The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-04-19
Moorhead Department
Minnesota Legislature
Ended Sessions Today

Sc. Paul. April fs.-chorusina
the Star SpanqIsd Banner the
state senate ended it's last bust
nsss day of the Fortieth session OF
the legislature shortly after 5
o'clock this morning, after having
been in session since 9 o'clock
hysstsrday morning. A number OF
bills Of secondary Importance
were discussed nc length during
the small hours of the morning.
The house adjourned more than
three hours before the upper body.
Primary elections will continue
60 be held in June. An effort to
failed in the senate this morning.
A bill providing for the change
had passed the house but the two.
thirds vote necessary to suspend
the rules was not available.
Advocates Of the bill declared it
would shorten political cam
paians and help matters generally.
st. Paul, Mimi, April 19.-The Min
nesota legislature formally adjourned
its four months session shortly after
noon today, having enacted. as its
most notable accomplishment, a Law
for submission of the prohibition
question to q vote Of the people.
Woman suffrage, a bill repeating the
boxing law. and four amendments to
the primary election laws providing
q return to the party convention sys-
tenn and restoring partisan legis-
lature. went down to defeat.
In fact. the session was marked by
the defeat Of important legislation
rather than passage Of new laws
The prohibition question will be
submitted at the general elections in
1918 in the form Of q constitutions
amendment which, If adopted by a
majority Of those voting, viii make
the state bone dry" after July 1
1890. Other temperance legislation en-
acted Includes a law abolishing whole
sale liquor houses in county districts
Women were divided on the suffrage
issue, one faction requesting the bal
lot by statutory legislation and the
other seeking submission Of a consti-
tutional amendment The latter mea-
sure was passed by the house. but de-
feated in the senate, where the statu-
tory bill met a like fate.
The outstanding war legislation en-
acted creates a public safety commits
sion authorized to organize q home
guard and take other steps deemed
necessary for safeguarding life and
property. An appropriation Of $1,000
900 is included. and out Of this sum
guardsmen who served on the Mexican
border will receive so cents for each
day spent there in federal service.
A law patterned after the Washing
ton state law making the teaching OF
sabotage" or the destruction Of an
employers machinery q crime punish
able by ten years Imprisonment, pass
ed both houses.
After hard fight, the socalled tom
mage tax bill proposing an additional
tax of per cent on the value Of iron
ore at the mouth Of the mine. was de-
feated in the senate. Passage Of the
bill would have brought several mill
lions of dollars into the state treasury
annually from the range country.
The most important railroad legis-
lation adopted requires roads to issue
interchangeable mileage books, thus
making a fiat passenger rate of cents
a mile in Minnesota.
Dissension in the Farmers Forum.
an organization of farmer members,
resulted in the defeat Of many bills.
Members Of one faction voted against
bills aimed at the grain exchanges, on
the theory that the measures were
backed only by the political farmers, !"
and were not to the best interests Of
the rural communities. Among these
beaten measures were a proposal for
taxing all grain futures transactions
and another prohibiting option trad
ing. Bills to compel installation of
track scales at all terminals, and sep
arating the grain inspection depart
ment from the railroad and warehouse
commission, also were lost.
Investigation of grain exchanges by
the A. F. Teigen special house COM
mittee, did not have the support Of the