The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-04-13

intolerance and lack OF fairness is
deplorable and threatens to stamp
the present session as one of the
most biased and useless in the his
tory of the state.
The Intemperance of Temperance.
The debate on bill to put few
more teeth into the prohibition en-
forcement act in Minnesota has
been the most strenuous, the long
est and the most intemperent of
the session. Cuss words and jokes,
scowls and laughter jostled each
other in and out of the debate for
two days. Members were denounced
as Cheap, as "hypocrites" and as
"brainless". The most dependable
members came forward with the
most absurd amendments. The vets
neglected no line of attack and the
drys responded with spirit. The
galleries, cbompelled to suffer
through many dull and tedious
session of uninteresting routine, had
good time for oncea No three
ring circus ever offered them more
| entertainment.
Road and Motor Bills.
The fate of the proposed S2O,-
100000 bond issue still hangs in
the balance. 1t seems certain that
when the measure comes up at
tempts will be made to reduce the
amount of the issue from ten mil
lion each year for the next two
years to five million each year.
Friends of the road program in
Minnesota will fight stubbornly for
the full program of twenty million.
The principal opposition to the road
bonding proposal seems to be in the
house; if the measure passes there,
it will be crtain of passage in the
senate. Pressure from all parts OF
the state in favor of the bond issue
has somewhat frightened its chances
during the past two weeks. 1t still
has to reckon with bitter opposi.
ton, however.
After more than three months OF
hard work the committee on motor
vehicles has reported out bill tc
revise the taxation of automobiles
trucks and buses, The main feat
ures of the new proposal are ta1
of two and three-fourths per CEN
on all pleasure cars with mini
mum of SIP for Fords, tax of tel
per cent on buses and trucks useC
for commercial purposes, and ter
per cent depreciation allowance eacl
year. 1t is believed that this bill
will raise about $6,5OO,0OO pc
year on the basis of the number o:
cars now in use in the state.
States Expenses Growing.
The finance and appropriation
committees are very busy Tending
off the money grabbers. The ap
preparations for the bienium vii
probably reach $40. 100000 a
against $34,000,000 for the session
/. of 1921. Without batting an eye
D lash the house on Monday voteC
I $1,376,OO0 to make up deficienc.
j appropriation for the schools TO
: last year. The same additiona
!. amount will have to be provided TO
4 each year of the present bienniun
e making an increase, for publ
e schools alone, for this session o
t S4,OOO,00O.. When the folks bacl
e home insist upon such increase
a as these, the legislature is doome'
j to failure in its program for econ
e Iomy.
r. It is interesting and significant. i
d this connection, to note the rapid
!, mounting cost to the state of tn
t public schools. The legislature tw
: years ago voted $7,000,000 for al
Y to the public schools of the stat
: for the two year period. Tn
amount to be voted at this session
Il will exceed $12,50O. 000-and stil
: the school districts of the state ar
r clamoring for more. Taxation i
S villages and cities for school pur
81 poses has reached a point where
r is almost unsupportable, but instea
n of seeking to retrench, the schoc
i districts are demanding that tn
: state give them more money. Tn
r double trouble with this demand
n that the people must pay the stat
o taxes as we'll as the local taxes Blu
l. money got from the state looks lik
Il gift and spurs the local distric
d on to new undertakings and ne'
local expenses. The only schoo
S districts in the state with low ia
e rate are the rural districts of south
= ern Minnesota where there ar
i whole counties without a single dis
n trict with a tax levy of 20 mills TO
r schools, and hundreds, even thous
/, ands of districts with tax levy o
: from 2 to mills.
ell Passed Up Our Best Bet.
g In my last letter I reviewed yer
vi briefly the individual efforts of tn
e members of the st. Louis count
r delegation and in so doing total
Is overlooked perhaps the most activ
+ of them all. Dr. NJ. B. Cullum G
'e Duluth is so modest and unobtru:
n i've that we sometimes do not rea
lel ize that he gets more bills passe
l. than any of the rest of us-and tn
n passing of bills, let it be said,
" the one indispensable condition Q
n legislative success. Without tn
e, doctor, too, we would be lost, fo
S, he makes it business to look OF
ID for all the rest Of US as well as fo
is himself. 1t is a pretty hard job
y harmonic the balky st. Lou
n, county delegation, but the docte
y does it very quietly and very neatl
le every now and then. DIR. Cuilul
e. has represented the eighth congre
sional district on the committee
N prepare local bills for two specii
lie orders and has accomplished quit
re difficult task to the satisfaction
I'd all concerned.
ID Extra Session Rumors.
n Talk of an extra session M
n started early this year. Usual
a. we wait until September for tn.
Id but it has been with US alread
in for ten days. Tonnage tax adv'
* Gates. still thirsting for money fro
lie the mines, have already memorial
lie lied Governor Preus for an immed
i'd ate extra session in case til
f, supreme court of the United State
o. should declare the oceupational tol
j. mage tax of 1921 unconstitutiona
Of The case was argued in the s1prem
lie court last December but the dec
n sion is still withheld and will pro-
ably not be handed down befol