The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-02-09

tional amendment, the prohibitionists
of the house have gotten busy and
this week will see the introduction in
that body of bill calling for statu-
tory prohibition. 1t will carry the
names of A. " Anderson and about
dozen other leading house prohibit
tfonists. This bill makes a dry Min.
nesota by legislative act and goes into
! effect at once. The moving spirit of
the prohibitionists is w. G. Calder
wood, who was the party's candidate
for United States senator last fall,
and who will undoubtedly be the
party's candidate for governor in 1918.
| 1t is not thought that the bill will get
very far.
I. + !.
The movement for a partial return
to the convention system of nomina-
lions and the repeal of the nonparti-
san act received some encouragement
in speech by former State Senator
Garfield of Luverne before the senate,
| in which he criticised the primary law
| and made plain many of its so called
inequalities. His contention is that
instead Of aiding the people in the Sc
lection of those who shall represent
them in Office the primary law has
| curtailed this power. Down in his dis
trict Crock county, there has been
much agitation foc the repeal of the
primary law. At the present time the
only bill calling for any change is q
measure by Senator DwinneH Of Min
neapolis providing for the repeal of
| the nonpartisan law. That is still in
committee and while it has many SYM
pathizers its passage or the approval
of any legislation designed to correct
known abuses in our present system
of nominations does not seem at all
favorable.
!. + I.
The law providing for the payment
OF pensions to those who participated
in the suppression of the Indian out
break of 1862 is in danger. bill car
rying the names of Representatives
Sherman Childs of Minneapolis and
Elias Nordgren of Sunrise, calling for
its repeal, has been offered in the
house and it will receive a goodly
vote. The Indian pension bill was
vetoed in 1905 by the late Governor
Johnson, but it's hackers were success
full the next session to the extent Of
securing executive approval. At the
present time there are about 400 per-
sons drawing pensions under the act
and about $4,000 year is disbursed.
The authors of the bill calling for the
repeal of the pension act believe there
is niger in the woodpile. That
there should be more than 400 PEN
sioners now, when less than 700 par
ticipated in the suppression more than
fifty-five years ago, hardly looks right
to Messrs. Child and Nordgren.
!. - =
The passing of the state fire mar
shal's Office is proposed in bill Of
fered in the senate by Senators Car
ley, Jackson, Rockne and Duxbury.
It's incorporation with the state in
surance department is to be the sub
stitute. The four men named are
members of the efficiency and econ
omy commission responsible for a
number of bills calling for state de-
partment changes, reforms and con-
solicitations. The present head of the
department is Robert Hargadine, a
Democrat. Mr.. Hargadine's term does
not expire until March, but he hopes
to be retained. His hopes, however,
will go glimmering If the senate bill
mentioned prevails.
!. !. !.
If ruling made by Attorney Cen
eral Smith sticks, the job of surveyor
general of logs and lumber will soon
be thing of the past. Mr.. Smith
holds that the only fee the surveyor
can exact is the amount allowed by
law for scaling. Out of this he will
have to pay the salary of the scaler.
The latter expense has always been
met by the owner of the timber to be
scaled. Twenty-yes, ten years ago
the position of state surveyor of logs
and lumber was prize that many
fought for. 1t was said at times to be
worth from $4,000 to 100000 a year
and the incumbent was always under
pledge to kick back portion of 1t for
campaign purposes. This job and the
oil inspectorship were the chief plums
Of the biennial distribution.
i. X !.
Governor Burnquist has trimmed
about 100000 from the budget of
S32,000,0000 submitted to him by the
various state departments and the
howl that has gone up from those hit
is long and loud. Rural schools we're
hit for about $1,O00,O00 and the state
university for like sum. That the
university can stand it seems agreed,
but the rural schools will likely get
all they asked for. The country school
is an institution that is close to home
and few care to attack it. Last year
an appropriation for this purpose was
trimmed and there has been a deficit
ever since. Budget making, as far as
Minnesota is concerned, is based on
the one idea of trimming every appro-
priation demanded whether it has
merit or not and many crippled de-
partments are the result. The fact
that the state is growing is seldom
considered.
The senate has passed the Baldwin
bill permitting the employment Of
convict labor on the roads of the state.
The house is expected to do likewise.
THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN.