The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1921-03-03
STATE LEGISLATURE
House, by Vote Of 1O3 to IA, Passes
Bill to Levy Per Cent Royal
ty on Mining Rights.
Soldiers Bonus Legislation Nearly
Cleaned Up-Primary Reform
Taking Definite Shape.


Taking Definite Shape.
The house on Tuesday, by vote OF
1913 to IA, passed the Parker bill I'M
posing tax of per cent on royalties
received for rights to mine ore. This
measure is practically the same as that
passed in the house two years ago and
killed by the senate.
Soldiers bonus legislation is about
cleaned up. The bills financing re-
naming bonus payments have reached
final passage. The only thing remain
ing is a bill modifying the law to
reach deserving cases not covered by
the 1919 statute. The remaining 49,
100000 needed over and above bond
issues will be taken care of, 81 100000
by the state investment board purchase
of new bond issue, and 100000
out of the general revenue fund by
borrowing from other funds.
Election legislation is taking shape
and everything indicates the best
chance for primary reform that the
state has seen for several years. Sen
ators, in their subcommittee have
agreed on a mum Der of points which
will be incorporated in bill to be dis
cussed>by the senate and house cleo
tons committee this week.
Representative Wicker has intro
duced bill providing for the appoint
ment of public commissioner whose
duty shall be to coordinate the ef-
forts of all the peace and prosecuting
officers of the state to bring about the
capture of criminals. The bill au-
thorizes the commissioner to employ
such assistants as he may need, to
maintain a Bertillon system and other
records for the identification Of crimi-
nails and to conduct school or employ
other methods of instructing peace Of
ficers in the prevention and detection
Of crime; to supervise and direct the
work of county attorneys as we'll as
police officers, and to send police Of
ficers from one district to another to
aid in the capture of criminals.
The public highways committee will
receive bill by Representative c..
H. Warner permitting town boards to
levy an additional tax of 10 mills for
road and bridge purposes, provided
they have not levied more than 8
mills heretofore.
The house education committee vot-
ed in favor of a fixed tax levy or 2
mills to meet the state aid to school
districts, instead of biennial appro-
priation. The committee this week
will pass on the proposed revision
schedule for state aid to high, graded
and rural schools.
Bills creating the state industrial
commission and making numerous i'm
portant changes in the compensation
schedules for injured workmen were
passed by the house with only slight
amendments to the drafts prepared
by the house interim commission. In
all there were five bills. Two state
departments were abolished under the
bills passed, and put under the new in
dustrial commission. The boiler in
spection department and minimum
wage commission were legislated out
of existence as separate bodies, and
the bin dealing in the same way with
the hotel inspection department was
referred to the workmen's compensa-
ton committee.
Representative Nimocks has intro
duccd a bill proposing to amend arti-
Gle 1 Of the constitution by adding
this section: "Section 19-Every per-
son convicted of the crime of murder
in the first degree, as now defined by
law, shall be punished by death, pro-
viding the jury in finding such person
guilty of murder in the first degree,
shall include in it's verdict a recon-
mendation that the death penalty be
imposed. The execution of such death
sentence shall be by electrocution.
Suitable laws shall be enacted by the
legislature for the carrying out of
the provisions hereof"
Pensions for the blind of Minneso-
ia will not be authorized at this ses-
sion, the house appropriations COM
mittee having reported for indefinite
postponement bill providing 5000
year for those so afflicted.
Senator J. w. Hopp would raise the
gross earnings tax on large telephone
companies from to 4 per cent, and
in another bill taxes mutual companies
10 cents phone each year. Both
measures went to the committee on
taxes.
Minnesota will go back to the state
grain grades in use before the adop