The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-02-13

| More than one thousand bills have
been introduced in the FIVE weeks
of the present session of the Min
nesota legislature. If averages OF
the past hold good for this session
less than one-fifth of these bills will
become laws, but even that fac
tional survival gives US an appalling
total of probable new laws. The
/, mortality of Legislative bills is high
and for that the state may be truly
thankful, but the biennial grist Is
still all too large. Recent Mime
sofa legislative sessions have aver
aged about $500 bills introduced
and about 500 laws passed.
Although the legislative acts sign
ed by the Governor have averaged
| close to 500 each session for some
years, it is not quite true to say
| that we add 500 new laws to the
statute books at each Legislative ses-
sion. The great bulk of new legis-
lation consists of amendments, in
varying degrees, to existing Jaws.
Another considerable portion of
''new laws consists of acts defin-
litely repeating present laws, thus
subtracting from, rather than add
ing to, the total 1t is doubtful if
the present session will add $50 en-
tirely new laws to the statute books
of the state.
The Statutes of 1923" were dis
tributed to the members of the leg
islature last week. The book is of
the ''ponderous tome" order and
consists of a compilation and codi-
ication of all the existing laws of
the state. 1t was authorized by the
Legislature of 1923 and is there
| for to be known as the Statutes of
1923. The last previous codifica-
| ton was in 1913. The new volume
will be in common use by lawyers
all over the state within the month.
| Bus Legislation.
Even the proposals for COM
plete reorganization of the state
government are not exciting the in
terest in the legislature that the
proposed bus regulatory bills are
arousing. To date, two different
proposals have been made for regu.
lating the fast growing bus bust
ness. One of these is frankly the
kind of regulatory law that the
bus companies would like to see
and the other is just as frankly the
kind of a straightforward for buses
that the railroads would like. In
fact, the bus companies drew one
bill and the railroads the other.
Another separate war rages over
the question of the proper taxation
of buses. The 1923 legislature
| guessed that 10 per cent of the
value of the bus was proper tax
The bus men say that they are per-
| fectly willing to submit to a proper
tax. But they do not know what
a proper tax is. Neither does the
Legislature. 1t is still guessing
Senator Rockne thought two years
ago that 25 per cent of the gross
receipts would be a proper tax
Now he feels that a Is pen cent
gross earnings tax plus the present
ten per cent license tax would be
about right.
/ What's a Living Wage?
A certain. eminent authority has
| said that there are number of
5hings under the sun, to which we
add that the gentleman from Hen
nepin, Mr.. Nellermoe can, and does
talk learnedly and lengthily about
each and every one Of them. Among
other things Mr.. Nelfermoe knows
all about grasshoppers and how
they should be hunted. rs not the
grasshopper hunter worthy of his
hire?" dramatically exclaimed Mr..
Nellermoe. ..'Shall the great state
of Minnesota basely allow this
craftsman to exist upon the mean
and lowly wage of Sd per day?
No, never, not while my lungs shall
last" proclaimed the gentleman
from Hennepin with splendid
burst of oratory.
| An Interesting Experiment.
| The finance committee of the
senate and the house appropriations
committee learned the other day of
one of the many attempts which the
state board of control is making to
better the condition of the unfor-
tunates that are committed to the
states charge. Some thirty girls
of the most promising class from
the school for the feeble minded are
being boarded at home in Mime
apolis. Work has been found for
them and they being made use
full members of society at the same
time that they are being very care
fully safeguarded That's certainly
better than keeping them forever
lie patients in such a hopeless insti-
tuition as a school for the feeble
minded.
| Unless the feeble minded are
properly cared for and properly
segregated they are a menace to
civilization of no mean proportions.
Do you know that 667 persons of
this kind have been committed to
the Minnesota School for the Feeble
Minded but have not been received
because there is no room for them
Do you know that the board of
control, with II institutions under
it's charge, responsible for the well
| fare and life of thousands of I'M
lfortunates, is one of the most eff
cient public bodies in the state ?
That by careful, painstaking econ
omy it has savedup more than half
a million dollars out of recent al
lowances and that it is this year
actually asking the legislature for
Less money than was granted it by
the last legislature Notwithstanding
the fact that the population of the
state institutions is 670 greater?
Eight more good looking stenog-
raphers have been added to the
house force and we are informed
that makes 105 employees the house
has. But there are 131 represent
ativesN of us and have not yet ar
rived at the estate and dignity of
the senators who have each one