The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1917-03-29
ROAD BILL PASSED
Measure Has the Governors Signature
and Is Now a Law-Presi-
dental Primary Repealed.
One Million Dollar Appropriation to
Aid Nation Prepare Proposed
in the State Senate.

in the State Senate.
st. Paul, Mimi, March %, 1917.
Last Thursday afternoon the gen
eral road bill finally passed the senate
Tor the third time. 1t went to>the gov
ernor Tuesday, and he affixed his sig
nature to the same today. The bill
originally passed the senate by vote
of 60 to 8. It was amended in some
minor details in the house, and passed
that body by vote Of 100 to II. The
senate refused to concur in the house
amendments and conference commit
tees were appointed by both houses.
1.-The conference committees approved
of minimum of 9-1O of one per cent
to each county, and the senate re-
passed the bill. The house stood for
a one per cent minimum, and again
the senate refused to concur in the
action of the house, whereupon an
other conference committee, composed
Of the same members from both houses
who formed the first committee,
agreed to the $40 of one per cent
provision, and the bill was passed by
both houses for the third time Next
week, shall give in detail the changes
effected in the law.
X X y:
There does not seem to be much
prospect for any change in the pri-
mary election laws at this session.
The Odland and Harrison bills, pro-
viding for a modified convention sys-
tenn. were defeated I'm. the house last
: Thursday. The Rustad bill along the
same lines in the senate, will proba-
bly, meet the same fate. There is much
dissatisfaction with the present pri-
mary law, and believe there is ma
jority of the members in both
branches who are honestly in favor of
changing back to the convention sys-
tenn, but they have not the courage of
their convictions-they are afraid of
the cars.
Today, however,, house flez870l (the
bill repeating the abortive presidential
primary law which passed the house
last week, passed the senate under a
suspension Of the rules. The wonder
is that such law was ever enacted.
us hope. !
* y; X
After protracted discussion in the
senate yesterday, the public domain
bill was defeated by the close vote Of
80 to 80. Had the two absentees been
present, the vote would have been IS
against to 80 for. The bill proposed
to place all the land, timber and min
eral business Of the state, together
with the highway, and half a dozen
other departments, under the charge
of one director-he to appoint heads
of the different bureaus. In theory
the bill appeared to be all right, but
it certainly would not have accom-
plished what it's proponents claim for
deficiency and economy. The bill
certainly did not make for either
efficiency or economy. It meant
new horde of office holders at an ex-
pense Of probably one hundred thous-
and dollars to the state; and for the
life of me, I can not see where any
gain was to accrue to the state under
the provisions of the bill. However
there is bill now reposing in the
finance committee of the senate which
if enacted into law, would amply pro.
tect the material interests of the state
The bill in question appropriates fiji
:. ten thousand dollars, or as much there.
of as may be necessary, to enable the
governor to employ experts on iror
ore, and to keep close tab on the tim.
Der business. The governors experts
would report directly to him. If the
State Auditors men were not doing
their duty, it is fair to presume that
the experts employed by the governor
would discover the fact, and he could
take whatever steps were necessary tc
protect the interests of the state.
* * *
Senator George H. Sullivan's bill
providing that the state of Minnesota
shall appropriate one million dollars
to assist in putting the nation in q
state Of preparedness in case we
should become involved in war with
foreign country, is pending in the
senate and is liable to be called uI
any day. My impression is, that both
houses will freely grant any thing
within the bounds of reason to assist
the national government in putting the
country in a proper state Of prepared.
ness.
* X *
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