Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-05-16
PENSION BILL ERROR
is NOT THE FIRST ONE
Rv HENRY G. TEIGAN


Pension law or has it not? That Is
the question. The pension Dill was
among the measures that had to walt
until the last minute for enactment
by both senate and house. A contro-
versy had arisen over certain proVS-
ions of the bill; the reactionary lead
ers of the senate insisting that the
law be made as imperative as pos
sible and to provide as low pension
payments as possible.
Thus, a conference committee rep
resenting both houses shaped UP the
measure for final passage. The house
members Of the conference committee
were Barker. Hastings and Wangen-
steen. The senate members were NO
wax. Rockne and Adams Wangen-
s1een dissented from the conference
report contending that the minimum
requirement by the state for an OLD
are pension for an IS month period
will he $4,000, 900 on the most con-
sentative figures"
Reckne's Amendments.
As the bill passed the house it was
made far more liberal than any prev
ious scheme of its kind. The Senate,
due in large measure to the efforts
of Senator Rockne, proceeded to limit
the measure in its beneficial effects.
Rockne offered two amendments, one
affecting Section =, providing that
the recipient Of the pension should
have the same based in part upon
subsistence or service from legally
responsible relatives or net income
available to such persons from his
own resources: and that only per-
son who has no child or other re-
sponsible person under the law OF this
state liable for his support and able
TO support him." might receive aid
under the law.
These two sections were adopted by
the senate by a vote of 81 to 80. They
were. however. later stricken out by
the conference committee. The re-
port of same will be found on page
90 Of the senate journal for Wednes
day, April "a.
Yet. when the bill was enrolled
the two Rockne sections had agar
been re-inserted in the measure not
outstanding the provision in the con
ference report that they both b.
stricken out. In other words, the bill
as passed by both house and senat'
following the report of the confer
ence committee did not contain thu
two Rockne amendments.
It is upon the insertion of these tw'
amendments following the bills pas
sage in the legislature and which ar
contained in the enrolled bill signe'
by the governor that the cOnStitu
tionality of the act is being called int
question.
Another Bill Tempered With.
But it happens that this is not th'
first instance that a bill has bee,
emaSculated after its passage by bot
house and senate. The rural credl
act of two years ago creating a con
servator for the department had on
section eliminated from the measur
after its pasSa ge. The section re
ferred to reads as follows:
Section % The salaries provide
in the foregoing act shall not be sui
iect TO any reduction on account {
any law that may heretofore hav
been passed reducing salaries"
The conference committee repre-
senting the two houses of the legisls
ture reported the bill back with Gel
tain changes and among these was tn
addition Of Section % referred
above. This section was, Of cours'
somewhat Objectionable to the reat
tionary element in the Legislature
the members of which were constant
harping upon economy and demandin
wage reductions.
Rockne on Both Committees.
Senator Rockne was a member
the conference committee and til
writer on that account wrote him {
June IS. 1888. calling his attentiC
to the discrepancy between the e.
rolled bill on file in the secretary
states office and the bill which II
legislature had passed. Mr.. Rock
replied to the letter. briefly statir
that he had not had time to examil
the journal of the senate to see ju
what changes had been made in Il
measure.
Now the writer is not intimatil
that Mr.. Rockne was wilfully gull
of emasculatinC either the olda.
pension bill enacted by the 1885 legi
lature or the rural credit bill pass.
two years ago. Yet il is a curio
fact that Rockne was a member
both conference committees
The question now arises. lis the oil
age pension act unconstitutional
account of the enrolled bill signed
the Governor containing two sect1o
not enacted by the legislature? Ar
If 50 what about the rural credit a
which appears to be minus one emit
section which had been passed by {