Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-03-07
{NLL AB0L|SH|NC
FUTURES KILLED
Measure Proposing Tax on Prac-
tice Also Defeated.
SURPRISE IN HOUSE ACTION
Farmer Element Joips Hands With
City Members in Putting the
Matter on Shelf.

st. -(SpeciaN-The house has
put the stamp OF approval on futures
gambling the more plain spoken call
1t-when by decided majority it
sent to the scrap heap two measures
designed to cripple the practice. Both,
one by knute knutson of Benson and
the other by A. F. Teigen Of Monte
v1deo, were directed at the Minneap-
. Oils and Duluth chambers OF COM
merce and though the two authors
Numbered and Grated in an effort to
convince the farmer element Of the
:; house that the measures were in their
| interest they were compelled to ac-
{ @apF defeat The Knutson bill called
~Ur tax on the practices complained
OF. while the Teigen bill abolished the
time honored practice entirely. 1t has
been said OF the house, and truly,
that its tomorrow is as uncertain as
Its today. To poll it and come any
way near being correct is among the
impossibilities. Accepting popular
opinion futures and the Minneapolis
chamber of commerce were institu-
lions Of lniQuity, to be either regulat-
ed or suppressed, and while at no time
was there any possibility of deter
mining the outcome. the opinion was
general that the finals would be close.
Instead, however, futures and the
chamber won easily and the farmer
element joined hands In putting the
two measures to sleep. Even had the
two measures prevailed they would
have been worthless, for in each case
amendments by the dozen, many of
them by rural members, were added
and the city members in each instance
fell over themselves in giving endorse.
ment to such.
!. !. !.
When this letter was in the making
the senate was preparing to go to bat
on the Warner tonnage tax measure
Both sides were confident of success
Delay really Is what the hackers Of
she bill have been fighting for and
WRen the demands of those against
the bill calling for It's early considera-
ton came up for consideration there
was a lievly fight. Had the Warner
bill been taken up Immediately follow
/ ing its passage by the house it would
have undoubtedly met its Waterloo in
the senate and those behind the meas
uie, knowing such, have been jockey
ing for delay ever since. Their idea
han been to bring pressure from the
embers' districts which could not be
overcome and to this end direct ap-
peal has been made to the country
press for support. In the senate the
OPPOSING forces are headed by Sena-
tori Harold Griggs of Virginia and
those for the bill by Senator James A.
Galley Of Wabasha county. 1t is ex-
-peoed that the vote on the measure
viii be very close.
Minnesota will have to worry along
few years more with its present
contribution. BY vote of nearly two
to one the house put the lid on prop
ositton to revise it when it sent to
thea boneheap the Rybert act calling
forFa constitutional convention. The
bill was special order and an entire
takes two-thirds majority to
over measure of this kind and
chances are excellent that it will
be E.-ny years before the required
vote is found. In the debate rural
and city members joined hands in en-
dorsing the fundamental law of the
state.
X :,
The senate committee on elections
has sent out with it's approval the bill
-'of Senator Rustad of Wheaton amend.
ing the present primary law to the
extent of returning to a partial con
vention and party system in the 70
lection of state officers. That it will
pass the senate with a few changes
Is generally expected The house is
entertaining bill along the same
line by Representative Harrison OF
Minneapolis, but so far has withheld
its sanction. The Rustad bill is prac
tically the same as passed the senate
Two years ago, but which fell down In
house. There is also in the sen
s-bill by ]. D. Sullivan Of Stearns
..y removing the judges Of the
supreme court from the provisions oil
the primary law and placing their
nomination in the hands of non.
partisan convention. It's promoters
are confident that it will get by and
say that If the others fail that it will
lay the foundation for real primary
and convention law two years hence
i. !. i
Nearly $4,000 will be put in circu
lation shortly when that amount IL
distributed among the members of the
Minnesota national guard who an
swered the call of President Wilson
for service on the Mexican border
he money is to be distributed on the
basis of SO cents per day per man
and will mean about $50 for each sol
der The bill passed the house with
slight opposition and has PRACTICAL,
received the approval Of the senate
Ii some Of the members could have
amended the act without placing them
- selves on record such would have
been done, but the patriotic speeches
INDUCED in and the pressure brought
by those interested prevented such
ute a few thought the bill should
s made to exclude the officers, who
"'eiyed substantial salaries while !,
lesservice, and those WHO received
their regular wages from firms ane
corporations by whom they were EN-