Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-02-14
BITTER ATTACK
ON COMMISSION.
Opponents After Railroad and
Warehouse Body.
lEGhLIzE CONVENTION SYSTEM
Return to Party Nominations Pro
posed In Bills introduced In
Senate and House.

st. Paul Especially That the fu-
ture of the state railroad and ware
house commission it not any too Sc
cure was indicated during the week in
a savage attack made upon those com.
posing this particular department be-
fore the grain and warehouse commit
tees Of the two legislative bodies.
Taking the stand that the grain in
spection end of the department was
conducted more In the interest of the
commission men than the producers
of grain, Colonel Wilkinson of Wash.
ington county, former Representative
L. C. Spooner of Stevens county and
a half dozen others with Equity Co.
operative exchange connections dashed
the commission and its methods in a
verbal battle that lasted nearly two
whole days and concluded with the
prediction that the commissions
doom was sealed. The hearing was
on the bill of the Carley efficiency and
economy committee to divorce the
grain department from the present
commission, and while no action was
taken enough was brought out to in
dictate that the future of the present
department and those composing it Is
in danger of legislative humiliation.
Minneapolis chamber of commerce
control was freely charged, and such
docs not nit we'll with the present leg
islature. That considerable of the
tongue flashing and some of the
charges made were undeserved is adj
mitted but there is no getting away
from the fact that the state railroad
and warehouse commission is fast los
ing the confidence of the rural Sec
tons of the state. Every grain
grower who fails to get the grade and
price he thinks he should holds the
commission responsible, and if this
we're not enough the losing end of ev-
cry ruling made by the commission
becomes lifelong knocker.
+ + +
A return to party nominations and
the application Of the old convention
system along legalized lines is seen
in two bills introduced in the house
Rustad of Wheaton is a combination
of convention and primary, while the
other, backed by J. H. Harrison of
Minneapolis, provides for a convention
only in the event that candidates fail
to receive a designated percentage of
votes at the regular primary. In each
.ase party nominations are permitted
and the selection of delegates to the
| convention by primary made manda-
DRY. What the fate of the measures
| will be is problematical, but it can be
| said that there are number in both
| houses who favor party nominations.
That the move will be fought by beth
he Democrats and the Nonpartisan
eague, now organizing in the state, is
'ertain
:. !.
| As expected the several contests
waged against number of members
n the house have failed of their pur-
pose. The last of them went glim
mering when his colleagues agreed to
seat J. ]. Flikkie of Norman county,
whose certificate was desired by A. l..
Thompson, a former member of the
legislature. Thompson had the back.
ing Of Judge Grindeland of Crookston,
whose official ruling held that Flikkie
had vacated his rights by violation
Of the corrupt practices act, but this
decision failed to influence the mem.
bers of the house who passed on the
claims of the two. When the house
convened no less than six contests
were entered, but none of them pre-
vailed
i. + i.
The senate will shortly pass on the
honse bill providing for a dry consti
tutional amendment and much inter.
est is shown in the outcome II passed
the bill will have to go back to the
house, as the senate committee on
temperance has added a year of grace
to its operations, but such is not ex.
pected to jeopardize it's passage. Hard
on the heels of the house action on
the prohibition amendment the simon
pure prohibitionists of that body in.
| troduced a bill making the state dry
by statute. Viewed at first it hardly
seemed possible that such would pre-.
vail, but at the present writing there
are members willing to wager that it