The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1935-01-31
CAPITOL
SLAN7S
(Received too late for last week.
BY John M. Zwach

To the casual observer who steps
into the senate and house chambers
and sees that during most of the two
weeks neither Of the houses was act
ually in working order, it would
seem that they are an easy going
group of senators and representa-
tives. From January until January
18 the senate has spent exactly eight
hours and 81 minutes in actual ses-
sion and the house has spent 13
hours and six minutes in session.
These figures make the average
working day little more than one
hour daily. Using as basis the ex-
pense of the 1888 legislature which
was 1856, 465.74, it has cost the state
approximately $55 for each minute
the groups have been in session this
month.
Members have, of course, spent
much more time than this in work.
Most of the work is actually done in
capitol corridors, committee rooms
and conferences. Many are working
hard on bills and attempting to learn
difficult and complicated legislative
procedure. Others have toiled hours
studying reports from various COM
missions and agencies in an attempt
to master at least a partial under
standing Of all the varied problems
which will demand their attention.
To be a good legislator, it seems
necessary to be an expert in every
field.
Committee Work
Much Of the actual work of the
legislature is done in the committee
rooms. Since more than 5000 bills
are introduced in some sessions, the
need for dividing the work among
committee groups is imperative.
There are Al standing committees
in the house and Al in the senate. In
the house the membership of these
committees ranges from Al on the
important committee on taxes and
tax laws to as low as five on minor
committees.
When a bill is introduced, the
speaker refers it to the proper COM
mittee where a detailed sturdy of it
is made. Hearings are held and in
dividuals may present their pleas for
or against the proposed legislation.
A pet pastime for the legislature
SO far has been petitioning to con-
gress. One of the proposals with
apparent merit is asking congress to
take the one cent federal tax off gas
oline to allow the state that addi-
tional revenue. The federal govern
ment now levies one cent tax and
then requires that the state match
federal appropriations before grant
ing aid. Other petitions to congress
deal with demands for adequate old
age pension, emergency relief and a
minimum price on basic farm COM
modities.
I note that in the request from the
budget commissioner, it is asked that
. re-establishment of salaries paid
before the cuts two year ago be
made. It is highly probable that this
legislature will not be so favorable to
this in face of the many demands
from those in emergency.
Some of the hardest working indi-
viduals in both house and senate are
the lobbyists. These individuals are
at the capitol early and late and are
among the most congenial and oblig-
ing persons anyone could wish to
meet. They have a warm handshake,
a hearty smile and make you feel
important" look
Judging by the amount of discus
sion given it, tax reform is going TO
play an important role in the legis-
lature's 1885 show. In almost every
corner and among various groups it
receives considerable comment. There
seems to be no general agreement
upon any particular tax. The sales
tax, the gross income and turnover
tax, the increased income tax all
have adherents. 1t is likely to de-
velop into long wrangle with slight