The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-03-21
Minnesota Legislature
Past Week.
Past Week.

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rules for improvement. The contract
of sale will require that the purchaser
| within seven years shall fence in
| twenty-five acres for pasture, shall
cultivate at least per cent of the
tract, shall build a house and reside
| upon the land for a period Of twelve
| months.
Four Days This Week.
With only four legislative days this
week in which to work, the legislat,
ure will nevertheless dispose of mum.
| Der of important measures. Adjourn.
ment will be taken Thursday night
until the following Monday. The leg
| islative reapportionment bill, passed
by the senate last Friday, will be act.
ed on by the house. The possibilities
of conference committee being ap,
| pointed to smooth out the differences
| between the house and senate bills
are slight. 1t is understood that Hen.
ry Rines, speaker of the house, does
not desire the appointment of a con.
ference committee, even though the
senate bill is not especially to his lik.
| ing so far as his own district is con.
cerned. The fact that the bill may be
endangered if conference COMMITTEES
is appointed is said to be the reason
for Speaker Rines' intention to put
his personal desires aside.
If the house decides to accept the
senate bill, it will only be necessary
| to accept the senate amendments and
| repass the bill in the house. If the
house refuses to accept the senate
amendments, there would have to be
| a conference and compromise OF
some kind, sending the bill back foI
another vote in each house. Speaker
Rines said yesterday that he did not
care to take the responsibility for
sending the bill back to the senate
and thus jeopardizing it after the vic
tory has been won.
st. Paul, March 15-Minnesota
| seems at last to be in a fair way OF
| having a legislative reference bureau
! the agitation for which began some
years ago. The bureau, according Il
the Norton bill, which has passed tha
| house, will be under the supervision
of commission to be composed OF
| the president of the state university
the lieutenant governor and one 9th
| er member to be appointed by the
| speaker of the house. It's active head
! will be the director, So-called, whose
salary the commission will fix He is
to be assisted by such craftsmen, Ii
| brarians, ETC., as may be necessary.
The bureau is expected to collect
and keep up-to-date "such information
and material as will furnish the full
est possible information practicable
upon all matters pertaining to cur
rent or proposed legislation. It's di
| rector is required to be capable OF
drafting bills and must assist in do
| ing SO when called upon by members
Both houses have now approved
Senator Clague's bill, which author
fzes voters to pass upon the liquor Ii
cense question in cities of the fourth
! class. Only towns and villages have
| local option under state laws, al
| though some are authorized to refer
| the matter to voters by special char
| te~s.
| Two more fish hatcheries will be
| established as a result of bills passed
by the house. One will be located al
Granite Falls, the other in st. Louis
or Lake county, at site to be desig
mated later.
| The house voted to appropriate
| $1,000 to the Cottonwood Agricultural
Society. The money is to rebuild the
! fair building which was blown down.
Fifty thousand dollars is appropri
| ated in Mr.. Spooner's bill, which
passed the house to investigate the
feasibility of constructing cana
| from Vermilion Lake and Lake of the
Woods through the Red River valley
! and southwark to Big Stone Lake
! thence east to the Mississippi river
according to what is known as the
| Mershon plan. A survey of water
| powers in the district traversed is
! also proposed
The project was attacked as vision
airy by Representative Nolan and as
! impracticable by Representative Har
rison, of Washington county, himself
skilled engineer. The proposed
canal, he said, would have to cross
! four divides. 1t would also cross a
number of rivers at right angles, a
! thing unknown, Mr. Harrison said. in
Europe. Mr.. Hopkins, of Renville
county, spoke at length in behalf OF
! the bill, referring particularly to the
! advantage which would result to the
| state from the development of its
| waterpowers.
r. c. Dunn's automobile bill repaals
the present law. 1t provides for a reg
istration fee of S. annually instead oil
$3.50 for three years, as at present
| the new fee to be collected comm:nc
! iIs January 1, 1915. The proceeds
which it is estimated by that time
will amount to $250,00O, are to go to
| the state road and bridge fund This
| bill passed the house by vote OF 81
| to &c.