The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1919-03-21

the vets tried to do was to change
the "one-haf of one percent" limit
to "two. per cent" After long de-
bate they mustered 55 votes-but
there were ~ against them. It is
said that the brewers will attempt
''two per cent" beer legislation in
every state. The bill was finally
passed by a vote of S3 to A, Bur-
rows voting against it and the writer
voting for it. The bill will be eff
fective July 1 this year if "War
Time Prohibition" becomes effective
throughout the country according
to President Wilson's proclamation
otherwise it will become effective Jan.
16, 1920 when the federal constitu-
tional amendment goes into force.
If for any reason federal prohi-
bition does not come to pass, the
Moen-Putnam bill, if it becomes a
law, will make Minnesota dry by
statute on January 16, 1920.
A combine in the senate, pre-
sumably formed to punish Fred Bes-
settle for his vote in the Sullivan Will
cox election contest case, has killed
the Bessette land clearing bill. This
bill made it possible for settlers to
have a part of their land cleared by
the county, payment being made by
the settler to the county over a Pc
riod of twenty years. In the opinion
of the writer the bill would have ma
terially aided in the settlement
and development of St. Louis and
Northern Minnesota counties. The
senate first amended the bill so as to
require a vote of the people Of the
county upon each clearing propo-
sition. This amendment made the
bill so ridiculous that Senator Bes-
settle had the bill voted down. Later
he had it reconsidered and amended
so that it applied only to st. Louis
county. Even then the crowd that
was out to punish him was too much
for him and the bill failed by two
votes. The bill is still pending in the
house where it may possibly be slight
ly amended and passed and given a
third chance in the senate.
St. Louis County Bills.
Among the bills passed by the
house last week was road bill
which makes it possible for St. Louis
county to begin it's paved road pro-
gram at once.
The st Louis county salary bills
are well up on the General Orders in
both senate and house.
A bill to allow a very modest and
a much needed increase in the salary
of probation officers in st. Louis
county is in some peril owing to the
fact that it also affects Hennepin and
Ramsey where there is some oppo-
sition.
A bill memorializing the U. S. rail-
road administration to reduce freight
rates on iron ore has passed the sem
ate and will be acted on In the house
this week. The reduction asked is
81 per ton, to which the rate was ar
bitrarily raised last June, to 63h
cents, the former rate.
State Compensation Insurance.
The state compensation insurance
bill was passed Wednesday after a
long debate, by vote af 70 to 4S.
All the St. Louis county representa-
tives voted for it except Cullum and
Pittenger of Duluth. The bill COM
pels every employer to insure his
employees under the compensation
law and makes it certain that each
employee, if injured, will be COM
pensated. 1t permits employers to
carry their own insurance under bond
if they so elect and allows mutual
companies, operating without profit,
to write compensation insurance,
but completely excludes from the
state. all cold line" companies so far
as compensation insurance is con-
cerned. The writer is one of the
authors of the bill and believes it to
be one of the most progressive pieces
Of legislation Of the present session.
Never lose chance to boiler
Let's pave st. Louis county NOW.