The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-10-31


if any, men who hold the remarkable
public career that is held by William
e. Lee, the republican candidate for
Governor of the State of Minnesota.
= . :
It was in the 1885 session
= that William E. Lee, then one
of the youngest, but yet
. most important member, insist
ed upon the law creating the
railroad and warehouse commits
sion for Minnesota and giving
to that body the power to con- "
troll railroads. y
>
In 1885 there was enacted the lrst
bill for the regulating of warehouses
and the inspection and the weighing
and handling of grain, and Mr.. Lee is
on record as supporter of this meas
ure. It was not all that could have
been desired, but in 1893 when Mr..
Lee was speaker Of the House, and
when what is known as the Peterson
bill declaring elevators and ware
houses on all railroads to be state pub
lie institutions and placing them I'M
der the control of the Railroad and
Warehouse Commission, Mr.. Lee gave
his personal, as we'll as his speaker
ship influence to the enactment Of that
law.
Helped to End Adu!teratlon.
It was in 1885 that the Dairy and
Food Department was created by the
legislature of the state This law made
it practically prohibitive to offer adul-
terated products for sale in Mime
sofa.
=
Mr.. Lee is found on record in &
= favor Of this measure, as he also .
= was for the law providing for
the prevention and spread Of g.
contagious diseases among cat
tie, horses and other domestic y
animals, the first of it's kind in 3"
the state.
4 4 ,
Old residents Of the state will recall
the struggle for the establishment Of
the agricultural experimental station
at st. Anthony Park, but it was not
until the 1885 session, the first one in
which Mr.. Lee appeared, that a bill
finally became a law. AS result Of
that act Minnesota has now one Of the
finest agricultural school systems in
the Union.
Favored Farmers Institutes.
It was during the 1887 session that
the first provision was made for con-
Quoting farmers institutes through
out the state, and who is there now
who will deny the wonderful benefits
which have accrued to the farmers Of
the state as a result of this act. Mr..
Lee was a warm supporter of that
measure. In the 1885 session he sup
ported the measure providing for the
formation Of mutual companies for in
surance of crops against loss by hail,
tornadoes, etc.
The Famous ny" Law.
Standing out also prominent is Mr..
Lees record in what is known as the
celebrated "Y" connection law. This
measure was introduced In the 1893
session when Mr.. Lee was speaker.
It's author was J. F. Jacobson, Of Lac
qui Parle county. The motive for the
measure was that the Great Northern
and Minneapolis & St. Louis Rail
road Companies intersecting at Han
ley Falls, refused to put in Y where
by wood from northern Minnesota
could be hauled to Hanley over the
Great Northern and switched on to
the Minneapolis and st. Louis without
unloading from the former and reload
ing to the cars of the latter. The bill
directed those connections, and
through the influence given by Mr.. Lee
the bill became law.
4
He also supported the meas
ure, during the 1885 session, fix
ing the maximum hours for the
employment Of locomotive engi-
neers and firemen each day. =
Mr.. Lee is also found on record
to have supported the law re-
quiring street railway COM
panies to place the vestibules at
the front and rear of their cars.
= =
Taxed Utility Corporations.
In 1887 Mr.. Lee is found to be an
enthusiastic supporter Of the bill pro-
viding for the taxing of telephone and
telegraph companies, and giving the
state auditor the right to examine
the books Of these companies.
When the critic scans Mr.. Lees rec
ord on all matters pertaining to edu-
cation he can not help but feel proud
Of that record. Two Of the most i'm
portant measures pertaining to our
school system were enacted in 1885.
One was the law providing for the
compulsory education of children, and
Mr.. Lee was a persistent and consist
ent supporter of the same.
At the same session a measure was
passed and supported By MI. Lee pro-