Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1909-07-22
new PROBLEM
IN PORK BARREL
LEGALITY OF EXISTENCE OF
STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION
Is NOW RAISED.
DUTGROWTH OF JOHNSON APPEAL
Ion on Big Question.-sanitary
= Board May Also Come in for
Extinquishment.

st. Paul, July 2O.-Whether or not
he state highway commission should
not be ruled out of existence will be
embodied in the request which State
Auditor Iverson and State Treasurer
Dinehart, of Minnesota, will submit to
Attorney General Simpson for an
opinion. - $fEHs
Growing out Of the ruling of the SUI
preme court on the pork barrel bill,
the question is raised that the state
highway commission, expanding mon.
ey az it does for internal improve
ments, may not be inhibited by the
same ruling which the supreme court
laid down relative to the road and
bridge fund, when it declared the ap-
preparations included under that cap
ton were unconstitutional.
In series of events, dramatic and
unusual, growing out of the so-called
pork barrel bill case, the new posi-
bility is one of the most astonishing
and unexpected. 1t will put up diff
cult problem to the attorney general
and the supreme court may be called
upon for final decision.
The theory upon which the question
of the legality of the highway COM
mission has grown up, is that the law
expressly says that the state shall not
be a party to any internal improve
ment. 1t is urged that the state high
way commission, spending money as
1t does, may come under this ruling
and in any case, the state auditor and
the state treasurer are disposed to
find out.
The question which the auditor and
treasurer have been formulating for
some time has grown out of the ap-
peal which State Senator Victor L.
Johnson, of Chisago county, made
relative to the application for the
bridge at Taylor's Falls, across the
st. Croix river. It was Immediately
discovered there were several other
appropriations, such as the drainage
appropriation and others included in
the general omnibus appropriation bill
which might be unconstitutional un.
der the reading of the pork barrep'
decision.
Following the appeal of Senator
Johnson, State Auditor 1verson and
Treasurer Dinehart have been going
through the appropriations carefully,
and have practically prepared their
appeal for information to the attorney
general.
Among the appropriations upon
which a specific ruling will be asked
are the following:
Capitol approaches ........ 100000
Grand stand, state fair. ..... 100000
State drainage
General fund ............... 200, 1000
Survey of watersheds. ....... 10000
Typographical survey ....... $4,000
Dam at Big Stone lake. ...... $4,000
Bridge at Taylor's Falls. ..... 5000
Road through Itasca park. -. 10000
Hennepin county has the advantage
over some of the other counties, rela-
tive to the road and bridge appropria-
tons for 1907. There is left in the
treasury from the appropriation of
that time approximately $4,000. The
legislature OF last winter amended
this bill relative to the manner in
which this money should be spent, the
counties of Lac qai Parle, Blue Earth,
Crow Wing, Scott, Douglas and Hen
nepin being affected.
The Hennepin people drew their
money before the suit was started, but
the other counties find their money
tied up. An opinion will also be asked
for relative to the constitutionality of
the law creating the state live stock
~ s 49,. s:sSs IT,