The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1909-02-18

and senate railroad committees was
held h first of the week to consider
matters of railroad legislation and
this meeting was addressed by the
representatives of the various roads
and by representatives of the en-
ployes. The bill that was chiefly OPP
posed by the railroad companies is
that limiting the length of the freight
train to %thirty-fve cars and requiring
4 full crew of six men. The state
ment was made that such a bill would
largely increase the expense of oper-
alton and that statistics showed that
few employees met with accidents from
rear end collisions. The representa-
tives of the employees argued that the
bill was in the interest of the lives
and safety of the employees. The bill
was finally reported out of the senate
committee increasing the train length
to forty cars and permitting a train
leaving a division point with less than
forty cars to increase its length to
forty cars by picking up loads at in
termediate stations. The "dink" ca
boose bill, prohibiting the use of the
small four:wheeled cabooses, was
passed by the house.
f. i. i.
Appropriate exercises were held b.
q joint assembly of the two houses on
Feb. IL to commemorate the birthday
of Abraham Lincoln. A souvenir pro-
gramme was prepared for distribution
to the school children of the entire
state, embodying Lincoln's Gettysburg
address. J. H. Worst of the State Ag-
ricultural college made the address of
the day and there was appropriate
music and other features.
4 !. i.
Seedsmen of the state are interest
ed in a pure seed bill which has been
reported back to the senate with a
majority and minority report. The
bill provides for the labelling of un-
clean seed and is designed by the
State Agricultural college to prevent
the dissemination Of weed seeds
through false labelling of seeds. The
seedsmen of the state oppose some
provisions Of the bill and claim that
it would require all farmers delivering
grain to label every sack of grain as
anclean. 1t seems likely, however,
that some such legislation as this
bill proposes will be enacted by the
legislative assembly.
!. !. !.
The house has finally passed the
bill providing for the location of ii
state normal school at Minot and it
is up to tile senate to say whether a
constitutional amendment permitting
the people to decide whether the state
have another normal school is sub
mitted to the people at the next gen
eral election. There is another bill in
tn wipe out the present normal school
at Mayville. The Velva and Bismarck
normal school bills were disposed of
by the house by an indefinite post
ponement.
!. \ +
The penitentiary investigating com
mittee has engaged expert account
ants and they are going through the
books of the institution and Of the
state treasurer. Estimates are being
made of the value of the various
buildings that have been erected and
this will be used as a basis for deter
mining whether funds were we'll ex-
pended. A general statement was is
sued by the committee asking all per-
sons who claimed to have knowledge
Of matters that should be investigated
to appear before the committee and
testify, but so far little offer of testi-
mony has been presented. The com
mittee hopes to complete its work
within ten days or two weeks and
present a report before the end of the
session. j.. W. FOLEY.