Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-03-14
Lawmakers Seem Satisfied with
Constitutional Amendment.
VOTE IS NEARLY TWO TO ONE
Many Anti-Liquor Men Join Vets In
Sending Measure to its Last
Resting Place.

feel better. The house by a vote OF
nearly two to one sent the bill to the
bonepile. The knife was applied after
the house committee on temperance
had reported it out for passage. The
its former stand on the question Of q
dry or wet Minnesota when 1t ap-
proved Of the bill putting the matter
up to the people. That both house and
senate had already passed on the mat
ter of a dry or wet Minnesota and
that continued agitation of the subject
would tend to involve and embarrass
other needed legislation was pointed
out to the committee, but that body
insisted on reporting the bill favora-
bly,. 1t was then that the determine
ton to kill it on the floor was reached
and both drys and vets Joined in the
slaughter which followed. In the past
house and senate temperance commit
tees have been conspicuous for what
they failed to do in an accepted dry
way, but no one can cast any doubt
as to the makeup of the present house
committee. It's dry and that is all
there is to it.
!. !. +
A bill, with J. D. Sullivan of St.
Cloud as its chief hacker, abolishing
the state immigration department, ap-
peared in the house and in cOnse-
quence admirers OF the department
are much perturbed. What is back of
ho io hot }of
much as nearly all of the Western
states maintain similar bureaus and
the wiping out Of the Minnesota de-
partment would render valueless
costly equipment it is not thought that
the bill will get very far. There is no
doubt that the Minnesota immigration
department has been of immense
value to the state and that it might
have done greater and better work
had it been properly financed. Many
settler dates his Minnesota resi-
dence from some activity of the pres
ent bureau.
!. + !.
Statutory suffrage for women only
as it relates to the right of the fair
sex to vote for presidential electors
had the boards in the senate the past
week when the senate elections CON-
mittee permitted public hearing ON
the Ole Sageng suffrage bill. 1t was
show day for the Twin Cities and the
women made the most of it. So far
no committee action has been taken,
but it is more than likely that the
Sageng bill will be reported out. In
addition to the Sageng bill there Is
another measure in the committee put
ting the question of woman suffrage
up to popular vote, but it may. never
see the light of day. The drys are
said to oppose the measure, as they
fear its appearance on the ballot at
the next election will detract from
the prohibition constitutional amend
ment, which has been approved by
both houses.
DR.. Marion lie Roy Burton, the new
head Of the University Of Minnesota,
made his first bow to the legislature
when he delivered short talk before
|
new president is a youthful looking
person and made an excellent impress
sion His first test of strength will
be his ability to induce the house and
senate committees to loosen up in the
matter of desired university appropri
atoms.
!. !. j.
The senate has sent to the house
it's latest in the way Of good roads
legislation. The bill, the product o.
J the activities of r. C. Dunn of Prince
ton, abolishes the present state high
way commission and provides in it:
stead highway commissioner wht
shall devote all his time to the work
; The new office carries a salary of 81,
500. The details as to road work. to
gether with the apportionment Of roat
funds, is about the same as the ole
law.
+ + +
The senate has relegated to tn
scrap heap the Sullivan bill givinl
state employees an eight-hour day. HI
, could not convince the country mem
bers of it's merits and they gave tn
measure it's death blow. That labo
will get very much out Of this session
: of the legislature Is doubtful. Natu1
ally all proposed labor legislation ha
its inception in the cities and major
:. ity of the country members refuse t.
q be brought around to the city mem
+ bers' way of thinking. The one fea
generally is that farm labor will b
!; involved.
!. !. j.
n The bill to reduce the size Of tn
o legislature has passed the senate
r to 20. The proposed bill Is a const
q tutional amendment, to take effect /
1923, limiting the senate to fifty men
i bers and the house to 100. II adopte
by the house it will go on the genera
Y election ballot next year. II the PEI
8 pie approve it there are still futu1
n legislatures to reckon with. The pro
l. able effect of the amendment wou]
e be to prevent q legislative reappo
y, - tionment for many years, because
would be next to impossible to g
I. any legislature to pass a bill legisla
If ing it's members, or a large part I
them, out of Office. But at any rate
would prevent further increase in tt
legislature.
The resolution by Magnus Johnse
and others for an interim fnVeatfg