The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1919-01-02
WILL
GET EARLY. START
MINNESoTA'S ST !
ING BODY VIII. a,
JANUARY SEss,s al.
HOUSE COMMITTEES READY
STATE HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT
WILL BE CAREFULLY CONSID-
Erred BY SOLONS.

u ooLo1No.
st. Paul, Dec. 30.-With the stage
set and the actors in their places, the
curtain will go up Tuesday, January
Z, on the opening of the Minnesota
Legislature.
The most interesting and most inn
portant in the history of the state.
Many big problems of state policy
will be up for Solution, and some law
of far-reaching effect will be in
cluded in the statutes of 1919.
As usual the Senate will get down
to business without delay. This is
possible partly because the Senate
membership is composed largely of
men of legislative experience, and
partly because the lieutenant gov
ernor is able to start right after
election making up his committee
assignments.
The House also is sure this session
to get an early start. The speaker
ship fight was settled nearly a
month ago, and the speaker-elect
has had time to perfect his commit
tee organization.
In times past, when the election of
speaker has been in doubt until late
in December, it has happened that
the staft of the legislative grind in
the Hohse has been delayd for a
week OF more.
1t is redicted that Speaker Nolan
will announce his committees on the
third day of the session.
Both the Senate and the House will
be organized along new lines. The
natural line of cleavage in the old
days was between Republicans and
DEMOCRATS, although this has been
less true since the law abolished
party lines in the election of mem
bers of the Legislature, and there
have always been Democrats, espe-
cially in the Senate, who have been
Gin" with the majority Republican
organization. as. ~
The entrance Of the Townley Non
partisan league into Legislative poll
tics has changed everything.
The division now is between the
untagged members and Townley
members, and the feeling on both
sides is far more bitter and personal
than ever before within the memory
of old followers of politics.
The league has only weak mi
nority, perhaps ten in the Senate and
twenty-four in the House. It's
strength may be even less, for it is
said several men claimed by the
league will refuse to tie up openly
with the Townley organization.
The situation is not without its
amusing side. For instance, many
Senators and Representatives in 9TH
ed years classed as insurgents" have
been forced to join with the control.
ling organization.
Their choice was limited to the mer
they had always fought or to the
league, and they dislike the league
and the men in control of 1t, ever
more than their old enemies.
One of the first matters to come
before the Legislature probably vii
be a resolution to ratify the nation
wide prohibition amendment to the
Federal constitution.
The amendment already has beer
ratified by fifteen legislatures and i
will be before the legislatures of thu
remaining states this coming year.
Favorable /. action by thirty-sia
states is necessary to put the amend
ment over. No serious opposition !!
expected in the Minnesota legislature
1t is expected that an attempt viii
be made also to pass statutory pro
hibition law aimed at making Mime
sofa dry during the period before
federal prohibition goes into effect
assuming that the amendment viii
secure the necessary ratification:
within the time limit of seven years
set by Congress.
There has been much talk in pro.
hibition circles along this line.
One of the most important matters
likely to come before the Legislature
perhaps the most important, is the
proposed state constitutional amend
ment, creating state highways sys.
tenn and empowering the Legislature
to issue bonds to cover the cost of it;
construction.
+ The whole plan, which originated
with the state highway commission
has been explained by the dispatch
and Pioneer Pres. in detail from time
to time.
It provides for a system of 5000
- j = d.