The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-12-24
LEGISLATURE TO
DO THINGS,
POINT TO THE
OPENING OF THE LECISLA.
TIVE SESSION WITH A
LOUD REPORT.
(By r. w. Hitchcock of Hibbins.)

(By r. w. Hitchcock of Hibbing.)
Signs are multiplying-multiply-
ing rapidly-that the one thing which
makes any legislative session inter-
esting will not be lacking in 1921.
The scrapper's cup of joy will be full.
Also his saucer; in fact, some of it
looks sure to spill over on the table
cloth. Even at this distance from
the opening, Looks like lively ses-
sion" has become the recognized form
of salutation between members.
The session is set to open with a
bang. Tonnage tax will pass the
first day, will be signed by Gov. Preus
before dark and Henry Rines will be
Juggling around $1O,0OO,0OO of the
''steel trusts ill gotten gains before
the week is out. We have C. J.
BuelPs word for it-and he is the one
man in Minnesota who knows any,
thing about the tonnage tax. At
1901 Tuesday, January 4th, w. /.
Nolan will be reelected Speaker and
at 1902 the twelve bills that the
special marketing committee has
made will rise up and smite the Nom
partisan League laundering swat
in the Stats, deadly left hook to the
chin and. fatal right-arm thrust to
the solar plexus. About that time
60 Immediately thereafter the good
lads uproar that has been brewing
ever since November End will boil
over into real riot, two socialists
and three recently elected and reput-
eddy red-eyed labor members will hurl
bombs of poisoned gas into the mix
up and the capital punishment crowd
will demand the head of every Grim
inal on platter 1t will be lovely
day. At night there will be a grand
wake on the Capitol steps over the
body of A. C. Townley. So much
for a starter. The next day the leg
islature will take off it's coat, spit on
its hands and square away in earnest.
Committees Chosen.
Committee assignments have been
the members thought and topic of
bated breath conversation for some
weeks. They are now pretty well
settled. The senate holds over and
there will be but few changes, prob
ably, in it's committees, although on
this subject Lieutenant Governor
Collins has not yet spoken. In the
House, Speaker Nolan has announced
that, as far as possible, he will MAIN
tain the organization of two years
ago. Most of the chairmen of two
years ago will be reappointed. The
principal committee, finance in the
senate and appropriations in the
house, will be headed again by Sem
ator Rockne and Theodore Christian
son respectively. Pat McGarry, with
halo of good roads glory around his
head, will again be chairman of the
highway committee in the senate and
Oscar Swenson will head the same
committee in the house. In the
house, Elmer Adams of Fergus Falls,
did not stand for reelection, and
there is merry war on for the vac
ant craftsmanship of the committee
on taxes. Another important chair
manship to be filled in the house is
that of the committee on labor, Tom
McGrath, vigorous labor leader of
two years ago having refused re-
election this year.
Judged from the standpoint of the
subjects of legislation which prom
Use to loom largest in interese at the
approaching session, the most import
ant committees so far as legislation
mot politics) is concerned will be
the following: Appropriations, high
ways, taxes, education, elections,
markets and marketing and reappor-
tionment. Other committees Of
major Importance are rules, public
dominion and judiciary. The chair
manship of these committees are
large and juicy plums. .
The Road Program.
Tho y>o ccono of tho poCd roado nm,
endment in November makes legisla-
ton to make this amendment effect
i've one of the chiefest of the legis-
lature's duties this winter. A num-
Der of laws will be necessary-and
every one of them will vitality affect
the very responsible task Of spend
Everybody is agreed that this expen-
diture must be so safeguarded that
the people of the state will get
dollars worth for every dollar spent.
But there agreement ceases. There
is a wide difference of opinion as to
how it ought to be done.
In order to compose these differ
ences in some measure and to arrive
at the elementals of sound road
policy for the state before the session
Op6DS, d COulcTcIlCc LdS DCcH CdilCus
Members of the legislature who are
interested will attend but Speaker
Nolan has appointed a specific COM
mittee of twenty-seven to consider
the matter. Eighth District members
of this committee are r. w. Hitch
cock of Hibbing, Geo. Herried OF
Deer River and F. j. McPartlin of
International Falls.
The creation of Department Of
Government which has the spending
of $10,00O,000 year of the states
funds cannot be arrived at without
serious differences of opinion. Good
roads advocates up to this time have
been agreed but now there is seri-
Gus split. Highway Commissioner
Babcock naturally wants to retain
control of the highway situation.
Senator McGarry is advocating a
commission appointed by the Sup
RENE Court, several other road enthu-
siasts want a commission made up Of
members of the legislature and
friends of the incoming administra-
ton insist that there must be a COM
mission taking authority from the
Governor. All these elements are
now industriously pulling wires each
to accomplish its own ends. A COM
mission appointed by the Supreme