The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1921-03-17
St. Paul Letter

record in disposing of important mat
tiers. Within two days three measures
of the type that so often drag thru
weeks and months of the session
were advanced toward the final
stages. This taken in connection with
the early action already had on ag-
ricultural legislation, places this leg
islative body well along toward COM
pletion of it's most important work.
The five measures making a code
of workingmen's compensation, legis-
lation were passed by the Senate
with practically no amendments from
the form in which they were passed
by the House the proceeding week.
Tonnage tax legislation, which has
been one of the big issues in Mime
sofa law building for years, was CIV
en- concrete form by the Honse in
passing by vote of 80 to rs, the So
called "occupational tax bill recon-
mended by the attorney general as
the only form in which a constitu-
tional tonnage tax colud be levied.
The phraseology of the measure
places the tax upon persons engage,
in the business of mining instead of
on the mining ore" as first propos-
ed. The addition to the present ad
valorem tax, which brings in a rev.
enue of approximately $1,500,00O,
and the new law, it's supporters claim
will bring in additional revenue of ap-
proximately $4,5O0,0OO. The legisla-
ton is in two forms: first statutory
measure providing for the per cent
rate, and second, a constitutional
amendment to be submitted to the
people providing for the per cent
rate, and also that so per cent of the
revenues received shall go into a
permanent trust fund.
While the House was engaged in
an all-day discussion of tonnage tax
legislation, the Senate was laboring
with the bill to place in the power Of
the state the making of rates of fare
of the street railways Of the cities of
the state and Of the interurban lines
as well. This is the substitute for the
original Brooks Coleman bill. It gives
the power of fixing fares to the
Railroad and Warehouse Commission.
The Senate vote was 40 to %.
Two bills have been introduced in
the House to protect school teachers
against having their salaries reduced
or being discharged or reduced in
rank without formal charges and a
hearing, after they have been regu-
larly employed in a public school for
three years or more.
Apparently the Nonpartisan league
and Labor elements of the state are
planning on a campaign of boycott,
judging by a bill introduced in the
House by Representatives Hemmng
S. Nelson of Kandiyohi, Theodore
Torkelson of Mahnomen- Norman, A.
j. Sames, Jr., and B. H. Keller of
Ramsey, and John Goodwin Of st.
Louis. This bill would exempt or
CARNATIONS formed for the purpose
of conducting boycott from the pen
alties imposed by the law prohibiting
organizations in restraint of trade.
Senator Gjerset has introduced a
bill defining "a political party, y
which provides that. any organization
which at, or preliminary to any gen.
eral election heretofor held, has held
conventions for the purpose of select
ing or recommending candidates for
any elective office, or urges distinct
and different industrial or govern
mental policies, shall be subject to
the election laws Of the state. This
would put the Socialist party back in
the running, since it failed to poll
enough votes in the state election last