The Ely miner., 1911-03-17
Minnesota legislature
Proceedings at the Minnesota State Capitol for the
Past Week.
Past Week.

Others pronounced 1t worthless. G.. w.
was disgrace to the state of Mime.
sofa and that he did not propose to be
held responsible for its passage. ]. N.
Johnson, p. N. Converse, r. L. Palmer
and Rufus P. Morton, in opposing the
| measure, said 1t was not worth the
paper it was written on and that 1t
had been so complicated by amend
ments that they were not sure of its
| contents.
The Campbell bill, which was de.
feated Thursday, only provided peti
tions signed by 10 and z per cent of
the voters to bring about the initiative
and referendum. 1t required only a
majority of the votes cast on any
measure to carry it and it allowed the
people to initiate vote on constitu-
tional amendments.
Brewery interests, were said to
favor bill introduced in the senate
by Senator Klein, who Indignantly
denied the charge and stated his rea.
sons for thinking his bill good one.
Senator Putnam, county optionist,
was the man who brought the charge.
1t was a bill to give 100 people a
right to incorporate as village. The
present law requires at least 200
Senator Putnam charged the bill was
framed to permit small bodies of men
to incorporate and establish a saloon,
against the wishes of a majority OF
those in contiguous territory. 1t de
Veloped, on the spur of moment, one
of the hottest fights of the session.
The bill was voted on and lost, 81
to 20.
vagrants and wholesalers by humane
and scientific course of teaching and
instruction" was provided for in q
bill introduced by Senator Boyle OF
Duluth. The cost of the institution ID
to be 100000.
A companion bill provides that any
one who deserts his wife in need
and necessitous circumstances, or his
children, shall be liable to workhouss
sentence" The second bill provides
for methods of teaching them to love
their own wives and to return to them
and to live happily ever after.
Good Roads Bills Passed.
R. c. Dunn's good roads bills as
amended by the senate passed the
house by a unanimous vote. They
need only the signature of Governor
Eberhart to become laws The bills
contemplate state aid and supervision
for the building of good roads through
Minnesota. One bill authorizes a vote
to be taken on a constitutionasamend
ment which would levy an annual tar
of one mill for the building of good
roads. The other bill appropriates
$3.50, 900 a year for the maintenance OF
the state highway commission. This
bill contemplates the placing of a large
force of competent road engineers in
the county districts to superintend all
road building.
st. Paul, March 14.-George A..
Ralph, state drainage engineer, who
is under investigation by the state
legislature, was on the witness stand
before the house committee. He was
called by C. H. Warner of Aitkin to
explain his conduct relative to bitches
Nos. 66 and sc in Aitkin county.
Mr.. Warner asked the witness to ex.
plain particularly the charges that
there were Irregularities in the loca.
tion of the bitches, the letting of the
contracts and the payment of the state
money before any work had been com.
pleted.
Representative Pfaender, chairman
of the committee of public accounts
and expenditures verbally recommend.
ed the passage of bill compelling
the secretary of state to submit bids
for automobile tags. Mr.. Pfaender re.
ferred to the subcommittee white
wash report which exonerated the sec.
retary for paying 35 cents for tags on
the grounds that there was no evi
dence submitted that the tags could
be obtained more cheaply.
Congressman w. S. Hammond of the
Second District was guest of the
house recommended the creation OF
sentative Spooner was asked to make
brief address.
Representative Vorland introduced
two bills designed to do away with 6
monopoly in the lumber business an6
in the sale of grain seeds in Mime
sofa. 1t makes it misdemeanor fol
lumber or seed company to charge
more for it's product in one part OF
the state than another, allowing the
natural difference in price caused by
the distance of the market from the
place of manufacture or production.
The Mattson bill raising the salaries
of the members of the state board OF
control from $500 to $4,000 was re
ported out without recommendation by
the house committee on appropriation
Similar action was taken on the Spoon
er bill appropriating $4,000 to take
care of deficit in the state dairy an6
food department. The committee kill
ed the Hauge bill appropriating $4,000
a year for the support of the state
naval v,,;l;t;o