The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-03-04
ANTI-CIGARETTE
BILL IS PASSED.
House BUSHES the Measure
Through.
BOTH MANUFACTURE AND SALE.

Prohibited by a Bill Presented by L.
G. spooner Of Morris-House Gets
Tangled Up Over Normal School
Measures-Bill to Tax Earnings Of
Light, Heating and Water compa-
mics Reported for Passage.
st. Paul, March 3.-In the haze Of
afterdinner cigars, the house mem
bers of the Minnesota legislature at
night passed bill forbidding the sale
of cigarettes in this state.
The bill was presented by Il. G.
Spooner of Morris. The rules were sus-
pended in flood of other bills, and
the bill passed with a rush, Alvin
Rowe of st. Paul casting the only vote
against it.
The bill is comprehensive, forbid
ding the sale or gift or manufacture
of cigarettes or any paper to contain
tobacco for smoking.
Defeated in their attempt at county
option, temperance advocates in the
house are urging still more strict
law. e. r. Lobeck of Alexandria pre-
sented to the house a constitutional
amendment to be submitted to the
people in 1910 providing that after
Jan. 1, 1912, the manufacture and sale
Of alcoholic liquor for beverage pur-
poses shall be forever prohibited In
this state.
The measure is similar to those
which have been adopted in num-
Der of Southern states and was re-
ferred to the committee on temperance
legislation.
Gross Earnings Tax Bill.
The bill to substitute a gross earn
ings tax for the ad valorem tax for
gas, water and electric works and
heating plants, introduced by Repre-
sentative F. B. Wright of Minneapolis,
| was recommended to pass by the
house committee on taxes. The sub
committee which was to fill in the
| blank spaces for the per cent of the
tax reported the bill back with the
following rates: Where the earnings
are less than 100000, 8 per cent;
from 100000 to 100000, 3 per cent
on the first 100000 and 31@ per cent
on the balance; 100000 to 100000,
31h per cent on the first 100000 and
4 per cent on the balance; 100000 to
ST 100000, per cent on the first
100000 and AZ per cent on the bal
ance; 81, OOO,00O to 100000, AZ per
cent on the first $1,00O,0O0 and 5 per
cent on the balance; where the gross
earnings are over $2,000,000, 5 per
cent on the first $s00O,000 and 51a
per cent on the balance.
| The taxes are to be apportioned
among the state, county, city and
school treasures in the same proper
ton as school taxes are at present.
There will be little primary election
legislation at this session. The bills
repeating the primary law were all
killed in the house upon recommends
ton of the election committee, and
the Saugstad bill changing the date
of the primary from. June to Septer.-
Der was practically killed.
The house got itself into tangle
over the normal school situation, but
after nearly two hours talking and
parliamentary jockeying they found
they were hardly any farther than at
| the start. If anything is indicated by
| the votes taken it is that it is not
likely that any normal school will be
established at all this year.
Placed on General Orders.
| Representative McGarry of Walker,
working for Cass Lake, was able to
| muster just sixty votes for his minor
| ity report in favor of his bill and
/! placed the bill on general orders with
| ffty-seven against it. A few moments
later when the situation had been ex-
planned a little further, the general
! bill, introduced by Representative
Kinds of Hubbard, which leaves the
! selection Of the site to the normal
school board, was placed on general
orders by a vote Of 81 to "a.
The normal school committee sent
In the Kinds bill for passage while a
minority, composed of McGarry, En-
mel and Jorgenson, reported for the
Cass Lake bill. After considerable
jockeying with rules of parliamentary
! practice, the house came to vote on
|>McGarry's motion to adopt the mi
nority report, and on this the vote
stood GO to 81.
The first positive move toward pre-.
venting the floods Of the Minnesota
valley appeared in the senate when
Senators r. G.. Harrington of Orion
vile and G. A. Johnson of st. Peter
| Joined in bill appropriating $4,000
| for the construction of dykes and
dams at Big Stone lake so that the
Minnesota and Milestone rivers will
! be restrained.
1t is provided that the level of the
| lake shall not be above the usual high
water mark. It is estimated that much
Of the large damage done in the val
| ley last year can be avoided by these
| reservoirs at the head waters to check
the flow.
A. X. Ware of Mortified introduced
in the house a bill providing for an
| election by the women at the regular
| time in November, 1910. All women
over eighteen are entitled to vote just
as the men, but the only ballot they
can use is one on which to express
| their sentiments about the proposition
Of women voting at all elections.
REPORT ON SECRET SERVICE