Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-04-27
LEGISLATURE
CLOSES BOOKS
Ninety Day Session Ends;
Much Remedial LegiSla-
ton Enacted.
Actual Session of Law Max
ing Body is Only A Part
of Labor.
BY HJALMAR PETERSEN
Representative from Pine County,

Representative from Pine County.
CLOSING Week.
The 4Sth session of the Minnesota
Legislature came to close We'd
nesday afternoon after having labored
for ninety days. The last three or
four weeks were especially hard on
the members. The House went into
session at 500 a. m. on Tuesday,
working continuously until Wednes-
day at 1880 a. m, except for an hour
or so for meals three times. That was
just 271a hours continuous work,
figuring in the recesses. Officially
the time for passing bills ends at
1900 o'clock midnight between Tues
day and Wednesday, but the clock
was covered and proceedings were
kept up for nearly twelve hours there
after. A recess was then taken until
500 D. m. when resolutions were
passed and gifts were presented to
Speaker Mum and Chief Clerk Star
key, after which the members shook
hands and bid one another good bye.
The Senate had much the same
procedure with final resolutions and
gifts to the presiding officer, Lieuten-
ant Governor Solberg, before adjourn
ing sine dine.
There has not in recent years been
a legislative session so full of action
as the 4Sth which has now come to
a close. More bills were introduced,
more citizens visited the Legislature,
there were more demonstrations, and
senators and representatives alike re-
ceived hundreds of letters. kilograms,
petitions and resolutions from home.
There was no shortage OF advice.
About $500 bills were introduced alto
gether in the Senate and House.
Many of these were companion or
duplicate bills, but there was about
5000 individual bills.
Recall the 60 Days.
Readers will recall that at the be-
ginning of the session there was much
talk of reducing it to so days instead
of 90, on the pretense of saving the
state some money. The loud shouters
for a 60 day session have been con-
spicuous through their being very
quiet on that subject of late. In fact.
after the Legislature had been in ses-
sion only three or four weeks it was
evident to everybody that there was
no hope of completing the work in
less than ninety days.
Critics Of the Legislature are often
those who do not know how hard most
of the members work. Perhaps this
is brought about by reading in the
newspapers that the daily session con-
venes at 200 p. m. and adjourns at
500 or 600 p. m. The reader may
think that those are the only hours
members of the Legislature are busy.
Session hours are only a part of the
labor. The critic should know how
many hours are put in on committee
meetings. For instance, in the COM
mittee Of Taxes and Tax Laws there
was a total of 1OS bills up for con-
sideration. The committee held 81
meetings, most of those lasting from
three to four hours.
Appropriations Cut $4,000, 900.
BY legislative action the state audi.
tor was authorized to set a maximum
general property tax levy of 1925
mills for 1884 and 1888 mills fol
1885. The auditor will have the pow.
er to reduce these levies should rev
enues from other sources prove great
er than now anticipated. but under
no circumstances may the rate ex.
coed the established maximums.
The new rates are estimated tt
bring into the state treasury tota
of S37,154,399 for the biennium al
compared to 43,173,32O appropriated
by the 1881 Legislature. Though thu
amount levied by the Legislature thi!
year is approximately s6,000,00O les
than two years ago the mill rate i!
higher on account of diminished val
uation and more tax delinquency.
In addition to these general prop
erty tax levies the state has incom,
sources in levies on iron ore, occupa
tiOnal taxes and on gross earnings o
railroads and telephone companies a
well as other special taxes, and thu
school districts will profit by tn
state income tax.
Two years ago it was estimated
that a one mill statewide tax wOut
produce $1,S8O,000 revenue. This yea
a one mill tax is estimated to pro
duce $1,5O0,O00 revenue.
Trunk Road System Extended.
Important laws enacted by the Leg
islature include that of motor vehicl
taxes. The auto tax was cut from
2O% to 500. the average being 42%
In spite of that approximately 4,40
miles of roads. principally state al
and county aid, were added to tn
trunk highway system. This make
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