The Ely miner., 1915-04-23
WILL Be OFFERED
Two YEARS HENCE
Commission to Devise New Plan
Of Economy and Efficiency.
AGITATION HAS DONE GOOD
Brought About Spirit of Thrift in the
Legislature and Among State
Departments.

~ IduI-NOpeCldl)- - lHOuSu IHc
economy and efficiency bill as framed
by former Governor Eberhart's fa-
nous commission of thirty is dead,
and that beyond resurrection, its
along different lines, is to be offered
to the legislature two years hence.
The senate has adopted a resolution
offered by Senator James A. Carley
of Plainview providing for an interum
commission and it is generally agreed
that the house will approve it. The
commission is to be composed of
eleven members, four senators to be
selected by the lieutenant governor,
who is presiding officer of the senate,
four house members to be named
by the speaker and three civilians to
be chosen by the governor. That
Senator Carley will head the commits
sion is assured, as the interum idea is
his creation. Born as the result of a
struggle for political mastery between
Governor Eberhart and his rivals,
and later whipped into shape by a
few members of commission whose
ideas ran counter to what the legisla-
ture regarded as practical, the econ
omy and efficiency act, even though it
is dead, has not been without it's bene-
fits. 1t has brought about a spirit of
thrift not only in the legislature but
among the various state departments
and at the same time is has caused
demand for governmental reorgan-
ization along practical lines. This
organization idea runs to consolida-
tion and coordination rather than the
creation of a new and untried scheme
of government. The scheme as de-
vised by the Eberhart commission of
thirty centered everything in the gov
ernor and this the legislature, even
though it is nonpartisan, could not
stand for. 1t savored too much of
autocracy and bossism.
= !. J.
Senator Carley is one of the young
er members of the upper legislative
body and his progress so far this ses-
sion has been along lines very much
to his credit. Having the benefit OF
two years experience in the house
the Wabasha county member has de-
voted his time to a few constructive
matters rather than to any attempt
to correct the universe and he has
been successful. The progress of the
Minnette telephone control bill
through the upper body was due to
his activity. Mr.. Carley was lined up
with the independent telephone COM
panies and it was mainly his work
that resulted in the retention of the
physical connection feature of the act
This the big companies were opposed
to. The one other activity on his
part was the interum commission
resolution and it's adoption means
that the next governmental reorgan-
ization bill offered will be largely his
making.
1. !. !.
With the close of Thursday of this
week the Minnesota legislature for
1915 will be history and it is needless
to say that the members of both
bodies are not in the least sorry. |
While the two have not the largest |
number of laws in the history of the |
state to their credit, yet the members
of each have worked hard and have
endeavored to do the best they could
under conditions that have not been
of their own making. / refer to the |
lack of leadership, inability to place |
responsibility, which is the result of |
the nonpartisan law of two years ago,
and the work of lot of outsiders |
whose entire activities have been di- I
rected at keeping the house, especial |
ly, in a turmoil. Because of constant |
chickering's, delays in the considera-
tion of this and that measure, and
line of oratory that has brought the |
state nothing, the present legislature
has been dubbed in some quarters the
worst ever. Not few of the mem
to bring about reforms, but their ef.
forts have been frustrated at every
turn. Quite few city members, con.
scious of the disorganized condition
that the nonpartisan law has brought |
about, have worked constantly to
keep the lower body in turmoil. AS
result of their activities along this line
big business has suffered but little.
!. X !.
The Sageng roadhouse bill, passed
by the house after fight which last
ed over a day, is now law. Gov
ernor Hammond gave the measure his
signature and as result nearly 200
saloons will go out of business IN Min
nesota. In the three big countries,
Ramsey, st. Louis and Hennepin, fully
fifty will suffer. According to the op.
ponents Of the bill parliamentary
tangle, which resulted from a sue,
cessful effort to force the house tenn.
perance committee to report the bill
out, renders the act unconstitutional,
but it is safe bet that the law will
be upheld by the courts. The conten-
tion is that legislative procedure as
prescribed by the constitution was
not observed. In the final the bill
prevailed by over eighty votes and
the average court will have to do
some lively hair splitting in order to
legally ignore the action of the leg
islature.
While the two legislative bodies un-
doubtedly have the usual quota of po-
"a |