Morris tribune., 1913-04-25
lawmakers PUT
IN LIVELY WEEK
Spectacular Features as Clos
ing Day Draws Near.
EXTRA SESSION THREATENED
Governor Eberhart Sends in His First
Veto, Accompanied by UIti-
matum to Soions.
Especial Correspondence

is due to add several interesting
pages to Minnesota history as far as
a review Of it's lawmaking bodies is
concerned Not in decade has SO
many spectacular things been crowd
ed into one brief week of five legis-
lative days as in the week just passed
After weeks of jockeying the house
put over the new primary law, which
wipes out party lines in the matter
of legislative and county offices. The
same day both house and senate re-
ceiyed a slap on the wrist from Gov
ernOT Eberhart in the shape of a veto
of the Nolan bill permitting home
rule in the handling Of public utilities
and the very next day the governor
was handed a return slap in the an
nOuncement that his veto was not
worth the paper it was written upon.
He had slipped a day and held the
bill too long, the leaders charged
Now he threatens to call special
session of the legislature and it is no
idle threat. either. The threat has
been written on good white paper,
with his signature attached, and it
holds unless the two bodies pass a
public utilities bill This might be
called excitement enough for one
week, but when one adds the fact
that while ali this was on the senate
passed the Minnette telephone con-
troll bill and the house concurred in
the conference report covering the
workmen's compensation act, two of
the biggest things of the session, it
can be readily seen that the solons
have sure been earning their money.
:. !. \
The veto by Governor Eberhart of
the Nolan bill, which gives munich
palities control of all public utilities
within their confines with the excep-
ton of telephones, was the first of the
session. The bill was principally de-
signed for Minneapolis, where local
control of the electric light and gas
oily has long been a bone of cOnten-
ton. 1t was not his veto of the bill,
however, that brought the two houses
up standing, but little postscript
declaring that if the Legislature did
not pass public utilities commission
act providing for statewide control in
stead Of local control as named in the
Nolan act he would call a special SEES
sion of the legislature for this particu-
lar purpose. All this implied that
there was another veto coming, the
object of the gubernatorial wrath be-
ing the Minnette bill, which passed
the senate the next day. This measure
was promptly vetoed by the governor
and on Saturday afternoon the Min
nette and Nolan bills were passed in
the house over the governors veto.
!. J. :.
Without entering into any discus
sion regarding the merits or dement's
of the governors stand in the matter
of the Nolan biIl~--some nasty charges
are being INDUCED in--fairness com
pels the statement that the message
accompanying the veto was d master
piece. 1t had plenty of punch" and
there was no MISLEADING the governors
views. He set them down tersely
and every paragraph rang true.
Though his enemies might cry street
car and General Electric company
anything but statewide control of
such utilities, he contended, was a
step backward and if he could bring
it about only such control would be
permitted. Twice has the governor
threatened to call special session
reapportionment being the basis Of
the last offense but this time it was
better than threat. 81 will" he
wrote and it was penned without
qualifications or side stepping.
:. Il =
Whether the veto of the Nolan bill
will stand though is a question. as
Nolan and his supporters are making
the point that the governor over
looked a day and held it beyond the
required time of three days. A re-
ceipt book in the possession of the
house enrolling clerk is the basis of
the Nolan contention and it looks
pretty much as if the whole thing
would have to be threshed out in the
courts. Governor Eberhart says he
did not get the bill until the day after
the date named in the clerks record,
for the reason that he made special
note of the whole thing as he had
made up his mind to veto the act
long ago if it ever came to him. The
controversy resolves itself into a
question of fact, with veracity the
principal issue The bill was receipt
ed for by a colored messenger in the
governors Office. His excellency in
sists that this does not constitute de
livery.
x + :.
Perhaps it is all for the better. but
many will view with regret the pass.
ing of party in the selection of candi.
dates for all county and state officers
below that Of those named in the con
stitution as executive officers. Reluc,