The Sauk Centre herald., 1917-03-08
BILL ABOLISHING
FUTURES KILLED
MEASURE PROPOSING TAX ON
PRACTICE ALSO BADLY DE-
FEATED>IN HOUSE
SURPRISE In HOUSE ACTION
FARMERS JOIN HANDS WITH
CITY MEMBERS IN SHELLY
ING MATTER

st. Paul, March 5.-The house has
put the stamp of approval on futures
gambling the more plain spoken cal
it-when by a decided majority il
sent to the scrap heap two measures
designed to cripple the practice. Both
one by Knute Knutson of Benson and
the other by A. F. Teigen of Monte
video, were directed at the Minneap-
oils and Duluth Chambers of COM
merce and though the two authors
thundered and Grated in an effort to
convince the farmer element of the
house that the measures were in their
interest they were compelled to ac-
cept defat. The Knutson bill called
for a tax on the practices complained
of, while the Teigen bill abolished the
time honored practice entirely. 1t has
been said of the house, and truly,
that it's tomorrow is as uncertain as
its today. To poll it and come any
way near being correct is among the
impossibilities. Accepting popular
opinion futures and the Minneapolis
chamber of commerce were institu-
tions of iniquity, to be either regulat-
ed or suppressed, and while at no time
was there any possibility of deter
mining the outcome, the opinion was
general that the finals would be close.
Instead, however, futures and the
chamber won easily and the farmer
element joined hands in putting the
two measures to sleep. Even had the
two measures prevailed they would
have been worthless, for in each case
amendments by the dozen, many of
them by rural members, were added
and the city members in each instance
fell over themselves in giving endorse
ment to such.
While this letter was in the making
the senate and those behind the meas
on the Warner tonnage tax measure.
Both sides were confident of success.
Delay really is what the hackers of
tie bill have been fighting for and
when the demands Of those against
the bill calling for it's early considera-
ton came up for consideration there
was lively fight. Had the Warner
bill been taken up Immediately follow
ing it's passage by the house it would
have undoubtedly met its Waterloo in
the senat and those behind the meas
ure, knowing such, have been jockey
ing for delay ever since. Their idea
has been to bring pressure from the
members districts which could not be
overcome and to this end a direct ap-
peal has been made to the country
press for support. In the senate the
opposing forces are headed by Sena-
tor Harold Griggs of Virginia and
those for the bill by Senator James A.
Carley of Wabasha county. 1t is ex-
pected that the vote on the measure
will be very close.
Minnesota will have to worry along
a few years more with its present
By vote of nearly two
to-one the house put the lid on a prop
osition to revise it when it sent to
the boneheap the Rybert act calling
for a constitutional convention. The
bill was special order and an entire
afternoon was consumed in debating
It. It takes a two-thirds majority to
put over a measure of this kind and
the chances are excellent that it will
be many years before the required
vote is found. In the senate rural
and city members Joined hands in en-
dorsing the fundamental law of the
state.
The senate committee on elections
has sent out with it's approval the bill
of Senator Rustad of Wheaton to the
extent of returning to a partial con-
We; tion and party system in the Sc
lection of state officers. That it will
pass the senate with a few changes
is generally expected. The house is
entertaining bill along the same
line by Representative Harrison of
Minneapolis, but so far has withheld
its sanction. The Rustad bill is prac-
tically the same as passed the senate
two years ago, but which fell down
in the house. There is also in the SEN
ate bill by J. D. Sullivan of Stearns
county removing the judges of the
supreme court from the provisions of
the primary law and placing their
nomination in the hands of a nom
partisan convention. It's promoters
are confident that it will get by and
say that if the others fail that it will
lay the foundation for real primary
and convention law two years hence.
Nearly $5OO,OOO will be put in circu-
lation shortly when that amount is
distributed among the members of the
Minnesota national guard who an
swered the call of President Wilson
for services on the Mexican border.
The money is to be distributed on the
basis Of 80 cents per day per man,
and will mean about 800 for each SOL
dier. The bill passed the house with
cJ;rht oppocif;dp onH hoe nroctioo11v