The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1911-02-03
LEGISLATIVE
news LETTER
News From the Capital City
by Our Special Cores
pendent

Bismarck-The convicts at the pen
had two and q half hours of relaxation
Wednesday night. Warden Hellstrom
invited the members of the legislature,
the state officials and many friends to
come over to the pen auditorium and
witness the programme Of vaudeville
and music put on by the convicts. The
hall was crowded and the entertain
ment put on by these men Of the
Inner world" was very creditable in
deed. There is some talent in the
bunch, and the original songs, jokes
and monologues would do credit to a
first class play house. There are also
some fine singers and dancers. This
was the third annual entertainment of
this kind that has been put on at the
state penitentiary. Governor Burke
and Warden Hellstrom are agreed on
the proposition Of reforming the GRIM
1nal rather than in Furnishing him.
There are some hard looking specimens
Of humanity in the penitentiary and
to see how some Of them enjoy the
programme put on the other night one
really feels that the governor and the
warden are working along the right
lines. A school to train the mind of
the convict is also one of the latest
innovations at the North Dakota pen
and the governor says the inmates take
to learning very eagerly. There are
now 2O1 convicts in the pen-one a
woman-and one can't help but see
that the training to make them good
citizens, if ever again given their free
dom, will have good results.
House Bill No. 1O7 provoked a rather
spirited contest when it came before
the committee of the whole. The bill
provides that slleriffs after finding that
a delinquent personal property tax
was uncolloctable, shall make report of
such fact to the county, making an af-
fdavit to the effect that an effort had
been made to collect the tax in ques-
ton. For making such effort and for
filing of the affidavit in question, a
Zee of S1.OO is allowed. The main ar
sument against the bill was that the
sheriff could mark a lot of claims for
personal taxes as Not collectable" and
get his dollar per, whether he went to
see the delinquents or not. The bill
was recommended for passage, but will
be fought hard again when it comes up
the bin have on their fighting clothes.
The Trimble insurance bill will be
fought hard by the insurance COM
panies. It requires that the companies
receiving premiums of over $4,000 shall
Invest IS per cent of that in the state
80 per cent of that amount to be in
vested in the county in which the pre-
MUM originated. The Texas legisla-
eure passed such an act some years
ago, and as result the large compa-
MES wi hdrew from the state. The big
companies threaten to do the same in
North Dakota if such law is forced
upon them. They want the right to
invest their money where it will bring
them the best returns and be absolutely
safe, which would not be the case were
1t reinvested in some of the counties
of this state. The insurance men are
I lobbying against the measure.
| Governor Sanders of Louisiana tele-
graphcd the president of the senate and
speaker Of the house to take action on
endorsing New Orleans as the place
of holding the Panama exposition in
1915, showing that eleven state legis-
latures had already endorsed the
crescent city. It came up by resolu-
ton in both houses, and by a majority
vote each did the other thing-en-
dorsed San Francisco.
The Elken anti-pass measure is the
strongest and most stringent along that
i line yet introduced. 1t allows free
- '+ation onlv for employees Of
the railroads and their immediate fam
lilies aud members of the railway COM
mission and their necessary assistants.
! There is a determined effort at this
session by women societies through
out the state to have woman suffrage
law enacted. Members in both houses
have had letters from home which
show that a systematic effort is being
made along this line. The senate had
killed the bill, but on motion it was
reconsidered and has been referred to
the committee on Woman suffrage. The
+, sentiment appears to be against its
passage.
Ex-Treasurer Bickford has made
good to the state for the $O,691.14 that
he unlawfully misappropriated from
the state treasury. The money was
raised by his friends and was turned
over to Treasurer Olson before the
time for the preliminary hearing Of
Bickford. This was done for the effect
1t might have on the case against the
former treasurer, which is still pend.
ing in justice court. The complaint
filed by Attorney General Miller was
dismissed and States Attorney Smith
of Burleigh county will be the prose-
cutor. Attorney for the defense is D.
c. Greenleaf of Minot.
1t looks as If the wolf bounty law
would be repealed. The Red river
valley country thinks It is a useless
law, while the western counties, where
wolves are numerous, are making a
fight for the retention Of the law. The
first show Of strength in the house
~>e>>~~~~~~~~1>~~
Improvements in State.
Dickinson.-Parker Bros. will cree.
a $4,000 store building early next
spring and the plans are being pre-
pared.