The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-03-23


to house inmates are provided for.
LEGISLATIVE SIDELlGHTS.
Senator Sorenson and Thoe are au.
thors of bill to make the state alb
sent voters law apply alike to primar-
les and elections. Voters can take adj
vantage of the law now only in cleo
tions.
Senator Thwing and Representative
Pearson have introduced a bill to
give to a private syndicate the valu-
able concession of making an official
digest of supreme court decisions, a
concession in which there would be-
big money.
A bill by Senator Kelson is designed
to abolish the land Improvement
board. While not wOrded in abolish
ment terms, the bill would repeal a
law creating revolving fund of $780,
600. The work of the land improve
ment board is to clear stumpage land,
clearing off fve-acre tracts free OF
charge for settlers. Senator KelsoB,
however, declares that the work OF
the board is useless, and is therefore
preparing to abolish it.
Indefinite postponement was the
| verdict Of the house committee on
| taxes on the bill by several house au-
| thOrs, revising the scheme Of tax
valuation. The bill is backed by c. J.
Buell. representing the Minnesota Tax
Reform association. 1t would reduce
the valuation on structures from 40 to
% per cent, and on plated land it
would raise the rate from 40 to go per
cent.
Several senators were preparing 10
begin struggle with the senate in
surance committee to get the Sol
berg-SchmecheI hail insurance bill out
of that committee. The hail insW-
ance bill calls for a constitutional
amendment to permit counties or
groups of counties to organize mutual
hail insurance companies. While
fashioned after the principles of the
North Dakota hail insurance law it de-
fers from that law in that its puts the
organization of hail insurance compan-
les in the hands of farmers who want
them, instead of creating a state fund
Il
| tor Solberg declared that in Mime
sofa where hail firms are fewer than
| in North Dakota it would be inadvis-
| able to create a state fund. The Sol
| berg-S chmaechel bill would leave the
| decision to the farmers themselves.
| Alleged practices of coal dealers in
selling watered coke are hit in bill
| introduced by Representative George
Rodenberg in the house. The bill re-
quires that coal dealers remove ali
| foreign substances in coke shipments.
Representative Rodenberg is introduc-
! ing a bill at the behest of the Mime
sofa department of weights and meas
| ures which has received many com
| plants of coke being watered. Many
people after receiving a load OF
coke, according to the weights and
measures department, have found
| their easements flooded with water.
| This. Mr.. Rodenberg said, is evidence
| that the companies are selling short
weight coke, and are making up the
| difference between the actual weight
Of the coke and the required tonnage
| weight by filling up loads with for
| eign substances or wetting it.
Senator Nordlin of Ramsey county
has introduced a drastic bill to curb
| the drug evil in Minnesota. The bill.
| if passed, would bring about the ar
| rest of drug addicts and their force
able cure. Under the plan, on affidav-
| it of the police or any citizen stating
that a certain person is an habitual
user of drugs, the district could would
! summon such person before it. II the
prisoner denied he was an addict, evil
| dence would be taken as in any Grim
| inal case, and should it be proved
/
ual usesof drugs, the court would COM
| pei him to take cure, either at
| private sanitarium, approved by the
| court, or at a public institution. To
refuse to appear for examination at
| ter an affidavit charging use of drugs
Is filed would be contempt of court
with severe penalties attached.
|
The house rules committee has rec
| commended, and the house has passed
the resolution of Representative Sal
monson for an official investigation by
a special committee into charges OF
wrongdoing and alleged graft by State
! Game Commissioner Carlos Avery.
While bin extending boxing privi-
leges to all cities over 5000 in the
state is awaiting passage in the house.
the senate was prepared to receive a
bill abolishing the Minnesota boxing
commission. Senator Charles H. Kel-
son, Becker county, is author o. the
bill which will be introduced
Bills are in both house and senate,
Lee being the senate author. and Oh
son and others the house authors, to
establish moving picture censorship
| in Minnesota. The bills are believed
to have scant chance for passage,
as state censorship Of films has not
| been a success in other states
and committees to which the bills
| have been referred are said to
| be against them. The bills would
add another to the list of numerous
| 1.ao.I. I'll a. 1nt ,,rc, 10