The Tomahawk., 1925-04-16
SENATE AMENDS
DRAINAGE LAWS
Those Seeking To Start Projects
Would Be Compelled To
Have Majority.

~. L aui ndJoilIy lulc 10 W SoNCIh
drainage projects hereafter in Mime
sofa, provided that the house acts on
the bill passed by the senate. Advo-
Gates OF the majority principle won
out handily in their fight in the senate
and the senate bill as amended Is ex-
pected to have easy shedding in the
lower house.
1t was charged freely that projects
have been worked up and put over
against the wishes of a majority Of
the land holders affected, and loading
up the land with burdensome ditch
liens.
After the debate, the senate by As
to 16 vote amended the Cliff drainage
code so as TO require majority Of the
resident owners Of the land affected
to join in the petition before project
can be brought before the court or
the county board.
Senator F. L. Cliff, the legislatures
expert on drainage law and author Of
the bill codifying the drainage legis-
lation Of the state, fought the amend
ment. He had yielded to increasing
the percentage from rs to 35 per cent,
but declared that in his belief it
should be left at Is. To require a
majority would mean that no large
drainage projects will be started, he
contended.
the 81 per cent amendment, said that
rs per cent of the needed drainage in
the state already has been done, and
in southern Minnesota 80 per cent.
He thought it about time to tighten
up.
Expect Vote on Child Labor Bill.
st. Paula deciding vote upon the
legislatures attitude toward the pro-
to the constitution is expected to be
recorded before the legislature closes
its session.
Friends of the child labor amend
ment have been trying to ward off any
definite action in the senate so that
the whole matter could remain unde-
termined and be allowed to lie over
until the 1927 legislature convenes.
However, so much legislation has
been cleared out of the way by the
senate during the last week that the
two resolutions, one calling for rati-
fication and the other for rejection, are
in a position where they will be
reached before the end Of next week.
Opponents of the child labor amend
ment are anxious for a vote to be
taken because they believe there is
sufficient antagonism in that branch
Of the legislature to make it possible
to adopt the resolution which formal
ly rejects the twentieth amendment.
Senate Approves Rural Credit Raise.
The senate gave it's approval to con-
tinuing the activities Of the rural
credits bureau by passing bill to al
low sale Of $3O,OOO,OO0 additional
bonds, proceeds Of which would be
loaned to farmers, and three other
measures which are intended to in
troduce more business-like methods in
the agency and to give the state
greater safety in it's enterprise.
Vehicle Tax Is Cut.
Reducing motor vehicle taxes but
not to the extent Of the house cut
the senate passed the bill as recon-
mended by its committee without
dissenting vote. Because Of variance
Of schedules in the senate and house
bills, the measure will be sent to
conference committee.
AS approved by the senate, the taxes
on the various types of automobiles
would be as follows: Glass A, weigh
ing less than 1000 pounds, minimum
tax, $40; class B, weighing more than
1000 pounds, minimum tax, $13;
basic rate of tax, &c per cent of value
of the car. This schedule means
reduction in both classes of machines
from the present tax and a reduction
Of from 2.75 to 2.6 per cent in the
basic rate.
1t is estimated that the schedule set
up by the senate bill will mean a re-
duction in revenue Of $SS4,OO0 instead
of the $1,5OO,O0O lost by the house
schedule.
Asks Senate Change Interim Bill.
The senate was called upon by the
other branch Of the legislature to re-
verse itself and approve a state gov
eminent reorganization bill in pre-
cisely the form that Governor Theo-
dore Christianson said is necessary to
enable him to carry out economy
pledges made to the voters in the last
election.
The reorganization bill which was
sent to the senate by the house rejects
all the amendments which had been
adopted by a one vote margin in the
senate when it took a fling at the
measure. The Governor and his sup
porters had declared the senate
amendments defeated the purpose of
the proposed legislature and the
house voted to give the executive ex-
actly the kind of legislation he pro-
posed.
Senafe Gets Bonus Claims