The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-03-03

though he drinks nothing but water.
Miss Florence Reber has been clerk
of the senate finance committee since
1921 and Miss Luverne Freidel has
served in like capacity for the ap-
preparations committee of the house
since 1925 These two young women
are experts: there are few men who
know as much about the states fl
nances; they are invaluable in theil
positions. They are as popular as they
are efficient, and where politics runs
rampant, they hold their positions
strictly on merit.
The legislature was indicted a few
days ago by twin city newspaper fol
its lack of major accomplishment
'The session is half gone" it exclaimed
land nothing-at least, nothing much
has been done" This is the old familiar
complaint lodged against every legis-
lature at about this point in the session
Major accomplishments are not
thrown off lightly and airily, however
by the legislature, or by anyone. They
require time and labor The major ac-
comphshments of the legislature, so fan
as they are evidenced by actual laws
are invariably the fruit of the latter
days of the session. A body of 1913 in
dividuals, drawn from every quarter OF
the state and representing all of the
states varied and diverse interests, re-
quires time to precipitate its opinions
It takes time to agree, and it takes
sitting and probing and testing te
winnow out the chaf from the wheat
and to evolve and perfect acts that are
sound and productive. There is the
struggle between conflicting opinions
there is the tempering of opinion:
there is the tempering of theory BY
fact, there is the gradual emergenct
of basic truths, there is the final fusine
of opinion and knowledge into a form
that can command &c votes in thu
house and "a votes in the senate. Fo
major accomplishments that takes tim'
| and it takes labor.
| The first three weeks of Legislative
session are largely devoted to organi
zation Then the rush of proposals TO
laws begins No matter how much sub
jects of legislation may have been dis
cuSSed previous to the opening of tn
session, it is not until organization i
completed that the deluge is due. Thel
the flood gates of legislation open AM
the bills pour in. A few emergenc.
measures, subjects of common agree
ment, are enacted into law, local meas
lres and pet projects are hurrie<
through the committees, and finally tn
committees settle down to the grinding
work of whipping matters of majo
moment into shape.
| A Good Beginning.
One major accomplishment of tn
forty eighth legislature of Minnesot;
may be noted. It is a substantial ac
complishment. The finance con1nitte
of the senate and the appropriation
committee of the house have, afte
laborious sittings, trimmed nearly SIS,
DOC, 900 from the appropriations of tw
years ago, and more than one-half O
the total of appropriations to be mad
by this legislature are still to be con
Sidered. To the harried and harwasse'
taxpayer, the lifting of the tax burdel
is "consummation devoutly to b
wished" and the work of the none
committees of this legislature thus ia
is an augury Of the most direct an,
satisfying benefits that the legislator
can provide for the people of the state
The urgency of the need for exactl
this sort of thing is sometimes shove
into the background of our thought
We get so busy trying to give the tax
payer shot in the arm that we almos
forget, at times, to take some of tn
load off his back Figures on tax de
Ilinquency in Minnesota, just release
by the state tax commission, rathe
terrfyingly show the urgency Tax de
llinquency in Minnesota in 1892 jumpe
SIG, 100000. The increase in one shor
twelve months period was from $44,
DOC, 900 to $60,000,000. These figures ar
highly significant of the legislature
principal job-to sternly stop spending
A Real Major Issue
For fourteen years good roads an
Iproblems in connection with them, hav
CONSTITUTED one of the most importar
issues that have confronted MinneSot
legislatures. An outgrowth of all tfi
Legislation is the problem of commercis
transportation. 1t loomed large at tn
1881 session, but it is one of the majo
Il xryon 90 fta frro frOy,& of f1oy
all, ait this session.
Substantial progress has been mad
toward the solution of this problem
BASED upon the so-called Texas case
recently decided by the supreme coul
of the United States, three proposal
have been drafted to control, and max
productive of the best results, that tire
lmendous growth of our goods road
Ieffort, truck transportation. Thes
measures are house files 331, 1872 an
1855, and their companions, senate file
1893, 1874, 1916. Apparently every perSo
in the state has heard of these bills, fo
the mail of members of the lgeislatur
lgroans with demands for their enact
ment into law. BY the day after to
morrow" declared one member, 81 al
sure that shall have heard from ever
voter in my district on these bills. TIL
letters are so numerous that it is i'm
possible to answer them individually
One member, in fact, reSorted to tn
newspapers to advise his constituent
that he had heard from them as to tn
truck bills.
4 The purpose of these bills, set fort
in the declaration of policy" take