The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-04-10
LEGISLATIVE LETTER
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Rxs w HITCHCOCK
BY Z. w. HITCHCOCK
Publisher of the Hlbbing Daily Tribune and
member Of the legislature.

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The Minnesota law-factory, going in
to production for the forty-Seventh
time, is close to an all-time record with
the introduction OF $500 bills. The
usual record for Minnesota legislatures
in late years has beeen about 2,oOO
bills These figures, however, do not
mean that actual number of proposals
for new laws, for most bills are intro
duced in duplicate in both house and
senate. The senate total this year Is
slightly in excess of 1900 while the
house total crowds the 1900 mark. De-
Quoting duplicates, it is probable that
about $500 separate proposals for new
Laws have been made. OF these, con-
siderably less than 100, in all proba-
bility, are proposals for substantially
new statutes. Most bills proposed, ana
most laws enacted are changes and
amendments of existing laws. LegiS-
lation on new subjects or along new
lines is the exception. Most law-mak-
ing is remedial. Few, also, are the
laws of general statewide application.
The bulk OF the output at evry seS-
sion of the Legislature consists OF
measures of local importance only.
The folks back home in poGunk get
most of the attention. If 400 laws are
added to the statute books al this
session, about 400 of them notwith-
standing the constitutional prohibiIlon
of special legislation, will be special
and particular laws for special and
particular localities OF the SGaCe. fou
can almost count on the fingers OF
your two hands the laws CT statewide
Importance that any single session OF
any state Legislature enac.s.
Metropolitan Drainage.
The biggest little local bill in the
history of any Minnesota legislature is
the proposal now pending to create a
metropolitan drainage district for Min
neapolis and st. Paul. Here is Local
bill that will set up 500, 100000 estab-
liShment The twin cities have been
worrying Minnesota legislatures fol
sewage disposal. The legislature Is
sewerage disposal. The legislature i:
willing to help if it can find out what
Minneapolis and St. Paul want, but
that, the two big towns do not exactly
know themselves. When they do know
what they want, they totally disagree
on the way to get it. This year, tc
complicate the problem, they have
brought South st. Paul, with its pack
ing plants into the picture.
Three bills are pending in regard to
this problem. One aims to provide a
separate sewage disposal system and
plant for Minneapolis. Another sets
up a Joint system the cost of which is
to be assessed upon a volume basis
That, also, is Minneapolis proposal
The third bill, which ST. Paul and
South st. Paul are vigorously backing,
proposes metropolitan drainage dis
trict which shall include all three cities
and which shall be paid for on basis
of the assessed value of the territory
included.
Several legislatures have studied the
problem. Real progress has been
made at this session, and it is hoped
and believed that when the legislature
adjourns on April % a metropolitan
drainage district will have been estab-
l1SheQ, q sewage system ana ulSpoSal
plant satisfactory to the Twin Cities
will have been provided for, and the
state will have assurances that the
waters Of the Mississippi, now grossly
polluted, will be restored to their nat
ural purity. Huge new sewers in each
city and on each side of the river will
be necessary, but the most stupendous
undertaking will be nine-mile dis
posal sewer, two hundred feet below
st. Paul, and big enough to drive a
load of hay through. Millions will be
needed to finance this urgently de-
manded undertaking, and we are told
that we can get them by assessing
every property owner of $1,000 worth of
property in the district two or three
dollars year for the next fifty years
or so.
Members, New and Old.
We would like to have you meet
every one Of the 1913 members Of the
legislature before they get way on