Mr.. Alderman.
Arguments in favor of another state
normal school were presented to the
normal school committee of the house
by various school men of the state
G. E. Maxwell, president Of the Vino
ma normal, showed that of 14,O0(
teachers only one-fourth have any spe
cial training for teachings. Minneso
ia needs 2,7O0 new teachers a year
500 for the increase in population ant
1900 to take the. place Of those tina
leave the profession.
Cost Of Normal Students.
He pointed out that Minnesota
spent last year $173,999 to gradual,
697 normal students, while Wisconsin
spent s2eO,O00 for 664, and Illinoi
$27O,O00 for 222.
w. A. Shoemaker, president Of tn
st. Cloud normal, said that his schoo