Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1917-04-25
Nearly Six Hundred Measures
Approved BY Legislature.
FEW OF GREAT IMPORTANCE
Prohibition Amendment, Blue Sky
Law and Welfare Propositions
at Head of List.

St. Observation-Disclosures the Forti,
eth Minnesota legislature worth while!
Opinion differs on this point, but the
view of yours truly runs to the belief
that it was money not entirely wasted.
Altogether nearly six hundred new
laws were placed on the statute books.
True, some of them were an abuse OF
good white paper and valuable print
ers' ink, but at the same time quite a
few abuses were corrected, several re.
forms enacted and the foundation laid
for many good things to come. Pro-
hibition, long a legislative bugaboo,
found expression in the passage of a
bill putting the question up to the
voters. Juvenile and walfare correc-
tive propositions had their answer in
the passage of no less than twenty
five acts. "A blue sky law, long de-
manded, was placed on the statute
books. 1t is severe on stock and spec
ulative wildcatting. An absent voters
law was passed and the presidential
primary law, enacted two years ago,
was sent to the discard. The game
laws of the state were placed on a
real protective and sane basis. A COM
prehensive drainage law was passed,
and also one regulating the operation
and control of water powers in the
state. To enumerate some of the re-
garded >big things that did not get by
one might list woman suffrage, q par
tial return to the Convention nominal
ing system, the dissolution of the
Mayo foundation as it applies to the
state university and the enactment of
an iron range tonnage tax law. The
measures named are only a fraction
of the whole, but they serve to show
what the legislature considered and
what they selected from the lot for
either passage or defeat.
!. !. +
When one stops to consider, it is a
remarkable aggregation, this Minnesota
legislature. More remarkable is it's
output of laws, hundreds of them
drawn by laymen, all designed to cor
rect some abuse or put into effect
some reform, and each fairly clean as
to conflict with the constitution and
the kings English. The Minnesota
legislature is composed of nearly two
hundred men, gathered from every
section of the state and from prac-
tically every walk of life. For little
more than three months in each off
year they are assembled at the state
capitol and during most of that time
chaos seems to be the predOminating
feature. To delay seems to be the
chief aim of the opposing forces.
Viewed from the press table the whole
resolves itself into a tangle. the solu-
tion of which seems impossible. At
the same time the observer wonders
how this and that member ever got
by. Still out of it all comes order and
while some may continue to criticise
still the fact remains that each two
years the state progresses and laws
consistent with that progress are en-
acted.
!. !. !.
State capitol circles have not yet
gotten over the fight between Gov
ernor Burnquist and State Auditor
Preus for control of the legislature
in the matter of the public domain
bill. If you will remember the state
auditor won hands down. The senate
was his stamping ground. To many
the failure Of the program of the eff
cheney and economy commission to get
by was the shame of the legislative
session just closed. According to their
viewpoint the program represented
progress. Perhaps it did, but the fact
remains that had it's chief measure
the public domain bill--prevailed the
state would have gotten little out of it
beyond a spectacular fight for patron.
age. That was about all that remained
after the senate and house got through
with the bill Viewed by many the
fight over the bill had as it's founda.
ton the governorship two years hence
Friends of Mr.. Preus deny such. They
say Mr.. :Preus has no executive ambi
lions at this time. Governor Burn
quist likewise is emphatic in his state
ment regarding this phase of the scrap
Just the same the Democratic king
makers cannot see anything but Re
publican disruption and they are pre-
pairing tosstake advantage of the fact
They are confident that the next exec
utive will be a Democrat and that the
fight now on will help elevate theil
man to. the governorship.
i. !. +
The manufacture of cheese in Min
nesota was given an impetus when the
-. veto