The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1919-05-02

that he and other members did not re-
alize what they were voting on, but the
roll call was finished and the vote was
allowed to stand.
Fight on Drainage Act.
Just as the telephone tax bill prov
ed the center of interest in the Senate
at the closing session, so the drainage
bill furnished the fireworks in the
House. A fierce fight developed when
o. C. Neuman attempted to repass the
drainage bill as amended by the SEN
ate. Theodore Christianson was sue
cessful in having tackled onto the
measure an amendment requiring that
the drainage engineer be graduate of
a recognized college. The Senate re-
jected this amendment and was sus-
tanned in its refusal by conference
House repassed the bill minus the
amendment.
Go Through In Hurry.
Bills were called from the calendar
and general orders at will as the roll
was called during the closing after
noon session of the Senate, and more
than thirty were passed during the
afternoon. Among them was. the Ben
diXen and Dorweiler bill requiring the
Railroad and Warehouse commission
to investigate and report on the value
of dockage to grain and report to the
next Legislature, measure in which
the grain growers are much interested.
They want millers to pay for the dock
age which is salable, such as chicken
and sheep feed.
Another farmers bill passed was
the Bendixen measure to put the IL
cense fees received from terminal
warehouses in the grain inspection
fund.
So were the Nelson bill to tax YES
sells operating in international wa
tiers; the Mclaughlin House bill tc
provide for the establishment and
maintenance of county free libraries;
the House tax committee bill for the
taxation of freight line companies;
the Kingsley bill separating Mime
apolis tity and general elections, and
the Parker bill to punish dissertation
of the flag. ->
The Moen bill transferring oil in
spection 10 the dairy and food de-
partment, and providing for inspec-
ton at the selling point, and requir-
ing retail dealers to post list of the
oils they sell aud their quality, was
passed without struggle, though a
hard fight on it was expected.
Other Bills Passed '..
The Senate passed the Callahan bill
authorizing the Minneapolis city coun-
Gil to spend $4,000 to investigate the
feasibility of making a park of Nicol-
let island, the Putnam House bill au-
| thorizing Fergus Falls to build an
armory, the Benson Senate sill to re-
imburse school districts placing .yoca-
tional training departments In high
schools and the House bill codifying
the state printing laws, the House sal
wage corps bill, providing for two ships
and increasing the insurance tax to
pay the extra men, the Coleman bill per
hitting state employees to draw pay Or
more than one voucher, the Cliff bill
standardizing the requirements and
| inspection of canneries, the House bill
authorizing armory boards to sell ar.
mory sites, and providing for the up
| keep of armories. ....
Agricultural Bill Adopted.
Until the last three days of the
session it looked as though the bill
providing for the establishment Of a
department of agriculture would go by
the board. An agreement was reached
| between the House and the Senate,
however, and the measure was finally
passed 1t was the House which first
passed the bill, originally introduced
in the House by Representative Elias
Nordgren and in the Senate by Sena-
tor Gandrud. The bill provided for
| the appointment of commissioner of
agriculture by the governor 1t gave
that officer powers of investigation
into marketing condition and charged
him with the duties of cooperating
with both producer and consumer
One of its main features was the
provision for a soil survey of the
state
When the Nordgren bill went over
to the Senate that body substituted
lengthy measure prepared by Sena-
tor Cliff of Ortonville. Hurried con-
ferences were held. The House bill
was finally amended to include some
of the enforcement provisions of the
Cliff bill, and it was passed in that
form. The House accepted the amend
ment.
A bill relating to cooperative organ
iZations was also passed by both
houses as companion bill to the de-
partment of agriculture measure
Several other bills desired by the
agricultural interests of the state fell
by the wayside. The Legislature did
pass the bill prohibiting the use of but
| ter substitutes in state institutions,
but it was vetoed by the Governor.
Tax Bill Passed.
Both houses passed the tax levy bill
for the next. two years. The levy is
35 mills for 1920 and mills for, 1921.
The tax must raise $6.125, 900 for the
year ending June 80, 1920, and s6,250,-
600 for the year ending June 90, 1921
Increase in the assessed valuation of
the state for 1921 will raise the larger
sum of money with the lower tax
rate.
Storks' Return Is Peace Omen.
I Strasbourg, April 25.-Storks, which
ceased their annual visits to Strass-
bourg in 1914, have returned to the