The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-01-17
Senate Committee Takes Up Contest
of Crookston Banker who is in
St. Paul to Direct Case.
DEMOCRATS TO NAME SENATOR
Hammond Most Likely to Receive
Empty Honor-Baptists Wire
Plea for Appeal in Lid Case.
(By r, A, wilSou)

(By T. A. Wilson)
Benaidji Pioneer Legislative Bureau
st. Paul, MIMI, Jan. 17.-There
are to be happenings of real interest,
this week, in the Minnesota legisla-
ture which reconvened at II O'Clock
this morning after an adjournment
from last Thursday. Two important
features marked the day; real work
by the elections committee on the
Stephens-Saugard contest and the in
PRODUCTION by Representative C. H.
Warner of Aitkin of five per cent
gross earnings bill.
Late this afternoon the democrats
of both houses will meet in caucus
at the St. Paul Hotel for the purpose
of determining upon candidate for
the United States Senate. 1t appears
likely that this empty honor will go
to w. S. Hammond of st. James, con-
gresham from the second district
A. G. Weis of the Duluth Herald has
also been prominently mentioned.
Today's meeting of the election
committee marks the first real work
in the effort Of. Andrew Stephens of
Crookston to establish his legal right
to occupy the seat in the Senate now
held by John Saugstad of Climax
who got there by the 'ssticker" route.
The former senator from Crookston
is in st. Paul and will take personal
hand in the conduct of the contest
which his friends hope will put him
back in the Senate where he won
reputation as one of the leading legis-
lative lights in the state.
+ X X
The Warner bill increasing the
gross earnings tax for railroads from
four to five per cent is one of the most
important measures so far to be in
troduced at the present session, and
in case it becomes enacted into law,
will mean substantial increase in
the revenues of the state. The bill
provides that a certain percentage of
the increased revenue be turned into
the road and bridge fund.- There
probably will be strong objection on
the part of the railroads to an in
crease in gross earnings tax, which
has crept up from two per cent to
the present four per cent, having
safely passed through legal attacks
which has placed the right of such
tax before the supreme court who
found it constitutional.
| Il X ** X
Prohibitionists and church people
still refuse to accept the Willard de-
cision, raising the liquor lid in north
ern Minnesota, as final. Resolutions
urging that the case be appealed to
the supreme court have been passed
by the First Baptist Church in St.
Paul and the following telegram was
sent to Attorney General Wickersham
and Secretary Ballinger: ''The First
Baptist Church of St. Paul, a congre-
cation of the Young Peoples Society,
by unanimous vote, respectfully
| urge IudL Lne Indian llQ case De ap-
pealed to the supreme court. We also
desire to express our appreciation of
the efficiency of w. E. (Pussyfoot)
Johnson and the great good he has
done our state"
4 i =
Word has been received here that
Senator Knute Nelson's bill authorize
ing the cutting and selling of burned
timber on the homesteads of Mime
sofa as the result of forest fires will
be reported favorably from the Senate
committee of Congress within few
days. This bill authorizes the cut
ting and sale of timber, the proceeds
to be deposited with the treasurer