Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-07-19
THE FIRE CLAIMS

There was considerable disappoint-
ment in northeastern Minnesota when
the recent Congress did not pass the
bill to further reimburse those who
suffered losses in the great Moose
Lake fire of 191S-also called the
Cloquet fire. This controversial bill
has been debated up and down and
forth and back so long that now its
chances for passage appear quite re-
mote, regardless of how justified
some of the claims may be.
If a bill like that is to be passed
by a lawmaking body it should be
taken care of shortly after the dis
aster and not drag along for several
years as this has. Some of the fire
sufferers have passed on in the mean
time since the great forest cOnflagra-
flOn of 16 years ago, so even if the
claims were allowed it would be Of
no benefit to them. The talk of good
sized attorneys fees has also hurt
the chances of the bills passage.
In his Washington Pageant" col
umn in The Minneapolis Journal,
George A. Benson writes anent the
-Cloquet fire sufferers claim bill in
part as follows:
Those familiar with this particu-
lar bills history-it has been be-
fore the Congress. in one way or an
other since 1928, when the claims
were reopened, after having once
been settled to the satisfaction of
the claimants-maintain that it new
er had a chance in the House. Will
liam Pittenger now campaigning to
be returned to the House, made it
his major bill when he came 20 Con-
sress. He even got himself assigned
to the Claims committee so he could
handle the bill.
But Pitt never had much chance.
The claims had been settled once,
even in the face uf grave doubts Oh
tie part of many House members as
20 their egitimacy--settleG because Of
the endless litigation before numerous
federal courts that would have ersued
ii not settled. Few members thought
they should be brought up again. A
Minnesota lawyer had come to Wash
ington in the days of prosperity to
get them re-opened, and not a few
members looked Upon the new bill
as the means for providing some right
smart fees. That fee angle, by the
way, was thrust into the picture in
the closing days of the session by a
Georgia representative, who charged
that lobby of lawyers was in Wash
ington working for it. There were
several lawyers, including a promi-
nent one from Minnesota, in the cor
ridors of the House wing during the
closing days, but whether they were
lobbying for the bill, l can net say.
Certainly, however, they were anx-
ious to have the bill passed
mo one who went through the var
ious sessions in the fight for this bill
ever thought it had much of a chance.
At one time or another, every con-
gresham from Minnesota in the past
twelve years has been interested in
1T. But some of them maintained
from the start it had no chance"
The fire sufferers bill was passed
in the Senate through the efforts of
Senator Henrik Shipstead, but Repre-
sentative Einar Hoidale who is now
the opponent of Shipstead for the
seat in the Senate, failed to get it
through the House. The Washing
ton writer Mr.. Benson, also brings
out in his article that Shipstead had
the support of President Roosevelt,
but that the president gave no help
to Hoidale. If true, this is maneuver-
ing that does not exactly appeal to
the person who likes to see bills sup
ported and voted upon on their merits
and not according to who introduces
or sponsors the bills.