The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-01-26
ON
NEAR DRY BASIS
Proposition Circulated Among
State Legislators.
WOULD WIPE OUT SALOON
Scheme ls to Permit Sale of Beer and
Light Wines by Manufacturers
to Consumers Direct.

st. Paul-(SpeciaD-Do not be sur
prised if the movement to place Min
nesota in the dry column, which in
the minds of many has an excellent
chance of reaching the voters of the
state, finishes on near dry basis. A
halfway scheme is under consideration
and the surprising feature of it all is
the apparent eagernes. of quite num-
Der of legislators, regarded as dry, to
climb aboard. The proposition adj
vanced is to amend the prohibition
measure as introduced in the two Min
nesota houses to the extent of con-
fining it to high proof liquors only.
This would hit the whisky end of the
liquor business and permit the manu-
facture and sale of beer and light
wines in limited quantities. Such
sales would be by the manufacturer
to consumer direct. Further, it would
ing place, which is the chief object of
the Anti-Saloon league, now behind
the movement for a dry state. The
idea of compromise was whispered
several days ago, but it took on SUBJ
stantial proportions when copies of
the proposed dry amendment were
printed and circulated among a few.
These few included the dry leaders in
the house and senate and while they
have maintained a strict silence as to
their view of the scheme it can be
said on good authority that a number
OF them are interested. That the new
bill will be offered as a compromise
should the real dry act reach the floor
with a favorable committee report is
a certainty. Accepting the claims of
the league, and there is no reason to
dispute them, they have seventy-one
pledges in the house for dry state,
which is more than enough to put the
prohibition amendment over. Quite
few of those pledged, however, are
near drys, and it is here where the
shoe pinches.
4 !. !.
Opinion is greatly divided as to the
reception a dry amendment would re-
ceive at the hands of the voters two
years hence. Many think it would be
rejected, but take it from yours truly
the wet end of the game is not overly
anxious to bet their good money on
the outcome. Likewise the drys, with
full knowledge that Their are
many in the state more than willing
to put the saloon out of business, but
are not anxious to separate them
selves from the coup that cheers" if it
can be obtained in some other way,
have agreed to eliminate the trans
portation" clause from the bill now in
the hands of the two temperance COM
mittees. The bill as introduced pro-
hibits the manufacture, sale and trans
portation of liquor within the state, but
at secret meeting of the drys, which
included such noted dry leaders as
Representative Norton of Minneapolis
and Rev. Stafford of the Anti-Saloon
league, it was agreed to eliminate the
word transportation. Such elimina-
ton, it was pointed out, would catch
the near drys, of whom they are some
what in doubt.
I. !. K
A bill offered in the house proposes
an increased gross earnings tax for
the two big telephone companies OPP
Grating in Minnesota and judging from
the activity of the two big concerns,
the Tri-State Telephone company and
the Northwestern, it is not at all to
their liking. The measure, which is
fathered by Representative c. H. War
ner of Aitkin and Representative G.
M. Bendixen of Morgan, is classifi-
cation affair. 1t provides per cent
tax for companies earning in excess
of 100000 year, one of 8 per cent
for companies earning less, and tax
of 10 cents per instrument for the lit
tie fellows. The present tax is per
cent for all telephone companies re-
companies at which the increased tax
is directed showed up their toll rates
from 25 to 1913 per cent two years
ago following the passage of the Min
nesota telephone state control bill
and in consequence sympathy for
them as far as the two houses is con-
cerned is limited. Bills are also in
preparation returning the toll rates of
the two companies named to their
figure of two years ago.
i. i. =
The wiping out of the nonpartisan
provision of the statewide primary
law, as far as the legislature is con-
cerned, is now up to that body. Sena-
tor W. S. Dwinrell of Minneapolis
took the initiative Friday when he Of
fered a bill repeating the nonpartisan
provision and it was sent without