Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-03-26

OBSERVATIONS
(By a Cornfleld Philosopher.
xxx-LEelsLATlvE LETTER.
Speeding up.


More than 60 days Of the session |
have now passed and the members |
of the House and the Senators are al
most beginning to realize that they
must bestir themselves If the business
il properly handled. The House by
substituting Senate for House files
closed up the calendar fairly well and
the Senate by holding afternoon ses-
sions made considerable progress dur.
ing the past week.
The Tonnage Tax.
After lots OF sparring and working
at cross purposes on motion Of Mr..
WEIGH the House has made a special
order of a tonnage tax bill for 1880
a. m. March 25th. The League or
Welch bill, mainly on account of its
superior merit has side tracked both
the Bendixen and the Wilkinson bills
and it will be the only one up for
consideration. The opponents Of any
Tonnage Tax helped to kill of the other
bills under the impression that the
Welch bill, a Nonpartisan League
measure, could not pass both the
House and the Senate and also escape
the Governors veto. But the bill has
an assured two-thirds majority in the
House and probably in the Senate to
override the chief executive If neces-
sary.
Bounty for tho Soldier Boys.
Rep. WEIGH (League) and Dilley
have introduced bill granting a fiat
bounty of 500 each to all of the 85,-
900 boys conscr1pted or enlisted for
the war. This would amount to about
$8,5OO,0OO or a little more than the
income from Tonnage Tax for sin.
gle year. This bill has not yet been
considered by any committee, but will
be pressed for early action by its
authors.
The Free Pass Bill.
The Nimocks bill to compel rail
roads to grant free passes to the law
makers once defeated by 81 to IS, was
: revived by Pattison of St. ClouG
: through a motion to reconsider, anC
strenuous efforts by trading and per
sonal pledges are being made to ge
: the necessary 66 votes to put thu
, measure through. Every League mem
Der but two voted mo" on the first tria
of strength and it is to be hoped they
will all continue faithful to the end
Tremendous pressure Is being brought
to bear to secure the passage of this
measure.
The Salary Question.
The systematic effort of a gang O.
lobbyists aided by swarm of benefi
Charles to secure a general increase
in the salaries of public officials il
having hard shedding in the House
On test vote large number absent
81 members voted against increasing
salaries and the opposition Of Theo
Christianson, chairman House Commit
tee on Appropriations unless It can bt
overcome is like to be fatal to thu
scheme. ChristiansOn is proving to b.
firm and stubborn and he is being sus
tanned by his committee. BY the bill
under consideration the Governors
salary would be raised from $1,000 tt
$4,000 and other officials and distric
judges in the same proportion. Thi:
contemplated increase in salaries stop!
just before reaching the scrub wome1
in the Capitol building On a SECOND
attempt to bring up this bill later thu
motion only received "a votes so there
will probably be no general increase
in salaries.
The Workmen's Compensation Bill.
The most important measure cham
pioned by organized labor, the State
Insurance Bill which passed the House
by decisive vote is in great danger
Of defeat in the Senate where only
81 of the necessary "a votes have beer
secured. The 81 casualty insurance
companies that the law would put out
OF business are making desperate
fights for their lives and incidentally
for the $8O0,444 income they are get
ting from this source. Further hear
ings are being held and the outcome
is uncertain. Nearly all of the sena