Morris tribune., 1911-08-04


Gays of the Civil war have things
about the capitol been so exciting or
relations between officials so strained.
The secretary of state started it when
he refused to entertain an amendment
to the articles of incorporation OF the
Northwestern Electric company of
Minneapolis without the payment OF
an additional filing fee The COM
pany refused and sought the aid of
the courts, which held against Mr..
Schmahl. Mr.. Schmahl thought the
matter important enough to receive
higher adjudication and asked the
help of Attorney General Simpson.
The attorney general said the whole
thing was a closed incident and that
made Schmahl mad He declared he
would carry it to the supreme court
and pay the bill out of his own pocket.
That is the way it stands now, with
each holding to his contention, and
the end is not yet. Schmahl says if
the question is not settled for all time
to come, and that to the credit of the
state, Minnesota stands to lose thou
sands of dollars. The attorney gen.
eral, he holds, is in the wrong. Fol
lowing the court ruling Mr.. Simpson
refused to indulge in legal opinion
of any kind covering the controversy,
but according to a former employe of
the secretary's department there Is
on file in his office an opinion from
hn OFT
ticular matter that might clear up the
whole thing. He says the attorney
general ruled that firms adding to
their capital stock must pay the ad-
ditional fee.
= !. !.
Congressman G.. B. Miller's an
nounced retirement from the Eighth
district field after having served out
his present term and the threatened
opposition to Congressman G. R. Davis
in the Third district has brought into
prominence a number of state sena-
tors who want to represent the state
at Washington. The opinion of some
is that they are not eligible, but one
state official insists that nothing
stands in the way if they want to run.
Their terms, he holds, would not be-
gin until after the legislative session
had closed and consequently their po-
sition as state senator would not in
terfere. Senator Doyle is mentioned
prominently in connection with the
Eighth district congressionalship and
Senator A. J. Rockne of Zumbrota is
known to have long entertained de-
sire to succeed Congressman Davis.
!. = !.
Though the names of the estates
are withheld it is given out by the at
torney generals department that the
states strong box will receive heavy
additions within the next two months
by reason of Inheritance taxes now in
process of collection. One of the es-
tates alone will pay in excess of $780,
600. When the present inheritance
tax law was passed Attorney General
Simpson declared that he expected
the law to net the state $50O,O00 an
nually in time. To date this depart
ment has already sWelled the state
exchequer nearly $3,000,000 through
various collections
+ !. !.
Hennepin county is just now in the
throes of an investigation, it's county
commissioners being the official body
under fire aud it threatens to bring
out some nasty things. Started by
some, it is claimed, to head off a more
searching inquiry, the charges as first
preferred, and which the state legal
department declared as rather weak,
have grown until they now represent
the serious.
:. \ !.
This year is likely to see the pass
ing Of the Legislative building, an in
stitutlOn maintained at the state fair
for the past two seasons. It'had to be
financed by various interests and indi-
viduals and they have rebelled because
public sentiment was against it. It's
passing, however, will not have any
effect on the usual gathering of can
didates and log rolling, the number
eclipse previous years. There will not
be any free passes, but this fact will
not interfere with the attendance.
!. :: !.
Who will succeed Attorney General
George T. Simpson if he carries out
his determination to resign before the
close of his term is something that is
bothering quite a few at the state
capitol these days. The one, however,
who is doing the most guessing is Mr..
Simpson himself. IF | do co. he said
Tie other day, Il would like to know
who is going to finish some of the lti-
cation and reforms I have started"
Should Mr.. Simpson resign Governor
Eberhart would name his successor
and his friends announce that Mr.
Simpson need need not have any fear
but that he will be man we'll able
to conduct the department. Mr. Simp-
CON boc in uiouT 10 in,