The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-02-10
LEGISLATIVE LETTER
BY r. w. Hitchcock, Representative 6lst District
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protected but they stoutly maintained
the argument. Some of the more i'm
petuous vets, however, did not dis
semble, but frankly admitted that the
repeal bill was wet propaganda. One
of these was new member, Representa-
tive Fred A. Curtis of South st. Paul,
who has several times this session shown
disposition to make the welkin ring.
What I want to see," he shouted in
the debate on the house floor, sis a
headline in all the papers in this
country tonight, Repeal Minnesota
leads the wayl"
He's the Fight Fans Hero
Some years ago, not many however, a
young fellow chased up and down the
corridors of the capitol when the
legislature was in session. He was the
telephone messenger boy, his name was
Pat Farnand and he hailed from Hib-
bling on the Iron Range. Today he may
be seen in those same capitol corridors
he runs not now, however, but walks
with that dignity which becomes q
senator, for in the senate he sits and
helps to make the laws.
1t was Senator Patrick Farnand who
fathered the statewide boxing bill
which the Minnesota Legion triumph
antly put on the statute books last
week. For several sessions the Legion
has been attempting to enact this law
but it had to wait for the telephone
messenger boy to grow up into sena-
tor before it could actually get it.
The ladies of the legislature, Senator
Laura Naplin of Pennington, Repre-
sentative Macbeth Hurd Paige of Hen
nepin and Representative Hannah
Kempfer of Otterbail voted as one
woman against the boxing bill.
A Strange Argument.
During the debate on the bill to make
it easier to amend the state constitu-
ton, a strange argument fell from the
lips of several farmer-labor members
The farmer-labor party, as everyone
knows, is the Defender and Protector
OF the People. Loudly and long have
we had that dinned in our ears. Bur
in their eagerneSs to get at the STATE
constitution and mess it up, they put
out the astonishing argument that ne
attention should be paid to People whe
are too indifferent or too ignorant tx
vote on constitutional amendments
Il am perfectly willing to take the ver-
dict of those who are thoughtful an6
intelligent enough to vote ON q con-
stiutional amendment" declared one
enthusiastic prepayment of the bill. Thus
we have the spectacle of the Defenders
and Protectors of the People spurnine
the masses and declaring for rule by an
aristocracy Of brains.
Taxes
Senator j. v. Weber of Slayton
Murray County, has bill for sales
tax that will raise $25,000,0O0. But don't
get excited; nothing will come of it;
it's too sensible. Every demogogue in
and out of the legislature will shout its
iniquity in that 1t taxes rich and poor
at the same rate. Income tax advocates
disagree among themselves. Some OF
them are for Representative Bankers
bill to submit another constitutional
amendment, this one containing hard
and fast replacement clause. Others
are firm for a statutory bill to tax
everybody from the $1,000 a year men
up. Taxes Chairman Senator George
Sullivan has scheduled a whole series
of evening hearings and Taxes Chair
man Representative Hjalmar Peterson
says that it will be three weeks before
an income tax bill is reported out of
committee. There's bill to postpone
all tax payments until next November
Meanwhile the general revenue fund is
now overdrawn $1,500,000 and will
probably be overdrawn more than
So, 900 by July /, and what will the
towns and the villages and the cities
and the counties do if everybody is
excused from paying taxes?
There is one ray of hope. Chairman
Pfaender and his appropriations COM
mittee of thirty-seven evidently mean
business for they have drawn a board OF
control appropriation bill more than
S., 100000 below the amount appropri-
| cIUCA w b41C Afle10 WV JOet10 66O.
Personalities
1t was AZ years ago that Representa-
tive S. A. Stockwen of Hennepin sat
in the Minnesota legislature. He was
out for long time but has been back
now for several sessions. No more
thoroughly sincere or vigorously un-
compromising man sits in the legis-
lature. He is radical and proud of It,
He told the house the other day what
radical" means. 1t means. from the
very roots and that Is Stockwell, a
radical from the ground up.
Representative George Lockhart has
been hearing things from the county
commissioners of st. Louis county, his
home county. He has bill 10 cut
their salaries from $4,000 DO $4,000.
Frank Starkey, for several sessions
the resourceful and vigorous leader CT
the farmer-labor minority In the house,
is making good as chief clerk. He Is
sorely missed by his party on the floor
of the house this year, but the party
does not lack for quick-spoken, pronis-
ing leaders among the new timber
Nolan of st. Louis, Wier Of Hennepin.
Curtis Of Dakota and others.
Representative Michael Ettel, Jr., Is
the man who has the distinction OF
beating Frank Starkey, labor leader, 10
labor district. Mr.. Ettel is a young
man who thinks for himself and acts
as he thinks.