The Princeton union., 1909-03-18
MIKES SPICY BUDGET. |
Armour Packing Plant Controversy
Retards the Progress of More
Important Legislation.
After Hard Fight the Bjorge Tonnage
Tax Bill Passes the House by
Vote of 81 to 81.
Special St. Paul Correspondence

Special st. Paul Correspondence
St. Paul, Mar. l7.-If the legislature
ever gets rid of the Armour packing
house controversy it may be able to
pass some of the important bills now
in it's possession. Started fully a
month ago, the wrangle between the
two big cities has had the spotlight
to the extent that everything else has
been overshadowed. When the mem
bers should have been occupied with
measures important to the state at
large their minds and their time have
been engaged with petitions for and
against the Rowe bill, while as to the
two big city delegations the slaughter
house bill has taken up their time to
the detriment of dozen things needed
in the way of city corrective laws.
Sometimes I think the whole thing is a
play started and kept up simply for
the purpose of delaying legislation and
at the same time to create a smudge
behind which an interested few can
work without the possibility of detec-
ton. Honestly, there are lot who
do not take much stock in the much
discussed Armour packing plant.
That it will ever be built is the far
thest from their thoughts, and the
strongest in this belief is the Ramsey
county delegation. They are disguised
with the whole thing.
The republican senate threw a rather
bad scare into the camp of the demo-
cratic minority Saturday, when it
passed, under suspension of the rules,
a bill designed to circumvent Gov.
johnson in his announced intention OF
removing S. W. Leavett from the state
board of control. The bill caught the
democrats mapping and their rage
knew no bounds when its passage was
declared by the chair. There was
open threats by the kitchen cabinet
not to await the expiration of Mr.
Leavett's term of Office but to-, remove
him at once. Cooler heads, however,
prevailed and he still remains. The
house has not discussed the bill as yet
and the thing now uppermost in the
minds of the leaders is, will Gov.
Johnson veto the bill if it does pass
the measure. One of the weak points
in Gov. Johnson's record was his
vote on measures affecting the old
soldiers while member of the legis-
lature. Leavett is an old soldier and
a veto of the bill would simply be a
confirmation of the charges along
this line. .-
It is pretty certain that two new
judgeships will be added to the list
this time, and the gossips are busy
with the names of those likely to fill
them. St.. Louis and Ramsey counties
are to be the benefciaries and in the
case of the latter Stan Donnelly, a
Capital City lawyer, is picked to win,
while it is said that Martin Hughes o1
Hibbing has the call in the case of St.
Louis county. In the event of the
passage of the bills calling for the
judgeships the democratic administra.
tion will have the filling of both.
Stan Donnelly, spoken for Ramsey
county, is a son of Ignatius Donnelly
of populistic fame.
J. f. jacobson addressed the house
Monday and his talk was character.
istic of the commoner. Economy was
the keynote and he spoke of the ten.
dency of the cities to dip deep into the
treasury which the country in it's in.
dignation offset very often by a
. further grab. A 100000 road and
bridge fund was one of these he de.
clared. The one trouble with the Lac
qui Parle man is his inability tc
measure things correctly when finances
are involved and city and country are
engaged in the distribution. In the
case of the road and bridge fund, which
benefits the country directly, the three
big cities supply nearly two-thirds ot
it. And what they get in return is q
mere fraction of the whole.
Wednesday-St. Patrick's day-was
a gala occasion in the house. Every
member, even to the third house, wore
a green carnation, the gift of Thomas
Brady, and the smiling countenanee
of the leader of the minority fairly
beamed as he surveyed the members
from the speakers chair. In honor
of the occasion Speaker Rockne gave
way to the st. Paul democratic leader
and he presided with dignity. With
the tonnage tax up for consideration
the occasion was one of more than