New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1917-04-11
IBWMA ( Frs BUSY
SESSION NEAR END
MEMBERS OF HOUSE AND SENATE
HUsTL1NG FOR THEIR PET
BILLS.
BIG WAR MEASURES ARE NOW
ATTRACTING ATTENTION OF
BODY.

BODY.
The legislature now has but seven days
to finish it's work of the session, and the
members of both houses are hustling to,
get their pet measures thru, and many
of them are doomed TO disap pointment,
and it is we'll that this is SO. About half
of those introduced during the session
could with profit to the state, be lost
by the wayside, and the state be richer
for the loss.
One of the proposed war measures"
which is attracting more agitation than
any other at the present time, was in
troduced by Representative w. D.
Washburn, of Minneapolis, and will
probably come up for final action today.
That the people may know exactly what
the bill is, it is printed in full, and is as
follows:
Registration Bill.
"Section 1. Whenever a state OF war
shall exist or be imminent between the
United States and a foreign country if
in his judgement the public safety so
requires the Governor may by proclama-
ton direct and require every subject or
citizen of such foreign. country in this
State within twenty-four hours to APP
pear before such public authorities as the
Governor may direct in such proclama-
ton and personally register his or her
name, residence and business, and give
such further information as the Governor
may prescribe, and if he is not resident
of the State, give the purpose OF his
presence and his intended length of stay.
Upon the proclamation the owner, lessee,
or proprietor of every hotel, inn, boarding
or rooming house, and private residence,
shall within twenty-four hours notify
such public authorities of the presence
therein of every such subject or citizen,
known by him to be such, and shall each
day thereafter notify such public authori-
ties of the arrival thereat or departure
therefrom of every such subject or citizen
known by him to be such. A failure to
comply with such proclamation or to do
or perform any of the acts herein pro-
vided shall be misdemeanor."
Called Copperheads.
It is apparent at glance that this is a
most drastic measure which might be
the means of getting many innocent and
inoffensive persons into serious trouble;
therefore many of the more conservative
members of the house protested. This
brought upon them the fierce denuncia-
ton of Representative Corning OF ST..
Paul that they are ''copperheads' and
unpatriotic, Notwithstanding the fact
that one of the opponents Of the measure
is John B. Hompe of Deer Creek, a
veteran of the civil war, who characteriz-
ed it is piece of lingo legislation. The
bill has been UP for consideration twice,
but was not placed on its passage. When
it comes up again this week another bitter
war of words is sure to follow.
AS to Taxes.
Speaking of taxes, war measures will
account for a considerable increase;
education and the care of unfortunates
will account for much more. Good
roads will cost something, and so will
drainage, in the way of assessments, but
good roads and drainage, like education,
are profitable investments. Many of
the tax reform bills have been passed,
however, and those of the tax commission
in particular, are intended to reach lot
of property that has escaped taxation
heretofore and to assess it at a rate
which the owners can afford to pay, and
this will help to keep down the rate in
general.
For instance, the listing of stocks in
foreign corporations as credits will, it is
believed, result in placing millions of
dollars of these stocks on the tax rolls.
The only way in which these stocks can
be discovered is to have the owners re-
port them. The property they represent
is taxed elsewhere, SO while they were
assessed here as ordinary property, the
tax consuming nearly all of the dividends,
they were not reported, and the state re-
ceived nothing.