The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-04-03
COMMISSION
PLAN FAVORED.
Senate Passes Bill Allowing It
" in Minnesota.
CONFIRMED after A FIGHT

e. Vasaly of Little Falls to the
Board of control-HaIf of the Sen
ate Members Go on Visit to Iron
Range Towns-Grant's Railroad Bill
Passes House. --
st. Paul, April 2.-"The commission
plan simplifies city government, places
responsibility where the people can
find it, enables the city council to
work unhampered, enables them to
receive credit for what they do, gives
better attention to detail, frees them
from the place hunters, provides pub
licity." r.@ I'D
Thus Colonel Lafayette Young Of
Des Moines summarized the advant-
ages of the commission form Of gov
eminent, whose adoption is being
urged for Minnesota cities, in an adj
dress before the members of the legis-
lature and many others in the house
chamber.
The adoption of this form of govern
ment is made possible by the bill of
Senator S. D. Works, which passed
the senate, and is likely to pass the
house. Before being passed the bill
was amended SO as to apply to all
cities in the state with home rule
charter.
The movement started with the de-
sire of the citizens of Mankato for
permission to try the commission plan
and the bill introduced by Senator
Works was drawn to include only
cities between 10000 and 10000.
The house passed the bill permit
ting Sunday baseball between the
hours of 1 and p. M, The vote was
81 to 81. The law at present prohibits
Sunday baseball but the law is freely
violated. E ~
Nomination of Vasaly Confirmed.
After a fierce fight on the floor of
the senate in which the senate vir-
tually declared law passed two years
ago to be unconstitutional, the nomi-
nation of G. E. Vasaly of Little Falls
as member of the board of control to
succeed S. w. Leavitt was confirmed
with six votes against the proposition.
The confirmation of j. G. Armson as
member of the state tax commission
was made without opposition.
The fight for Mr.. Leavett was led
by Senator F. H. Peterson of Moor
head, who introduced the bill several
weeks ago relating to the continuance
of old soldiers in Office. He started
the fight by forcing the reference to
the Judiciary committee of the nomi-
nation of Mr.. Vasaly. That commit
tee reported that there was no legal
impeachment to the confirmation of the
appointment, and Senator Peterson
then fought against the consideration
of the report, asking for time to pre-
sent legal authorities to support the
constitutionality of the law of 1907,
relating to the preference of old sol
diers. He lost in this, and the report
of the committee was adopted.
On the motion to confirm the nomi-
nation he made the principal effort.
He didn't question the fitness of Mr..
Vasaly for the place, but based his
contention on the law Of last session
giving old soldiers the first right to
places of appointment in the state.
On roll call on confirmation forty
seven voted to confirm. -a
More than one-half of the senate
went to Duluth and the iron ranges as
guests of the Duluth Commercial club
and other commercial bodies in the
various range towns. If the expecta-
lions of the people in the northern
part of the state are realized, they
will come back ready to kill the ton
mage tax bill the first time it comes
up.
Senators Visit Iron Range.
About forty senators will inspect the
mines on the range, see the prosperity
of the towns near the mining centers
and hear arguments against the i'm,
position of tax such as is contem-
plated in the Bjorge bill.
G.. w. Rodenberg made a protest
against somewhat ambiguous bill
that passed the house. The bill is by
R. F. Grant of Duluth and authorizes
railroads and street railways to enter
into contracts for the carriage of
passengers, express and freight" to
"enable and permit the operation of
railroads and street railways in con-
nection with each other"
N. w. Rodenberg claimed that the
bill would authorize the carrying Of
freight on street cars, and would al
low suburban lines to come in with
out any regulation by the city. Grant
said that the only purpose of the bill
was to allow suburban lines to make
contracts with the city lines, which
they cannot do now.
The house passed T. J. Kneeland's
bill regulating cooperative and as
sessment casualty companies. Knee
land told the house that he had been
threatened in various ways by insur-
ance men if he passed the bill
The house also passed the Wallace
bill allowing fire insurance companies
to attach the Waterman clause, clear
space clause and some other riders to
their policies which are now prohibit
ed.
The house passed the bill intro
duced by John Holten limiting the ex.
pcnses paid in contests for seats in
the legislature to $500.
r