Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1909-04-10
SAVES THE BILL FOR WO.
MEN INSPECTORS.
Cass Lake Wins out in the New
Normal School Fight and Rep.
McGarry Scores a Personal
Victory-How the House
Brought the Senate to Its Own
View of the Salary Bill.
(Heatwole's Legislative Letter. J

I10dCWOl0'S LGSlSldUlVG L0UC6F.
St. Paul, April Z, 1909. 1t rarely
happens that speech is made that
changes votes. Representative Wells
made one of that kind the other day,
however. The bill up for considera-
some reason labor measures and labor
leaders are unpopular in the house
and are liable to get the worst of it if
opportunity offers. This measure
provided for the establishment of an
assistant commissioner of labor, who
is to be woman, to exercise a general
supervision over stores and factories
in which women and children are en-
ployed. There had been no debate
prior to the bill being put upon it's
fnal passage, and by the time Wells
name, which is near the bottom of the
list, was reached it looked very much
as if there would not be enough votes
to carry it. An opportunity was af-
forded him to speak in explanation of
his vote when his name was called,
and he made use of it to make an ap-
peal for the bill. 81 had hoped" he
began, "that every member of this
house would vote for this bill, as I
am sure they would if they appreciated
the conditions which exist, the temp
tations to which girls are subjected
when they come to the cities, and the
purpose of the BILL" He then went
on to refer to the work which was be-
ing done by philanthrepic people for
friendless girls in providing homes
where they might live at a minimum
of expense, and made pathetic re-
ference to those who had fallen by
the wayside. "Are you aware" he
asked the country members, "that
only few blocks from here, almost
within the shadow of the dome of the
capitol, there are seventeen girls, far
mer's daughters, who have been res
cued from life of shame and are car
ed for at the Salvation Army home?
Think of the thousands of others who
are liable to be betrayed. Think, too,
Of the tens of thousands of children
who are reported by truant officers as
not attending schools and who are be-
ing led into vice and crime. I tell
yoa." he concluded, "we cannot throw
too many safeguards about the wo-
men who come to the cities to work
for living. I hope you will vote for
this bill, which authorizes the State to
employ women to help to look after
their welfare" AS soon as Mr.. Wells
sat down dozen members were on
their feet asking that their vote be
changed from no to aye. Mr.. Wells
speech unquestionably saved the bill.
The agony is over. The legislature
has decided by the majority of sim
gle vote to establish a normal school
at Cass Lake. No measure introduced
into the legislature at this session, not
even the tonnage tax bill, has been
more bitterly fought. For none has
there been so active and so persistent
lobby. While it is probably true
that no member was paid to vote for
it the amount of money spent in one
way or another to make friends for it
must have run into thousands of dol
lars. It's author, Mr.. McGarry, has
worked for it untiringly. He came to
st. Paul in November to begin to
make friends for Cass Lake, and he
never let up. He enlisted the steel
trust people, and early concluded that
it would be good policy for him to
capture the vote controlled by the
brewers combine. He cultivated the
acquaintance of the members, and, be-
ing one of the best fellows in the
world, won the support of score of
members or more who thought it alb
surd to locate normal school at Cass
Lake, but who voted for the measure
purely and simply because they liked
McGarry. And it wasn't McGarry onr
ly. Mr.. McGarry has daughter who
is house employe, and the members
tell me she is as much of politician
as her father and an awfully nice girl
in the bargain. Moreover, there was
all kinds of opposition to Cass Lake
even in the section of the State for
whose benefit the school is to be es-
tablished. Bemidji wanted it and