The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-01-26

advices are that its organizers are
meeting with much success in various
counties of the state. The enrolling
Of from 500 to 1,500 members in a
county at SIG per head is common re-
port. 1t is said that the solicitors en-
ployed by the league net in commits
sions all the way from $100 to $3.50 q
week. Showing the spread of the or
ganization idea one member Of the
legislature told of the appearance in
his county of an individual calling
himself the head Of the Free Speech
league. With little trouble, according
to my informant, he organized a
branch of the league with member
ship of $50 and collected an initiation
fee of Sc from each. The initiation
consisted in standing the entire crowd
up and reading to them the ritual of
the organization, to which each swore
allegiance.
The bill permitting boxing in the
three large cities of the state is in
the balance and no one would be sur
priSed if the measure allowing box
ing exhibitions is stricken from the
statute books. It's repeal was pro-
posed in bill offered by Senator Ole
A. Sageng of Otter Tail county, and
judging from the comment INDUCED in
it will have number of supporters.
The one trouble with the present box
ing law is that it has been cornered
for the benefit of few. Even the
fight fans have been disguised with
the methods employed in putting over
an alright" and if permitted to vote
on the question would undoubtedly
help in putting the act out of bust
ness. If ever a law was abused, 1t
has been the boxing act.
i. !. i.
Newspaper publishers in the state
will be interested in two bills now
before the house, one prohibiting the
publishing of liquor advertisements
and the other compelling papers edi-
torially or otherwise attacking candi-
dates for office to devote the same
amount of space to the candidates
replies. Representative Leavitt Corn
ing of st. Paul is the author of the
latter This bill was defeated two
years ago.
!. 4. +
1t is now proposed to convert the
state Jag" farm and buildings locat-
ed at Willmar into hospital for the
care and cure of the insane. Sena-
tors Gandrud of Kandoyohi and Sena-
tor A. ]. Rockne of Goodhue are be-
hind the movement. When this insti-
tuition was authorized some years ago
it was admitted then that it would
be ultimately converted to other uses.
The farm is supported at the present
time by 2 per cent tax on saloon
licenses. If the change is made, how
ever, it will continue to receive per-
sons addicted to the liquor and drug
habit.
+ 1. +
Salary increase bills are pouring
into the hoppers of both branches of
the legislature. Every department of
the county and state government is
interested and already Hobbies repre-
senting each are on the ground. One
of the important salary increase bills
proposed is that raising the salaries
of county commissioners in a number
of the districts to $4,000 a year.
i. K !.
If the two houses will give their
approval the voters at the next gen.
eral election will be permitted to pass
on constitutional amendment great
ly reducing the size of the legisla-
ture. Representative M.SW. Odland
of Otter Tail county wants the 1egis-
lature reduced and has offered a bill
cutting the house down to eighty
members and the senate to forty. At
present the house consists Of 100 men,
bers and the senate of sixty-seven.
1t is generally agreed that the house
is entirely too large for good work.
4 I. !.
Some months ago gossip was rife
to the effect that Justice Oscar Hal
lam of the supreme court would retire
the first of the year, but it now looks
as if he would serve out his term.
His reported retirement had to do
with the formation of new st. Paul
law firm, which, however, has been
organized without Justice Hallam's
name attached. 1t is said by soma
that Justice Hallam will figure in a
different official role two years hence.
1t may be either as a candidate for
governor or United States senator.
i. !. X
Representative Charles Bouck Of
Royalton has been quite Ill at his
rooms in the. Merchants hotel in St.
Paul for the past week. At one time
his condition was regarded as serious,
but he is improving now. Another on
the sick list is Senator r. G. Dunn Of
Princeton.
If the inspection, grading and weigh.
ing of grain is divorced from the state
railroad and warehouse commission it
will not be because the members of
the commission and their several hun
dred employees are not on the job.
This is one calamity that the CON-
mission fears and its every effort is
being directed at preventing the same.
The house, however, seems determin-
ed to make the commission trouble
and the chances are excellent that it
will put over considerable anti-com-