The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-03-01
APPROVES MUCH
BIG LEGISLATION
MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRE-
SENTATIVES MAKING REC
ORD THIS YEAR.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE ENDORSED
TONNAGE TAX ON IRON ORE AL
so GETS THROUGH BY MAR
ROW MARGIN

|
ord that the present house of repre-
sentatives is after those comprising
that body are fast nearing the goal.
Already the house has given it's ap-
proval to prohibition-th this with the
CONSENT of the senate-tonnage tax
and woman suffrage, and the chances
are excellent that it will give the fin
ishing touch to bills providing for the
regulation of telephone rates and the
better grading and weighing of grain.
Anti laws covering a
number of lines of activity and prod
ucts are also due to get by. How far
the seante will go in making the rec
ord complete is not known, but so far
it has seen fit to stand by and make
all the big propositions sent to it
unanimous. Last week saw the
passage by the house of an iron ore
tonnage tax bill and a constitutional
amendment extending the elective
franchise to women. The first got by
with only a few votes to spare to
81, I think, was the vote-but suffrage
prevailed overwhelmingly. The num-
Der registered against it was not worth
mentioning. Drys and vets joined
hands in support of suffrage and the
whole contest was so devoid of the
usual spectacular that it really consti-
tuted a disappointment. Ten years
ago the passage of suffrage measure
would have been the burning of bon
fires, the ringing of bells and general
rejoicing of those interested. Time
sure does work wonders.
To majority Of people in Mime
sofa the tonnage tax bill which re-
ceived the approval of the house is
no different from those that have en-
crossed the attention of previous leg
islatures. Perhaps had they known
different the bill would never have
prevailed, for in it's passage new
taxation idea has been sanctioned thai
may prove a future source of much
worry and irritation. AS its authors
Charles Warner of Aitkin and H. 0.
Bjorge of Lake Park, explain it, the
scheme is supertax, or license, ana
while in the present case it only COW
ers iron ore it is applicable to any line
of activity or production that the leg
islature may desire to extend it. In
stead of being in lieu of other taxes
it is an addition, and is just as appli-
cable to the well known potteries of
Goodhue county, the granite and sand
stone deposits of half a dozen other
counties and the brick and tile indus
tries which are scattered over the
southern part of the state, as to the
iron ore, which at the present time
the principal wealth of the upstate
country. For a wonder the possibili-
ties of the tax and the fact that irol
ore was not the only thing involved
never figured in the discussion of the
bill, but it is certain that those inter-
este dwill not be permitted to lose
sight of the fact from now on. The
range country fought the Warner
Bjorge bill to a standstill, but was un-
able to overcome the majority, even
though a number of central and south
ern Minnesota members voted with
them. The bill is now up to the SEN
ate, with it's future very much In
doubt.
The introduction of bill two years
ago providing for a closed season fol
frogs and regulating their slaughter
was regarded as joke. Local papers
included it in the fool things offered
in a legislative way and later COM