Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1913-03-28
EASTMAN BILL
is NOW A LAW
Governor Promptly Signs Dis.
lance Tariff Measure.
LEGISLATURE VERY ACTIVE
Reapportonment and Initiative and
Referendum Also Approved
by Both Houses.
Especial Correspondence


tariff bill, affixed his signature to the
new reapportionment act and with
pen poised awaits the coming of the
initiative and referendum amendment.
1t has passed both houses and only
needs to be enrolled to make it law.
Not in a decade, perhaps, have as,
many important progressive measures
been turned out by Minnesota legis
lature in so short time and the
leaders are congratulating themselves
because Of the fact To them and
majority of the members of the two
bodies it was q red letter week in
Ninnssota's history. Nor was this all.
n. G.. Dunn OF Princeton, with that
sighting spirit which has always char
actarixed his leadership, forced
through the house q new automobile
license bill which will so far teward
aiding the cause Of good roads, and
the governor bill giving civil service
to Minneapolis. This latter act alone
will free fully 5000 municipal en-
ployes from political bondage. Wire
pulling for jobs in that city will be In
diSfavoT from now on.
i. 4 !.
One OF the surprises of the week
was the promptness with which Gov
ernor Eberhart afaxed his signature
to the distance tariE bill. The time
intervening between its receipt by the
governor and the giving of his ap-
ProVAl was less than two hours. It
was expected that there would be q
food of protests against the bill and
that the governor, in Difference to the
showing made by business men who
believed that the act would be harm
ful to their interests, would veto it.
In fact this belief was so strong about
the capitol building that bets were
made that he would veto it. The ex-
pected protests failed to materialize.
ST. Paul and Minneapolis business
men, who were the most active in OPP
posing the bill, evidently agreed to
take their medicine, as none of them
appeared to argue the matter with
the executive. Many think Governor
Eberhart got the bill out of the way
as quick as he did in order to save
himself the embarrassment of lot
Of protests. but my bunch is that he
would have signed it protests or no
protests. 1t would have meant polit-
zeal suicide to do otherwise.
4. ! !.
who is under fire, with A. w Thomp-
son Of Fillmore county, a former
chief deputy in the office. as the ac-
cuser. MIR Thompson, who has a
grieyance-he says he was kicked out
of the department by Mr.. Iverson to
make room for the auditors brother
in-law-insists that Mr. Iyefson, while
posing as conservator of the state
resources, has been feathering his
own nest at state expense and before
the house committe on accounts and
expenditures told of a number of off,
cial transactions which in his opin.
Ion, were shady They involved the
sale Of gchoQ! lands, the issuance Of
mineral leases and sales Of timber
which, in Mr., Thompson's opinion
ultimately benefited the state auditor
IN a financial way. The one thing
however, which went far to minimize
the charges was Mr.. Thompson's adj
mitted unfr endliness to Mr.. Iverson
who, he sal he had never spoken to
since he ha been kicked out of the
ONCE and d not want to speak to
The fact that for nearly eight years
ne has remained silent in the matter
Of things which he believed were vic
tations of the law further detracteG
from his apparent earnest desire tc
Pat the committee next
+ = :.
From all accounts Thompson's ap
peaTaRcs at the capitol and his ten
ar OF evidence calculated to put Mr.
fyeTson in bad was not at the reques
OF the full committee, but the work O
Rwo of it's members. One of these
Was Representative Charles Sawyer
who IN an sffort to pass the Kneelan6
pNblic domain bill bitterly assaulted tn,
Administration of former State Audi
Dor Dunn by quoting extensively from
the report Of former Public Examine
Johnson covering an examination o
Rhs state land department The Knee
land bill proposed divorcing the audi
eor's ONCE from the land department
and the attack on Dunn's administers
Non by Mr. Sawyer was for the pun
pose of showing the need of such ser
Sration As some see 1t the bringinl
of Thompson to St Paul was for tn
purpose of further discrediting tn
state lard department and thus ali
in the PC eea@a Of the Kneeland bill
which was recommitted to the hous
committee on public domain.
:. + l.
If the Kneeland bill putting unde
pne head the various department
having to do with public domai
passes the house Il will not be b,