The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-01-09


tossed the old age pension ball into
the think of the legislative fray.
Moving into the final phases of pen
sion consideration, the senate approx
ed four changes in the bill and re-
jected four others. Approved were
measures to give government agen-
cies a common claim on the estate of
deceased pensioners in the amount Of
benefits paid, to require pensioners
to reside in their home counties at
least year before applying, and to
permit temporary change of counties
without loss of benefit.
In rapid succession, amendments
designed to place management of the
pension system under the state board
of control and to increase the mini
mum from S35 to $45 a month were
voted down by sizeable majorities.
The first amendment, proposed by
Sen. B. G. Novak, st. Paul, recon-
mended that the state and federal
governments bear the entire cost of
the pension distribution instead Of
forcing a portion of the cost on the
county as the committee bill pro-
poses. Senator Charles n. Orr Of the
capital city urged the defeat of this
amendment. stating that a state con-
trolled system would encourage pay
ment of pension to persons who did
not actually need it.
Financing of the pensions continued
to Turk in the background as a pos
sible subject of disagreement between
the house and the senate. A house
subcommittee was working on bill
designed to put an extra two million
dollars into the general revenue fund
to permit that fund to finance pen
sions without adding to the one mil
lion dollar load already put on real
estate. The bill, in rough form, in
Guided % per cent surtaxes on in
dividual and corporate incomes,
five mill corporate excess tax, a sur
tax on inheritances, a gift tax, and
additional taxes on liquor and tele-
phone, freight line, sleeping car and
express company gross earnings, all
to expire after one years operation.
Additions to the tentative revenue
bill were announced by Rep. w. R.
Youngquist, Minneapolis, chairman Of
the subcommittee drawing up the
measure. New taxes, inserted since
the first drafting of the bill, he said,
are the liquor tax, which advances
levies from 60 cents to 81 a gallon
and the gross earnings taxes.
The telephone tax would leave the
present per cent rate in effect on
local exchange business in fourth
class cities and other towns Of less
than 10000, but would advance It to
per cent on all toll business and on
exchange business in the larger towns
and the metropolitan centers. The
increases proposed on freight, sleep
ing car, and express company earn
ings are the same as those proposed
in the much discussed omnibus bill
The senate is hanging back on the
definite financing discussion until the
pension takes more definite shape.
Senator A. ]. Rockne, Zumbrota, has
suggested that an outstanding two
million dollar debt of the highway de-
partment to the general revenue fund
be paid off next year to bear most of
the pension load.
Without a dissenting vote, the
house speedily approved the tax bill
designed to permit property owners
to pay their delinquent taxes in in
stallments. The measure applies to
all property taxes delinquent in 1888
and before, and is aimed at encourag-
ing repayment of all or part of the
SIS, 100000 taxes that are unpaid in
the state.
Active interest of the legislature in
the recent turmoil over labor dis
putes and the spread of crime in the
state was indicated again by the an
nouncement of Edwin L. Lindell, exc
cutive secretary of the Minnesota
Law and Order league. Eight bills
for curbing crime will be submitted
to the legislature if the special ses-
sion continue long enough and the
members care to discuss such mat
tiers. Lindell said.
The bills would include measures
to give the prosecution in criminal
cases the final plea of the jury, to
transfer some duties from the pardon
to the parole board to adopt the uni
form extradition act to give police and
sherif2s in adjoining states the right
to cross state lines when in full pur-
suit of criminals, to require registra-
ton of guests and motor vehicles in
tourist and cabin camps. and to in
crease penalties for drunken driving.
Debate over the Novak proposed
waged hot and heavy for few hours
with Sen. H. C. Steining, Moorhead,
drawing considerable interest with
his survey of the same sort Of sys-
TEN as used in Ohio. In the Buckeye
state. Steining said, the situation has
become so bad that the governor has
called for an investigation. Eighteen
months after Ohio adopted the strict
" state administered system there
were 81, 900 pensioners on the rolls as
against an original maximum esti-
mate of 10000, he stated.
Investigation of recent labor dis.
putes in Minneapolis by house COM
mittee Of five members was sought by
Rep. Marius Waldal, Plummer. The
committee would be asked to make
report of their findings, embodying
any information regarding neglect Of
duty on the part of public officials.
Approved by the house judiciary
committee were rewards for the ap-
prehension and conviction of the STAY
ers of Walter w. Liggett, Minneapolis
publisher. Mrs. Edith Liggett, widow
of the murdered man, was voted