The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-02-13

A bill is being drafted by Senator
V. L. johnson which will provide for
a general judicial reapportionment.
According to the present apportion-
ment of the districts the number of
persons to judge runs all the way
from %, 4O4, in the First district,
composed Of Dakota and Goodhue
counties. where two judges serve
Sc, SOS people, to lO9, in the
Seventh district, covering territory
running from ST. Cloud and Prince
ton on the east to Moorhead and De-
trolt on the west, where two judges
serve 2lS, $50 people. The Johnson
bill will seek to equalize these dis
tricts on a population basis.
That owners of automobiles should
pay a substantial license on their
machines in addition to the regular
state, county and local taxes is the
opinion of the house committee on
taxes and tax laws and bill has
been prepared providing for such in
crease. R. G. Dunn proposed a regis
try tax in lieu of all other taxes at
the rate of so cents horsepower Of
the machine. This money is planned
to be used for roads and bridges. 1t
is deemed by many of the legislators
as a fair bill, the big costly cars pay
ing much heavier tax than the
little and inexpensive cars and at
the same time it would provide a
substantial revenue for the road
fund. The tax committee: however,
has substituted a bill of it's own.
With only two votes against it the
house on Friday passed the Bendixen
bill reducing railway fares to cents
a mile on all railroads earning more
than 81, 200 a mile per year on pas
sengeE traffic.
Vassaly's house bill providing for
the making Of Columbus day, Octo-
Der u, legal holiday, has been
killed. There is no necessity what
ever for any more legal holidays-we
have too many already.
By vote Of 80 to 81 the woman
suffrage bill passed the house on
Monday. A shrill scream of triumph
from the gallery and the clapping of
a thousand pairs of hands greeted
the announcement by Speaker Rines
that the bill had been Endorsed by
two-thirds vote and was up once
more to the less gallant senator's
The vote followed nearly two hours
of oratory by house members. It
was foregone conclusion that the
house would pass the bill, and every
body was good natured because the
''antis'' are expecting that the senate
will again kill the bill. Few voices
were raised against suffrage, and the
main argument used was that women
should not be subjected to the con-
terminating influence of politics.
The senate on Tuesday, by a vote
of 81 to 9, passed Senator Moonan's
bill proposing a constitutional
amendment permitting the recall of
all officials in the state, elective as
we'll as appointiye, and including
judges. The bill as passed permits
an election on the question of recall
ing any official upon the petition of
20 per cent Of the voters of the ter
ritory the official serves. The vote
is to be only on the question of re-
calling the official and not on his
successor, but the vacancy is to be
filled in the usual manner provided
by law for filling vacancies whether
by appointment or special election.
Petitions are not to be circulated
but must be left in public places
designated by law where they may
be signed. No petition for the recall
of a judge shall be circulated within
sixty days of the decision or ruling
complained of.
After four hours deliberation on
the Coates-Gilman election contest
the house late Tuesday confirmed
the title of Joseph II. Coates of
Sank Center as member from the
Forty seventh district by vote of
10 to 43. The minority report from
the elections committee in favor of
Charles A. Gilman of St. Cloud.
former lieutenant governor, was re-
jected. One of the closest questions
in the Way of a contest that ever
came before the legislature, the case
had taken an unusual amount of time
and the debate Tuesday brought
out some displays of feeling. The
minority report seating Gilman was
signed by six members of the cleo
tions committee, and the majority
report, seating Coates, by fourteen
members. The two reports agreed
in the main, except as to four bal
lots out of the eight that were sub
mitted as in dispute. Aside from
these four ballots, Gilman had