The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-02-11
TONNAGE BILLS STALLED
OPINION OF THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL AWAITED j
Public Hearings Are In Order
Before the Minnesota
Legislature
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch

sofa legislature, and except for the
enactment Of the bonus bill last Fri
day, little else has been accomplish
ed in the last week.
The bonus bill passed in both
houses and signed Friday by Cover
nor j. A. o. Preus authorized the
sale OF bonds to make possible the
payment OF the soldiers bonuses now
due.
One notable exception in matter of
progress after hearings was the Sui
livan bill to give the railroad and
warehouses commission jurisdiction
over the routing of the st. Paul and
Sul!water street cars through st.
Paul. That bill was recommended
for passage by both the senate and
house committees Immediately after
hearings in which the bill was OPP
posed by st. Pauls city attorney and
It is possible that the final pas
sage of this bill may be made un-
necessary by the passage of the
Brooks Coleman bill to place all
street railways under the jurisdic-
commission, particularly as to their
rates and methods of financing.
Many members of both the houses
and senate predict the passage of
this latter bill and regard the large
vote by which the Sullivan bill was
recommended out by the committees
nine to three in each case-as an
indication of the sentiment in the
two houses in regard to state con-
troll Of electric lines. Hearings on the
"big bill" are to be continued.
The Highway Bill.
The highway administration bill
was reported for passage by the com
mittee on Friday, but this was after
many hearings, before both the pre-
liminary committee and the regular
committees of both branches.
Hearings on the So called farm
ers' bills" have about been completed.
What probably will be the final hear
ing on the bill declaring chambers
of commerce and boards of trade
open markets, was held Tuesday
night. The bill is due to be reported
to the house, and its fate will be de-
cided only after a hard battle on the
floor.
The bill to prohibit dealing in fu-
t lures w. was ST., regarded as SO important
isfed with one public hearing, but
will hold another tomorrow evening.
This bill also may be permitted to
take its chances on the floor. 1t will
meet strenuous opposition from the
grain men and their friends but it has
the backing of the farmers, it pro-
ponents declare.
includes the livestock business in
South st. Paul, where it meets oppo-
sition among the exchange members.
In both cases 1t is proposed to admit
co operative associations with their
patronage dividends to the older
trading organizations, which now
prohibit such dividends as. being in
the nature Of rebates, which are for
hidden under their rules.
Proposed Farmers Laws.
/. Among the proposed farmers
laws" are the cold storage bills CIV
ing the state department of agricul-
ture wider Jurisdiction over the stor-
age of food stuffs These are holly
opposed by the retail dealers who
have not been included in former
laws on this kind.
Among the public utilities meas
ures introduced largely are bills to
place electric light companies under
control of the railroad and warehouse
commission. There is even a meas
ure providing that the city shall read
all electric and gas meters and charge
the expense to the operating COM
Pany. On the other hand, a bill has
been introduced to repeal the Minette
law of 1915, which places the tele
phone companies under control of
the railroad commission, and to re-
turn the control of these companies
to the municipalities in which they
operate.
After long years of effort. Senator
Magnus Johnson of Meeker county,
has succeeded in passing a track scale
bill It isn't exactly the old track
scale bill, for which the farmers
fought, but 1t authorizes the railroad
and warehouse commission to order
the installation Of track scales for
the weighing of grain at terminal ele-g
vators wherever they deem it prac-
ticable. This Is continued by the sen.
ate, which passed the bill, to mean
that track scales may be installed
wherever new ones are necessary, but
that the elevated scales now in oper.
alton will not be disturbed.
Work On Elections Bill.
Chairman g. H. Warner. of the
house committee on elections, an
nounced today that the joint commit
once on the general elections legisla-
ton. Both he and senate H. N. Ben
son, chairman of the senate commit
tees, appointed their members of the
joint sub committee to consider the
various bills early in the week, but
the members have been so busy on
other committees that have. had to
pass up elections. By the end of this
week elections legislation should
begin to take shape, though probably
1t will be some time before the gen.
eral bill Is completed and there may
be some hearings to sound out SEN
timent as to whether nominating
conventions should be held or only
endorsing conventions by the several
parties.
The bill to license real estate men
will be before the committee in both
houses this week and efforts are be.
ing made to arrange for a point hear
ing. The bill presented this year is
the one endorsed by the national and
state associations of realty men and
is very simple in it's provisions. 1t
provides for the appointment by the
governor of state board of three
members authorized to issue licenses
to sell real etsate on commission to
those who can show that they are re-
liable and of good character. The
board also Is authorized to revoke
the license of any dealer who engages
in questionable transactions and he is
not to receive another license for five
years thereafter the license fee is
fixed at $40 and from these fees the
expenses of the board are paid. The
bond required of dealers in the bill
introduced two years ago is omitted.
Tonnage Bills Stated.
The state highway committee hopes
to have the tax and fee bill ready for
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