The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-04-19
IMPORTANT
LEGISLATION .
+. VOTED down
Legislature Adjourned
at Noon Today-Few New
Laws Were Passed
PROHIBITION TO BE
REFERENDED TO PEOPLE
Suffrage, Repeal Of Boxing Law
and Return to Party Conven-
ton System Fail

St. Paul, Mimi, April 19.-The
Minnesota legislature formally adj
journed its four months session
shortly after noon today, having en-
acted, as its most notable accomplish.
ment, a law for submission of the
prohibition question to a vote of the
people.
Woman suffrage, a bill repeating
the boxing law. and four amendments
to the primary election laws providing
a return to the party convention sys-
tenn and restoring a partisan legis-
lature, went down to defeat.
important Bills Killed.
In fact, the session was marked by
the defeat of important legislation,
rather than passage of new laws.
The prohibition question will be
submitted at the general election in
1918, in the form Of a constitutional
amendment, which, if adopted by a
majority of those voting, will make
the state bone dry" after July !,
1920. Other Temperance legislation
enacted includes a law a%bolishing
wholesale liquor houses in country
districts. KS
Women Were Divided.
Women were divided or the sui
frage issue; one faction requesting
the ballot by statutory legislation
and the other. seeking submission Of
a constitutional amendment. The lat
ter measure was passed by the house,
but defeated in the senate, where the
statutory bill met a like fate.
The outstanding war legislation en-
acted creates a public safety commits.
sion authorized to organize a home
guard and take other steps deemed
necessary for safeguarding life and
property. An appropriation Of $1,000
600 is included. and out OF this sum
guardsmen who served on the Mexi-
can border will receive so cents for
each day spent there in, federal serv-
ice.
Tonnage Tax Defeated.
After a hard fight, the so-called ton
mage tax bill, proposing an additional
tax OF 1 per cent on the value of
iron ore at the mouth of the mine,
was defeated in the senate. Passage
OF the bill would have brought sew
eral millions Of dollars into the state
treasury annually from the range
country. ~
The most important railroad legis-
lation adopted requires roads to is
sue interchangeable mileage books,
thus making a fiat passenger rate Of
2 cents a mile in Minnesota.
For nearly a month the house labor
committee, amid scenes OF great dis
order, #fAVestigated industrial condi-
tons in northern Minnesota, in con-
nection with a bill appropriating $780,
900 for S by the governor in con-
trolling emergency labor outbreaks.
Scores of Industrial Workers Of the
World, mine workers, public officials
and labor leaders testified. The COM
mittee's conduct of the hearings was
severely criticized by both houses and
the bill was never reported out.
No Labor Legislation.
Inc session was or praC-
tically no labor legislation. A state
insurance plan as a. substitute for the
workmen's compensation law, was re.
jected, as were bills providing an
eight-hour work day for state en-
ployes, and an eight-hour day for
practically all classes Of labor. The
house killed a measure authorizing
the use of state prisoners in good
roads work. f..a .....'@. 81 @-,
Despite strong sentiment in favor Of
changes in the primary election laws,
the only. new legislation repealed the
presidential preference primary. An
absent voters law also vas passed.
The sharpest fight was for the bill
providing a modified convention sys-
tenn, delegates to be chose at prim-
aries. The house defeated it, "A to
"A. A bill restoring the convention
plan for minority nominations also
was killed. In the senate, the party
nominations bill and the bill for e.
turn to the partisan system Of elect
ing legislators were defeated by sub
stantial majorities.