The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-03-13

IudI vigorously, goes WITHOUT Say IIIS.
They charge the whole thing up to w.
Nolan of Minneapolis, who in his
early legislative days was one of the
boys, and vengeance deep and dire
IS threatened. ..
= :. <
Town elections were held through
out the state this week and the tenn
perance and liquor organizations hav-
Ing headquarters in Minneapolis and
st. Paul are awaiting with much in
terest the returns on the question of
wet and dry. Two years ago the dry
forces had a trifle the best of it,
though in the main neither side had
much to brag about. In order to al
low the state lawmakers to particl-
pate in the elections both branches
adjourned for three days, the longest
period they have been absent from
their work in some weeks.
!. !. :.
The present house of representa-
tives is certainly entitled to the med
al as the hardest working body in the
history of the state. When the mem
bers are not in regular session they
are engaged in committee work and
mittee room occupied and many of
the committees working way into the
night. One day recently these COM
mittees turned out a grist of bills
that fairly swamped the desk clerks
and the day following there was an
bills are concerned, however, they
contain little in the way of merit.
:. :. :.
Why such a deluge of bills, you
probably ask. The question is a nat
ural one, but your sitting member is
best qualified to answer it. Yours
truly cannot. Fully two-thirds Of
them are almost duplicates of laws
that are already on the books and 9th
ers are amendments that really do
nothing. Take the question of liquor
regulation, for instance. At one meet
ing Of the temperance committee last
out four much advertised measures for
liquor control almost exact duplicates
of laws now on the statute books. One
member expressed surprise at this
duplication and said he never knew
there were such laws on the books.
It may not be generally known, but
there are laws on the statute books to-
day which would put every saloon in
the state out of business if enforced.
The same is the case in all other lines
which call for regulation.
Newspaper libel bills galore have
found their way into the senate and
house hoppers and if the country
press does not want to have it's efforts
towards public cleanliness and munich
pal and legislative reform hampered it
will have to get busy. All the bills
are directed at removing the lid for
damage that can be collected for libel
and in one case the right of retraction
is taken away. James Handlan, a st.
Paul member, is fathering one of these
bills in the senate, and W. e. Dindorf,
also of st. Paul, another in the house.
The latter calls for a constitutional
amendment.
!. !. !.
The st. Paul papers are held to be
responsible in measure for the new
libel laws now before the two houses.
They were particularly active during
the progressive campaign of last year
and candidates who did not come up
to their way of thinking were hauled
over the Goals and their defeat recon-
mended. Handlan and Dindorf were
among this number. There was a re-
traction in the case of one, but ven
geance has burned within him ever
since, hence his activity. That these
bills will get by the two houses is not
likely, but it has to be said that MANY
favor them.
!. :. J.
There will not be a state land de-
partment separate from the state au-
ditor's office, as advocated by Govern
or Eberhart. The house gave the
Kneeland bill, providing for such a
department, it's quietus. Upstate
members were generally for it.
!. !. !.
The probe into the affairs of the
state game and fish commission BY the
legislative committee on accounts and
expenditures continues and the things
it has brought to light are by no means
a credit to the state. Characterizing
the administration of the fish and
game department as damnable and
rotten, Representative l.. G. Spooner
Of Morris advised immediate steps
looking to the impeachment of the
members of the commission and its
executive agent, Harry Rider. The
committee has the suggestion under
consideration, but it is hardly likely
that such will be done. AS I pointed
out in a previous letter politics is the
whole trouble and as the probe goes
deeper it only serves to substantiate
the charge. It has not been so much
mQyfnq CQnNo ~, thu ,.ou4 80