The Ely miner., 1911-03-17
st. Paul, March TO-

st. Paul, March 10
Senator Elwell introduced a uni
versity appropriation bill asking a
total of $2,937 200. For the university
proofing old chemistry building, $1C2,-
chemistry building and laboratory,
$405,000; new pathology building,
100000; dormitory for women, $780,
600; biology building, $350,Oo0; fire.
proofiing old chemistry building, $102,-
600; alteration of medical science
building, $4,000; change Of Millard
hall to college of pharmacy, $4,000;
equipment of Folwell hall, $4,000;
maintenance of Elliott hospital, $780,
200; law library, $4,000; care of cam
pus. $4,000.
Wednesday night was labor night
before the house and senate commit
tees on workingmen's compensation
bills.
T. d. O'Brien, former Judge of the
supreme court, prefaced his defense of
his bill, drawn for the Federation of
Labor, by attacking the present legal
system for gaining compensation for
industrial injuries as "a relic of bar
barism, an economic waste and tend
ing to give the lawyers more than their
share of whatever was recovered"
F. G. Winston, millionaire employer
of labor. characterized the o Brien bill
as worse than the Mercer BILL" and
as deserving to be labelled as "an in
Vitation to all who wished to end their
lives to come to Minnesota, get job
and end all, in the assurance that their
aunts, second cousins or sweethearts
would profit financially by their
death" Mr.. Winston also indulged
in a free-for-all debate with labor rep
resentatives present.
But even while he was bitterly at
tacking the O'Brien BILL he surprised
his auditors by nominating, possibly
facetiously, Judge O'Brien for the next
governor of Minnesota, saying:
Judge O'Brien is the best citizen I
know and should be glad to vote for
him for governor"
Ten o'clock closing for saloons ex-
cept in the cities of the first and Sec
ond class, including Minneapolis, St.
Paul, Duluth and Winona, is provided
in a bill introduced in the house by
Representative j. F. Lee and Put
nam. Another bill is said to be com.
ing providing for 8 o'clock closing.
st. Paul, March IL
The senate committees ground out
recommendations for good deal of
important legislation.
The committee on university and
university lands, Senator Elwell, of
Minneapolis, chairman, recommended
for passage both the general appropria-
tions bill for the university and the
girls gymnasium bill, appropriating
$150,000 for a new girls gymnasium.
The good roads amendment to the
Minnesota state constitution, drawn by
Representative r. C. Dunn, providing
a one-mill tax for roads and bridges
throughout the state, passed the sen.
ate by a unanimous vote.
An amendment by Senator Sageng,
taking away from the state highway
commission control over the disposi-
tion of the funds was adopted. 1t
leaves with the legislature the right to
name body to exercise the money
dispensing powers.
By a vote of 81 to 81 the lower
house refused to investigate the state
central committees of the Republican
and Democrat parties of this state.
Several members voting against the
bill said there was no evidence of
any Irregularities in the handling of
campaign funds.
The committee on general legilsla-
tion recommended for passage the
John P. Nash bill which creates a
state department of weights and meas
ures and the Fowler bill regulating
automobile traffic.
A bill to define what constitutes an
Intoxicating beverage" was intro
duced by Senator Rustad. 1t provides
that any beverage containing one-half
of one per cent alcohol by volume at
a temperature of 60 degrees above
zero fahrenheit, shall be classed as an
intoxicating beverage.
st. Paul, March 13.-Initiative and
referendum on an ultra-conservative
basis, the Democratic idea as set forth
in the bill introduced by Albert Pfaen-
der of New Ulm, passed the lower
house of the Minnesota legislature by
vote of 63 to so. 1t grants to the
people the right to vote On legislation
by popular ballot but contains restric-
tions which purport to safeguard the
interests of the state against the
apathy of the voters on questions of
law.
1t received the vote of II of the "a
Democratic members of the house and
those opposing it explained that they
did so at the request of the people of
their own districts. 1t received the
vote of all the conservative Republi-
cans and enough of the radicals to per-
NIT its passage. Many of those who
voted the radical Campbell bill ex-
planned that although they did not IA
vor the Pfaender measure they be-
lieved it to be better than nothing.