The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1913-03-13


bill has. But it passed and after July
Is. there will be no snuff sold in this
state. This Is going to raise lot Of
bad feeling in the state by snuff users.
1t Is held that there is very large
percent of the usars OF SNUFF among
the male populat IN Of the state, and
the are going to object strenuously.
1t Is claimed on good grounds that had
the representatives of the American
Tobacco Co. remained at home and
kept out Of the case there never would
have been any such bill passed, but
the fact that the matter got stirred
up, and the attempt at bribery was
made 80 prominent, there was but one
alternative, and that was to pass the
law. 1t ie thought that thers will be
an attempt two years hence to get the
law repealed. The proceedings Of the
house wherein there was inquiry made
into the attempt Of bribery regarding
this bill, resulted In generating all
members of both the house and sen.
ate, and Mr.. Ness, who was the de-
fendant In the case, was sent to jail
for two days for contempt Of the
house. MIR. Ness is now held under
two thousand dollars bond awaiting
trial in the district court in May for
attempting to bride these legislators.
There are many involved in the case,
and 1t Is thought there are liable to be
some interesting DEVELOPMENTS when
the case comes up for trial.
Ten Per Cent Law Killed.
The bill setting the maximum in.
terest at 10 per cent was killed, be.
ing considered detrimental to the in.
terests of the state. While it is ad.
mitted that 10 per cent seems high
enough for an interest rate, and it real.
ly is high enough for one to pay, yet
it is argued that the money loaners Of
the state would be handicapped to Sc
cure ready cash from outside parties
for loaning purposes were the rate cut
below the ~ per cent limit. Twelve
per cent is a very high rate, but mas
much as it Is hard to get at any rate,
it was not considered by the house
that the time had arrived yet for
screwing down the limit.
investigating COMMITTEES.
The committee appointed by the
house to conduct an investigation Of
the several Offices in the capitol re-
ported, and while there we're sur.
prisingly large number Of irregulari.
| ties, yet there was not one Of any i'm
portance, that il, Of a serious nature.
Many officials were found to have eth.
or defective bonds or in some cases
had failed entirely to hle any bond. In.
asmuch 40 there seemed to be oonsid.
cradle political dynamite In the pro.
cedure and the legislature was desir
oVs Of avoiding anything Of an i'm.
| parchment proceeding the report was
| adopted and that seems to be the end
Of It, 1t is believed that the investi.
cations, while Of course they have
been quite hurried, will have whole.
some effect and that some good will
have come Of it.
Otter Attorney General Miller.
Probably the most central figure IN
the several investigation proceedings
and the "dynamiting" resolutions, ETC..
has been Attorney General Miller. II
is claimed that MI. Miller Is the cause
| Of all the trouble, while Mr.. Miller and
his friends claim that they are not the
cause and that the warning factions
against him have started the trouble
and he is simply holding his own
There were wild rumors Of an i'm
| parchment trial which was to rival thu
Judge Cowan muddle, but this died
out, and now there is rumor to the
effect that the bar association OF the
state will institute disbarment pro
ceedings against the attorney gener
al Whether this is true or not re
mains to be seen. Mr.. Miller says he
is not afraid, while his enemies say
he may get scared later, and there
| 3o fnG hot
there will be something doing within
30 days if at all. This is but one Of
the interesting topics about the CAPT
tai city at present.
Some Of Lambert's Bills.
;. Representative Lambert of Ware
county has had three bills up recently
which have attracted some attention
and afforded much discussion. The
first of the trio provided that in or
der to secure license for MARI Re
it will be necessary for the appNc,vlt!
to pass medical examination. This
passed and will become law. The
second and third bills were lost. Tit
first provided that any person no mat
ter what his mission might be, wht
was found in a house Of prostitution
|
If convicted, sent to the pen for :
term from one to ten years. 1t ex
copied no one nor permitted of an!
excuse, legitimate or otherwise. Th'
last one recognized common law mar
riages and would have made fin
loophole through which. any failing o
Mr.. Lambert's medical examination
could crawl.
| Recognizing Coal Industry.
There is one item Of Importance t.
the state Of North Dakota which ha
received attention by this Legislative
body, and which marks a certain de
gree Of progress in the development
OF the great resource Of coal. 1t is tn
fact that the legislators are giving at
tention to that article and are begin
ming to realize the Importance Of it
development. This is indicated b!
their action in demanding through
senate bill No. 271 that agreeable
freight rates be granted the shippers
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