The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-03-14
Senate Will Vote On Bill Thursday
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Suffrage
Also to Be Voted Upon.
RALPH INVESTIGATION NOW ON
State Drainage Engineer Explains
Why Representative Warner Is
So Active In Investigation.
(By z. A. W11sonl
Bemldji Pioneer Legislative

St. Paul, March LITTLE first
move to kill tonnage tax failed in
the house Monday morning. An ef-
fort was made to reconsider the in
itiative and referendum bill passed
last Friday. If the bill had been
reconsidered, it would have been
killed by the votes of the anti ton
mage tax representatives.
This is the explanation given last
evening for the initiative and refer
endum fight of Monday morning.
Tonnage tax, which is a special Or
der for Thursday at 2 o'clock, has de-
veloped greater strength than any
member was willing to admit a week
ago. The assertion is made and not
denied that the initiative and refer
endum and reapportionment have
both strengthened tonnage tax in
the house.
AS the Pfaender bill is now in the
hands of the senate, any combination
to defeat it must be made in the up
per house. This may mean that the
tonnage tax bill, which at least
stands a chance of passing the house,
will be killed in the senate as was
stated yesterday.
Reapportionment, a special order
in the senate for o'clock Thursday,
has developed so much strength that
it can only be killed by combination
In that case the death of reappor-
tionment will sound the knell of both
tonnage tax and the Pfaender bill.
Woman's suffrage, a question soon
to be settled in the senate, got it's
first suggestion of a hearing in the
house, yesterday. Speaker H. H.
Dunn received a telegram from form
er Governor Alvah Adams of Colo
RADIO on the question of WOman's
suffrage. Mr.. Adams is the president
of the Colorado Equal Suffrage Aid
Association. His telegram was a
protest against the statement that
woman's suffrage has failed in Colo
RADIO. The association which he
heads is composed of Colorado men
who have organized to defend the
Colorado women against the attacks
by eastern publications upon their
influence in Colorado politics.
An effort was made to have Mr.
Adams telegram printed in the jour
nal of the house but the motion was
lost by vote of 81 to 81, more than
half of the members of the house not
voting. A similar telegram was re-
ceived by Lieutenant Governor Cor
don and read in the senate
George A. Ralph, state drainage
engineer, told the house special in
vestigating committee about his
duties as engineer. The committee
was in session all day and during the
evening, a number of witnesses from
Aitkin county being on hand. Mr.
Ralph explained in part the reason
for the activity of C. H. Warner in
this investigation.
He was asked by his attorney, D.
A. Stuart, if there was any feeling
of bitterness against him on the part
of Mr.. Warner. He said there was
and explained that it was due tC
his inability to grant requests made
by Warner. He also referred to a
crib which Mr. Warner was supposed
to erect at the outlet of Gum Lake
For this purpose, he said Mr.. Warner
secured an appropriation from the
state of $3.50. Upon investigation
Mr.. Ralph said that he found that
instead of erecting the proposed crib
Mr. Warner had built bridge across
Gum River to reach his land an(
that small crib, costing from So
to $40, had been built. Mr.. Ralph
said he criticised this and that HI