The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-03-22

test vote earlier in the session they
lost by three votes.
The vote was ~ to SO on a commit
tee report to kill the bill, accompanied
by minority report supporting it. Be-
fore the vote was taken a score of
representatives had spoken, the debate
winding up with the ablest speech Rep
resentative w. l. Norton has made this
session. He is a majority floor leader,
and fought the repeal bill.
A bill to repeal the law giving a
bounty for detection or arrest of horse
thieves of $4,000 was introduced in
the senate by Sen. A. ]. Rockne
Three constructive measures improv-
ing the election machinery of Mime
sofa are likely to come out of this ses-
sion of the legislature. All efforts to
make radical changes in the primary
election laws, either toward stronger
party government or away from it, are
falling by the wayside, but other meas
ures really worth while are gaining leg
islative sanction.
The amendments referred to are to:
Change the absent voters law so
that crippled persons and inyalids may
vote by mail.
Cut one hour from each end of the
long election day schedule, making
polls in the cities open at Z a. m. and
close at p. m.
Change dates of all village elections
from March to December, so that
terms OF officers will begin with the
village fiscal year, in January.
All these measures have passed the
house, and the first one also has re-
ceived the approval of the senate and
the governor. 1t cares for an omission
in the absent voters law which has
been the cause of many complaints in
the past.
This legislature has killed the bills
restoring the legislature to the party
ballot, and proposing to elect state Of
ficers without party designation. They
have gone to rollcall and have been de-
feated in both houses. The. blanket
ballot idea, for placing all candidates
OF all parties on a single primary bal
lot, still is alive in the senate commit
tee but has been voted down in the
house.
Election committees are expected to
get busy this week on a new bill max
ing definite the law governing spe-
cial election for congress, to help care
for the coming election in the fifth dis
trict, made necessary by retirement of
Congressman Walter H. Newton.
A move for appointment of an inter-
i'm committee to study University of
Minnesota affairs for the guidance of
the 1881 legislature was started in the
house of representatives, and may be
brought before the house university
committee.
The proposal for an interim COM
mittee is a substitute for the earlier
plan to submit constitutional amend
ment for appointment of university re-
gents and establishing some legislative
control of university affairs.
There is much work in sight for them
including:
Action by the house rules committee
on the proposal for investigation of the
highway department ...
Hearing before the house committee
on commerce on the chain store bill.
Meeting during the week of the first
conference committee on appropria-
tons, the first bill to come up being
the board of control budget
Hearing before the Hennepin senate
delegation on the metropolitan sewage
disposal question.
Hearing before the house judiciary
committee on the bill restricting right
of trust companies and business houses
to draw up legal documents.
Representatives Charles Mum and
Dewey w. Johnson announced they
would introduce resolution providing
an interim committee to work out a
plan for reapportionment Of the legisla-
tive and congressional districts of the
state.
Both houses have become involved
in arguments in the last week which
have put them far behind in routine
work for the first time. General or
ders," where bills are placed when they
arrive from committee, are very long
now, with more than 100 bills on EACH
The session has six weeks to go before
final adjournment.
The first veto of the 1929 session Of
the Minnesota legislature was effected
by Governor Christensen when he re-
jected a measure contemplating an ad-
ditional judge for the district court of
the sixteenth judicial district of Min
nesota. The sixteenth district, includ-
ing Wilkin, Traverse, Grant, Stevens,
Big Stone and Pope counties, now has
but one Judge.
New moves are reported to be like
ly as result of the bills being draft
ed, for renewal of the agreement by
national banks to pay taxes in spite of
the court decision, to forestalI I'M
desirable or hasty legislation.
A series of bills has been drafted by
members of the bank tax commission,
covering various phases of banking and
investment operations, in an effort to
set up tax system comparable to that
thrown out by court decision. Annual
tax income of 100000 year is in
volved.
A bill is being drawn for introduc-
ton, for an excise tax on banks.
Bankers have urged such proposal,
but this present move is understood 20
come from representatives of small
cities where tie effect of no taxation
of national panks is feared.