The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-03-11
STOPS GRAIN GAMBLING
NEW MEASURE REGULATES
TRADING IN FUTURES
Interest In Activities Mime
sofa Legislature Centered In
Passage of This Bill
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch ]

ST. Paul, March URINARY inter-
est in activities of the Minnesota
legislature the past week centered
in the passage by the house of the
bill to regulate trading in grain fu-
lures. The bill no longer Is an anti
futures bill, tor it has been amended
to permit dealing in futures and
hedging for the protection of The
dealers as well as the manufactur-
ers, but it does prohibit the purely
speculative or gambling deals to
which the farmers have been object
ing.
The usual penalties for gambling
or any other gross misdemeanor are
involved, and provide fines ranging
from $500 to $1,000 and imprison-
ment., The bill passed the house by
a vote of 101 to IS. 1t now Is before
the senate. The house also rescued
another farmers measure from death
when Rep. r. A. Wilkinson beat out
the banking committee on the floor
of the house and placed his bill to
permit the organization of co-opera-
tive banks on general orders. Tho
that the bill be returned to its au-
thor.
Passed Parker Bill
The house also passed the Parker
bill to levy a tax of five per cent on
royalties received from the lease of
mineral. lands owned by private indi-
vidualS or companies. 1t passed a
lot of other Hills, too, but they were
mostly local in character.
The biggest event in the senate
was the drafting of the general cleo
lions bill and placing it at the head
of general orders where it will re-
,.Ir -
The bill provides that on town cleo
March, the voters of the several par.
ties shall elect delegates to county
conventions, which would in turn
elect delegates to the state conven-
tons, to be held during the last ten
days in March, Saturdays excepted.
The state convention would sit for
at least two days. During the first
day nothing is to be done save to
adopt platform. Endorsements
would be made the second day of
candidates for the primary election
in June. No filings for the primary
would be permitted before the state
made for local and district conven-
tons also.
Candidates Endorsed at these con-
ventions could accept or decline as
they saw fit, but the names Of the in
dorsed candidates would be placed
and kept at the head of the ballot,
while the names of others filing
would rotate beneath them. The
state central committee would con-
sist of two members from each con-
gyessional district and one selected
by each of the state candidates and
the candidate for United States SEN
a. a nm har I w ha
candidate for governor to be chair
man of the committee.
A Separate Bill For Nonpartisan
A separate bill may be introduced
to compel organizations like the
Nonpartisan league to file as politi-
cal parties and to comply with the
corrupt practices act and other cleo
tons laws, according to those inter-
ested in election laws.
The drainage committee of the
senate is still at wCIk over the pro-
pose drainage law, and it is having
just as much trouble in framing a
terested as the members have had at
every other session. The members
of the drainage committee have te-
come tired of waiting for the senate
to act and have introduced a copy of
the senate bill in the house, prepare
tory to taking action themselves.
The bill covers food control as well
as drainage.
Next Tuesday will be a red letter
day in both branches of the legisla-
ture. for on that day the senate will
take up the substitute for the Brooks
Coleman bill, which sought to give
the railroad and warehouse commits
sion Jurisdiction over street railway
companies, while the house will dis
cuss the tonnage tax or the occupa-
ton tax, as the attorney generals
department prefers to call it.
The occupation tax bill provides
for tax of 6 per cent on the net
value of +. the ore, in addition to all
other taxes now levied upon mining
property. A secord bill, however,
proposes a constitutional amendment
providing that so per cent of the tax
money shall go to the permanent
school and university funds. 40 PEI
cent to the former and 10 per cent
to the latter the remaining so Der
cent to go into the general revenue
fund. 1t is estimated that the tax
would yield atout S4000,000 a year.
New Street Railway Bill
The new street railway bill is a
bill for state control of trolley lines
rather than control by the railroad
ard warehouse commission. The lat
ter body will have something to say
about the financing of the companies
and rates of fare. but franchises are
to be under control of the legisla-
ture, which may revoke them at any
time for cause.
Service, routing of the cars, ex-
tensions and control of the streets
in general within cities is left with
the governing bodies of those cities.
In lieu of limited franchise,
granted by the city or cities in which
a trolley company operates, the COM
pany will obtain a state permit
which : will operate as perpetual
franchise as long as the legislature
approves. .-.... d..
The state highways bill passed by
the house is meeting with some
criticism among the senators, but it's
proponents expect it will be passed
The committee had intended to re-
port 1t back to the serate early this
week, but the serious illness and
death of Senator Leonard H. Nord
of international Falls, who has done
more hard work on the bill than al
most any other member. will delay
the measure for a few days. It was
overwork on the highway bill that
caused Senator Nord to suffer a
stroke of apc-Dlexy or a hemorrhage
of the brain his friends say.
7 Adjourned For Town Elections
While the legislature has hean at