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

4 the House fell just short Of 1000,
7hile the Senate files approximated
900. To properly handle such vast
lumber Of bills in 80 days is no
|icnic. However, many of them are
mere local bills Of little general I'M
,ortance. Rrobably onerfourth of
hem may become laws.
The cigaret Bill. II
The Nordgren bill prohibiting the
,ale of cigarets and cigaret papers
10 minors under 10, and assessing
tax of 1890 q year has passed the
Senate with little opposition and is
pending in the House for early action.
To Double the Inheritance Tax.
Rep. Berve League) has introduced
a bill which practically doubles the
present Inheritance tax rate. The bill
will go to an unfriendly committee and
probably not be heard from again this
session, but will be League measure |
in the future.
There is no special provision of law |
and no penalty covering the violation |
of the sacred constitutional rights of
free speech, free press and free pub
lie assemblage and lot Of attorneys
in the House Judiciary Committee are
opposing the bill guaranteeing these
rights. This is playing into the hands
of the Nonpartisan League with ven
geance, but these astute lawyers don't
seem to realize this fact
Hon. H. H. Harrison OF Washington
county opposed the raising of salaries
Of state officials, saying 'You can
never lower them again and high sal
aries don't make public officer either
competent or honest" Right you are
Uncle Henry on this point, keep it up.
No less a parsonage than the Hon.
Asher Howard who represents in the
House one Of the most exclusive silk
stocking districts in Minneapolis
came across and joined the Bolsheviki
on the Workmen's Compensation Bill
and made a most effective speach In
support of the measure, voting along
with all of the League members with
out batting an eye.
Rep. Nimocks would like to see his
picture in the Minnesota Leader.
Well, the Leader published his famous
'Red Flag Bill' in full and that should
give him enough notoriety to last him
the balance of his days. He ought
to be satisfied and give the other fell
lows a chance.
Rep. John Wicklund Of Kandiyohi
has developed into a sly joker. When
the Briggs bill to make or circulate
"derogatory remarks" affecting bank
er was pending, Mr.. Wicklund offered
an amendment to include any member
of the Nonpartisan League or labor
organization. The roar of laughter
that followed the reading of this
amendment so disguised Mr.. Briggs
who is very dignified member that
he moved to indefinitely postpone his
own bill.
We can yet criticize a banker and
| keep out of Jail, thanks to the defeat
of the Briggs bill to make remarks of
| this nature a criminal Offense. 1t
might be expected of benighted Pipe.
stone County where League organic
ers were prosecuted and jailed that
such freak bills would emanate from
it's representative, though it is said
that Mr.. Briggs is not really the au-
thor of the measure, merely introduce
ing it to accommodate some enemy
of free speech.
When the House Committee on
Dairy products had under considera-
ton the WEIGH bill to prohibit the use
of cleo in state institutions five mem
bers including Carlson of Polk repre-
senting dairy communities voted
against the bill. This is the same
measure that the meat trust lobby
defeated two years ago.
The principal difference between
the League farmer and the new farm
er member elected in opposition to the
League is this: The Lacquer knows ex-
actly what legislation he wants, while
many of the latter appear to wait un-
til the lobby representative the in
visible government comes around and
gives them instructions.
The fat boys in the mining industry
who tried to avoid a tonnage tax on
their products by hiding behird the
skirts Of the little operators no are
| developing new mines and fling low
grade ore were beautifully smoked
out by the WEIGH Comparison Lea
que bilD which taxes not the gross
tonnage, but the net value only
The friends Of a Tonnage Tax in
the House have now got together on
the WEIGH bill and no genuine sup
porter Of such measure is sulking
in the tent. Both Bendixen and Col.
Wilkinson, author Of rivals to the
WEIGH bill have now come across
which Is greatly to their credit
The bill to put the street railways
under the protecting wing of the State
Board of Railway Commissioners and
thereby protect them from the people
with "Socialistic tendencies" who
must use these lines is not getting
anywhere. A public hearing has been
held in which Charles E. Elmquist,
former member Of the State r. R. and
w. Commission spoke for the railways,
but the people affected have not yet
been heard and no action has been
taken. It Is great scheme to head
OH both adequate control and public
ownership, but judging by the temper
OF the House it is bound to fizzle out.
Rako of Beltrami, a new member of
the House will very likely get raked
over the Goals good and proper by his
farmer constituents if he files for the
Job two years hence. He is proving
to be one of the most reliable cogs
in the re-actionary Burnquist machine
In the book the Hoosier Schoolmas-
ter, 1t will be remembered that Mis-
tress Means a greedy grasping misery
old woman advised her husband when
buying land, ITO git a plenty while
you are giten." Similar advice seems
to have been given by someone to big
Biz In regard to the present legisla-
ture. Git plenty of laws to boost
privilege for II IA varv nrohah1a fhot