The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-03-16
STATE LEGISLATURE
Governor Eberhart Starts an AggreS-
sive Policy by Vetoing the Bill
to Permit Free Rides.
Republican House Realizes Its Mistake
in Allowing Democratic Refer
endum Bill to Pass.

Onion Special Correspondence.
St. Paul, Mimi, March 15.-Initi-
alive and referendum, at percentages
of 20 and 10, has passed the house.
In the passage of the bill the demo-
Gratis have won prestige. The bill was
introduced by the democratic floor
leader, Albert Pfaender of New Ulm,
and is known as the Pfaender bill.
Following the defeat of the
Campbell bill of the day before, which
fixed the percentages at 10 and 7, the
house, Friday, passed the Pfaender
bill by a vote of 63 to SO, or II ma
jority for the measure. Seventeen of
the "A democratic members voted for
the bill. The percentage as fixed is
the highest in the United States.
The passage of the Pfaender bill
followed vigorous debate which in
cluded personalities at times, SO much
so that the speaker was compelled to
caution the members to hold their
5empers as we'll as their tongues.
The measure was amended in sew
eral different ways before it passed,
and members said they refused to
vote for it, in some cases, because
they did not know what it really
meant.
The bill does not give the people the
right to initiate constitutional amend
nents, but Appropriation measures are
not barred. One of the provisions Of
she bill inserted for the purpose of
preventing the use of the initiative by
some small section of the state is that
which requires the petition to initiate,
in addition to the required 20 per
cent, to have per cent of the voters
from three-ffths of the counties.
The bill allows only such measures
to be initiated as have been defeated
by the legislature.
It cost the state of Minnesota some
thing like 100000 to a. engage the SER
vices of Architect Clarence 81.
Johnston during the year 1910 When
the board of control was first
organized one of the strong arguments
for it was that state architect could
be engaged for something like 81, 500.
Instead of engaging an architect on
q salary basis the board now pays
MIN 2 per cent on all buildings cost
ing over $4,000 and 3 per cent on
buildings costing less than 10000.
During the year 1910 the construction
of buildings aggregating S2,793, 258
was authorized. The biggest slice of
this was the state prison at Saltwater,
which will cost S2,000,O 600. This
leaves 1913, 25S for other state build
lngs. Allowing the state architect 2
per cent for the plans and construc-
tion of the state prison, he would re-
ceive from this one job $4,000
Allowing him per cent for the other
buildings, although this is possibly
more than he actually receives as
some of the contracts are over
$4,000, be would receive an addi-
tional S23,797.74 or S63, 1877 in all for
his years work. 1t is explained in
the board of control that the archi-
tect, in addition to drawing the plans
for the building, superintends it's con-
struction, employs his own draughts-
men, and that he has already been
working on the matter over year
before the building started. They
also say that and 7 per cent is the
usual rate fixed by architects, and
that it would be impossible to secure
a good architect at salary, and that
the building of the state prison made
Architect Johnston's job an unusually
good one in 1910. Mr.. Johnston has
other clients.
An attempt is being made by the
board of regents of the university to
force the hands of the men in the
senate who are supporting the Rockne
resolution, which demands that Min
nesota material be used in the con-
struction of state buildings, at the
university or elsewhere. The board
OF control is holding up the letting of
contracts for the main medical build
ing, the anatomy building and the en-
gineering building on the ground that
If the Rockne resolution should pass
they will be up against the PROPOSE
tion OF being compelled to have the
contracts let all over again. Thew
profess to believe that the use of Min
nesota material would greatly raise
the cost of the buildings. The
regents also claim that it is necessary
for them to 60 outside for material
for the purpose of preserving the
architectural harmony of the uni
versity building scheme which was
long ago decided upon. This doesn,t