The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-03-25
WITH ONLY THREE WEEKS TO
GO NO LEGISLATION OF I'M
PORTANCE HAS BEEN
ENACTED.
ONLY REAL EXCITEMENT DIS
PLAYED IS THE SENATES
MAD ON" THE Gov
ERNOR.
By R. w. HITCHCOCK

By R. W. HITCHCOCK
st. Paul, Mrach 23-The feverish
rush of the closing days of the ses-
sion is upon US. With only three
weeks to 60, no legislation of first
Importance distinguishes the session.
The gas tax innovation and the re-
organization of the state government
were outstanding features of the 1925
session, but thus far the 1927 ses-
sion has no outstanding legislation
and promises none.
Teapot Tempest.
The only real excitement of the ses-
sion is the mad on" that the senate
displays toward Governor Christian
son. The governors pronouncement
that the appropriations of the session
must not exceed SAC, 000, 900 is an in
fringement of the constitutional
rights of the legislature, declare ex-
cied senators, whereupon they pro-
coed to deny the constitutional rights
of the governor by fixing appropria-
ton bills so that any veto must be a
wholesale veto of vital state support
In order to accomplish a veto Of any
minor item. In its anxiety to put the
governor in a hole the senate finance
committee is displaying more iber-
alist in the matter of appropriations
than for many years. Back OF the
whole fight is an edge of bitterness
on the part of those opposed to the
reorganization of government plan,
the establishment of a department of
administration and finance with wide
powers and the creation Of the bud
get commission.
L is whispered that the senate's
peeve against the governor is ever
being carried so far that bills of house
members suspected of sympathy with
the governor are being ruthlessly
killed of by senate committees. Thus
far the house has not been dragged
into the matter and has pursued q
way Of fairly even tenor. The temp
est has yet reached no further than
the teapot stage, although it does in
yolve an extra session threat.
Raiding the Highway Fund.
The first special order of the ses-
sion in the house brought up this
week for warm debate one of the var
ious proposals for breaking up the
state trunk highway fund. Country
members are strong as horse radish
for this proposal which aims to divert
one third of all receipts from the gas
tax from the state trunk highway
fund and to distribute the proceeds
to every county in the state for coun-
ty and township roads. The cities feel
that the scheme is exceedingly unfair
to them, especially IN view of the fact
that the cities contribute more than
40 per cent of the whole tax.
The fundamental flaw in the plan,
however, is that it is the beginning
of a process of eating away the state
trunk highway fund and the serious
Gripping, if not the final ruination,
of the entire state trunk highway sys-
tenn. If the rural members succeed
IN their present attempt, the next
legislature will see a proposal to di-
vert a portion of the motor license
tax to county and township roads.
In fact such an attempt Is already
freely talked of. Bills are now be-
for the legislature to return to the
cities from the trunk highway fund
certain sums for the maintenance Of
state trunk highways through the
cities. If the raid on the gas tax
succeeds, these bills will be pressed
with renewed Vigor.
Constitution Must Be Amended
Apparently the rural members have
the votes to put over the proposed
split in the gas tax, but the legisla-
ture luckily cannot amend the state
constitution and before the melon can
be cut a constitutional amendment
win have to be approved by the people
of the state. 1t is the general belief
that such an amendment will be diff
cult to secure.
The Minnesota state highway sys-
tenn is making splendid progress.
The building of one of the best road
systems in the country is going for
ward steadily at an expense far be-
low that of other states which have
comparable road systems. The trunk
highway system needs for its sup
port and extension every cent that