The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-03-09

XII
THURSDAY, MARCH s., i
question at consid Bile length at the
Minneapolis auditorium, which was
packed. The majority Of the listeners
seemed to favor the minister, who
took the anti-extension side of the
argument. The Hennepin delegation
is inclined to stand pat on the present
condition q lion Of things.
Lawyers Jared pretty we'll in the
election contests that were before the
Minnesota state senate this winter.
The expense bills submitted show that
it cost the men involved SIS, 636. 16- to
prosecute and defend their cases. OF
this sum, the lawyers received SO, $50
for fees, or two-thirds of the entire
amount. Tuesday night the elections
committee considered these bills, but
failed to act on them. The expense
bills in detail are as follows: James
Handlan, senator, $3.50; attorneys
fees, 5000. Ray G. harrington,
s1,370.42; attorneys fees, $1,000. A.
D. Stephens, s2,77o.4l; attorneys
fees, $1,000. Benjamin Taylor,
sl,254.8l; attorneys. fees, 81, 1888. S.
D. Works, s2,6l7.65; attorneys fees,
$1,000. Senator Saugstad, S2,S1S.26;
attorney IS fees, $4,000. Senator Fros-
haug, s3,S44.56; attorneys fees,
So, 900. Senator Ahmann,z. SITS;
attorneys fees, $780,. John ..Emmel,
S45l.70: attorney 8 fees, $3.50.
| $50.
The committee on public accounts
and expenditures holds that Secre-
tary of State Julius Schmahl did not
pay too much for automobile tags as
has been charged. It was alleged
that the secretary of state had paid
IS cents for the tags that he could
have secured for Is cents. The report
of the subcommittee, headed by
Representative F. L. Farley, exoner-
ates the secretary of state, holding
that while good price was paid there
is no evidence to show they could
have been obtained any cheaper.
The special investigating COM
mittee, which is looking into the
charges against State Engineer
George Ralph, is going thoroughly
into the work. This committee is
made up of fair-minded men, and if
there IS any thing wrong with the
situation they will find it out. The
men under investigation will also be
given fair hearing. While the in
vestigation is in progress it will be
we'll to remember that the men max
ing up the investigation committee
are Representatives Knapp, chairman;
Robertson, ,Moriarty, Crane and
Fowler. They are among the cleanest
and ablest men in the house. :.>. !
This week State Auditor Iverson
has been: on the stand. It appeared
from his testimony that State Engi-
heer George Ralph was the whole
thing in the drainage commission and
that Governor Eberhart, Secretary of
State Schmahl and the auditor had
very little to do with affairs of the
commission.
State Auditor VERSIONS testimony
dealt at considerable length with al
legged irregularities in letting the con-
tract for bitches Sc, &c and So. One
of the developments in the testimony
was that there was only one bidder
for each job, which raised the oues-
tion as to the manner of advertising
the contracts. The auditor said he
had no record of,the advertising, but
was always sure in his own mind that
they had been advertised, and said
the proof of advertising submitted by
the papers would be found among the
records. He said the state engineer,
who, as explained before, is about the
whole thing on the drainage COM
mission, had said the prices were fair,
hence it was assumed they were fair.
Certain Irregularities relative to
letting the contract to Foley and
Gleason for ditch 66, developed in Mr..
VERSIONS testimony: Although the
contract was let in December, Foley
and Gleason did not have their sigma
lures certified until the following Jan
uary, and they we're given an extern
sion of time without notification of
the bondsmen.
| i. i :.
Committee reports appear to be
worthless in the house. In nearly
every instance the house overturns
them and goes gleefully on it's course.