The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-03-02


der of his two stepchi]drne. The
grand jury OF LIE Suour county had
asked the legislature to investigate
the governor because Of his dilatOri-
ness. 1t is expected the bill will pass
the senate.
=: e =.
The house on Tuesday passed the
Spooner bill appropriating $4,000
for an investigation Of the Feasibility
Of the Nlershon system Of canalizing
the state OF Minnesota. The bill pro-
vides that a commission, made up Of
the governor. the attorney general
and the state auditor, shall investi
gate the feasibility Of the system and
shall have authority to engage engi-
neers. A vigorous fight was made
against the measure by Representa-
tive Washburn of Hennepin and
Representative Congdon also opposed
1t. Opponents Of the plan call it
Fantastic - The Mershon scheme
provides for a system of canalizing
which will connect the Lake of the
Woods with the Red River, and then
with the Minnesota. A great inland
lake is to be made near Granite Falls
and the Minnesota is to be harnessed
and brought down to the Mississippi
near Fort Smelling. Another system
Of canals is to connect the Mississippi
with the head Of the lakes at Duluth.
1t is estimated the Improvement will
entail q cost Of S35, 600, 900. Repre-
sentative SpOOner maintained that all
that was involved in the present bill
was an investigation into The FEAST
bility Of the plan. He claimed that it
was high time some measures were
being taken to prey ent the grabbing
up of water power sites and that this
investigation would disclose their To-
cation. The bill passed by a vote
of 81 to l.. Connected with this bill
is another placing the water powers
Of the state in the control Of a com
mission.
The house on Tuesday passed a
measure taking away from the state
pardon board the right to commute
sentence in the case Of criminals con-
victed of murder in the first degree.
=. -
Cupid has invaded the Minnesota
house OF representatives. One Of its
members. {. A. Lydiard Of the Forty
third, Minneapolis district, was
quietly married Monday night. Tues
day, when he appeared in the house,
he was subjected to line Of feIicita-
tons which carried considered bic
humor with it. Representative Lydi-
ard has not only become a married
man, but ii is understood he has an
ambition 20 become the rcnubIican
party's candidate for secretary of
state at the next election. lie was
formerly city clerk Of Minneapolis.
=. :. =.
The initiative and referendum is
causing all sorts Of trouble in the
house. The Campbell bill, providing
for a ) per cent petition for the injIa-
ton OF legislation and S per cent for
q referendum, had been fixed as a
special order for Thursday. The
bill by Representative pfaender, a
democrat. on general orders, comes
before it. Pfaendcr's bill provides for
q s. per cent petition for the initial
tive. In order TO foresta!l the ad-
vantage the pfaender bill would
have, new bill has been prepared to
take the place of the j. T. johnson
bill, backed by such men as Henry
Zines of Mora. j. T. johnson and
others.
The new bill fixes the initiative per-
centage at per cent and the referen-
dunn at 10 per cent. For municipali-
ties it fixes tho percentage for the mi
surrounded by other safeguards.
The house is understood to he closely
divided on the subject.
- - =.
The elections committee Of the
senate has submitted it's bill relative
TO primary elections. It is supposed
to take the place of all Of the bills
that have been submitted. including
the MOonan democratic measure. 1t
provides for the direct nomination Of
stale officers, and also provides that
the candidates SO nominated shall
meet after the nominations to formu-
late parry platform. This is the
Wisconsin idea and is Incorporated in
the NOOnan measure. It also has a
20 per cent clause relative to the
eligibility OF candidates to 90 on the
ticket as the party candidate. Unless
q candidate shall poll 20 per cent of
the vote cast for the head Of his ticket