Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-04-05

tive Stone was q little more aggres.
stve than the dazed and helpless Rep.
resentative Klemer. but he acknowl-
edged that he had no charges to make.
He took refuge on the ground that he
had not had time in which to make
his charges complete.
After admitting he had no definite
charges to make, Representative Stone
was finally excused, and the house set
tied down to the ordinary run Of exi
istence and adjourned.
The Day In tho Senate.
Senator J. D. Sullivan's bill pro-
h1b1ting the use Of any but Minnesota
building materials in public buildings
was referred back to it's author at his
own request. He explained that tho
board of control had assured him a
resolution to the same effect passed
early in the session would have the
same effect morally as a law.
Senator Glotzbach's bill to tax every
professor of healing, not a graduate
OF medical college, $500 a head, was
recommended for indefinite postpone.
ment.
st. Paul, March 800. F. Doyle Of
st. Cloud told the house drainage in
vestigating committee that George A.
Ralph, state drainage engineer, at.
tempted to cancel ditch contracts
with him and to give them to the
Standard Dredging company, of which
D. A. Stuart, his attorney, is part
owner. Mr.. Doyle is ditch contract
or and was called to tell what he knew
about the contract for ditch No. 81 in
Polk county, which was taken away
from him.
The committee held an executive
meeting to confer with Examiner
O'Hearn Of the public examiners Of
flee who just returned from northern
Minnesota where he investigated the
Polk county records relative to the
indictment Of Mr.. Ralph some years
ago. At that time the state drainage
engineer was indicted for alleged ir-
regularities in the construction of a
judicial ditch, but the case was later
dropped. An attempt was made to in
ject evidence relative to this ditch in
the present investigation, but Attorney
Stewart objected on the ground that
it had already been disproved of by
the grand jury. G. H. Warner of Ait.
kin declared that the case was dis.
missed on technicality. Mr.. O'Hearn
recently investigated the records in
Polk county to ascertain whether or
not there was sufficient reason for an
indictment.
B. A. Stuart headed off an attempt
to pry into the Wawina Land com.
pany by the special committee of the
house investigating the state drain
age engineer. o. S. Doyle was on the
stand at the hearing when Chairman
Knapp asked him who was benefited
by the construction or the ditch
through Wawina lake. Mr.. Stuart OBJ.
jected and was sustained.
Mr.. Knapp sustained the objection.
A. w. Rick, a former ditch inspect
or, was brought prominently into the
investigation when four letters of his
to Mr. Doyle were read. They limited
directly of some understanding be-
! tween the inspector and Doyle, and
spoke Of confidential matters. Mr..
Doyle said he did not know what the
confidential matters were. In one let
ter Rieck wrote, there is something
doing with the bunch" There is no
explanation Of what constituted "the
bunch.''
The spirit of economy is permeat-
ing the house committee on rules.
Plans are under way to save the state
800 day by releasing a dozen clerks,
stenographers and sergeants whose
services they believe the lower branch
of the legislature can forego for the
rest of the session. Two clerks of
the reapportionment committee who
have been drawing SO day since the
beginning Of the session and who
have had nothing to do since the re-
apportionment bill was reported out
six weeks ago will be among the un-
fortunate ones. A stenographer for
this committee at SIS day and also
craftsman at SO a day will come
under the ak.
w. E. McEWen, former labor CON-
missioner, defended before the senate
finance committee bill appropriating
to him $500 for expenses on an Euro
pean trip with the Minnesota Work
mems Compensation commission. He
said that, aside from the code now
before the legislature with his name
attached, the state of Minnesota was
benefited by the ideas of safety de-
vices he had brought back, many Of
which were already adopted by en-
ployers here.
Senator Moonan's recall bill passed
the senate by vote of 4S to 10. The
bill was declared for in the platforms
of both the Democratic and Republican
parties. It was introduced in the sen.
ate by Senator Moonan, a Democrat,
and in the house by Representative
Kneeland, Republican. The Moon
an bill that passed the senate, will
probably be substituted in the house
for the Kneeland bill, which is now on
general orders.