Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1909-03-20

objection to the committee bill is that
it does not obviate suits for collection
of damages. The workman's idea is
that law on this subject should so
far as possible obviate appeals to the
courts. There is little likelihood that
any agreement will be reached on the
bills proposed, and that after all the
proposition to submit the matter to a
commission will have to be accepted.
The house on Thursday afternoon
was regular shambles. All kinds of
bills were remorselessy slaughtered.
The house started in on drainage bliss
The first of these to be killed was
the Spooner bill providing that the
State drainage commission may clean
out and improve streams not under
federal Jurisdiction. Mr.. Spooner did
not press the bill, but insisted that
the state should not commit itself to
the policy of improving waters under
federal Jurisdiction. Mr.. Wells OPP
posed even the Spooner bill as going
too far, and thought the present law
which only requires the State to i'm
prove streams when the counties will
pay half the cost better. G.. A. Nc
Kenzie had bill appropriating $15-
600 for drainage in Sibley county. 1t
got the AK. So did Spooner's bill ap-
propriating $4,000 for improving the
Chippewa river in Pope and Swift
counties.
Having thus whetted its appetite,
the house attacked the Kneeland bill
providing for a constitutional conven-
ton. To pass it required eighty votes.
It only got sixty two, altho ugh it is
admitted that the state needs a new
constitution to take the place of the
present patchwork one. The house
neither was in the mood to accept
new constitution or any kind of one,
so it killed the J. N. Johnson woman
suffrage amendment. It didn't want
to know either whether women want
ed to vote, so it put to sleep Mr..
Wares peculiar measure under which
women were to be given the privilege
of saying whether they wanted the
franchise or not. The house snuffed
the life out of Mr.. Brady's bill to re-
peal the anti-pass law, and it came al
mighty near killing the bill to remove
the eleven o'clock lid from the saloons
of the three big cities. The members
voted it down at all events in the
committee of the whole by 4S to 35,
which was so far as they could got at
that time. Later they are liable to
change their minds. In itself, how
ever, this was considered quite an af-
ternoon's work.
There may be something doing yet
on the anti cigarette bill which pass
ed the house under suspension of the
rules. 1t is made to look as if the
senate committee on public health and
pure food, to which it has been re-
ferred, would give it favorable recon-
and word has been sent
out that tobacco manufa cturers and
dealers will, if they wish, be given a
hearing. The universal course pur-
sued with regard to this bill is gen
orally believed to have resulted from
the fact that when before the house it |
was ignored by the tobacco trust.
There was no profit in this. If the
trust didn't sit up and take notice |
what object would there be in intro
ducing legpulling bills. A blow was
thus aimed at most remunerative
branch of legislative industry. What
will result when the bill is being con-
sidered by the senate, of course, no.
body knows, but, although the major.
ty of that body is not believed to !
have the reform very much at heart,
they may conclude to pass the bill un-
less those interested in the maniac
;ure and sale of coffin nails make some
effort to prevent it.
-
Senator eastman is having rather
better luck with his distance tariff
bill in this than at the last session.
70 everybody's surprise, the senate
abroad committee has recommended
t for passage. The bill is duplica-
ion of the Iowa distance tariff law.
Sentiment is strongly favorable to
he passage of Senator Hackney's ag-
'icultural bill. It provides for in
truction in agriculture by mail, and
or the encouragement of study by
LIBERAL prizes. The probabilities are
he bill will pass. 1t carries an ap-
,ronriat ion IF S75 n0O