The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-07-22

There's an atmosphere about the
capitol, especially in legislative halls
that bodies i'll for the future. Farmer
members are chatting to get home and
help with the bounteous harvest, others
glance longingly at the fishing tackle
and ponder the glorious vacation in
marvellous Minnesota that might have
been had had an unruly group Of House
conferees during the late lamented reg
ular session seen fit to compromise and
others long only to be nome to attend
to business that has suffered not little
by two months forced leave of alb
sence.
But these very good reasons for biting
at the bit are not the only ones. The
thirty day pay limit long since expired
and the boys find no pleasure In laying
out their own hard earned cash to
satisfy the dictatorial appetite of a
chief executive who apparently knows
no such word as compromise and in
sists on having his way or keeping the
session going until snow flies.
House members this week attempted
to get raise in salary, or perhaps
better, an additional $3.50 to $500 to tide
them over a session that from present
indications will continue another two or
three weeks. And anyone who has lived
in city for any length of time knows
that such sum of money in common
parlance lasts quick" But the Senate
is not SO kindly disposed IN making q
further raid on the treasury and
chances look slim for members of either
chances look slim for members of either
body getting any extra compensation,
mileage expense Or whatever name it
goes by. The Senate Rules committee
has thus far doggedly refused to grant
the extra stipend.
Every bright hope was held out for
adjournment by Wednesday of this
week at the latest, but once again "tne
best laid plans Of mice and men gang
aft aglee." Conference committees
failed to get together on the main bills
and the Relief bills.
The conferees on the Money and
Credits bill announced agreement on
Monday. The Chain Store conferees
gave assurance of early agreement ard
lesser bills came through the conference
grist mill happily, but the two men,
toned are apparently deadlocked and
may bring about a dead lock which will
cause an adjournment sine die and the
necessity of second extraordinary SeS-
sion. AS these lines are being written
the Relief conferees have reached with
scant hope of agreement upon recon-
vening. Though the Senate has raised
the anti from $500, 900 to $11 100000,
the House confereeS SteadfaStly held
out for more. Members close to the
House committee say they will be salts
fled with nothing less than $13,5OO,OOO
and knowing the Senate conferees as I
know them, I can say frankly that they
have as much chance of getting that
amount as Poland China has of seeing
the Pearly Gates.
Late Wednesday afternoon the cor
fereeS disagreed on the Educational
bill, which means another long ordeal
to iron out differences in that connec-
ton. Due to this disagreement and in
order to permit conferees to work unin-
terruptedly, to say nothing of giving
the farmer members mucn desired op-
portunity to get home to their work,
both bodies adjourned Thursday until
Monday evening. While certain that
unless conference committees have some
very pleasing reports to make upon re-
converting, another three day adjourn
ment will be taken. This may continue
for weeks, each body endsavoring to
outlast the other. 1t may be said that
there is no law covering such an en-
durance marathon.
The much discussed Homestead Ex-
emption bill was one of the noteworthy
pieces of legislation passed by the Sem
ate on Wednesday. The House bill was
amended so that homeSteads would be
required to pay assessments, ETC., tc
make it comply with the constitution.
At the best the BILL which now goes
to the Governor, is but a sop to the
homeSteaders of the state. In the last
campaign the Farmer-Labor party
pledged exemption of all state and
LOCAL taxes up to $4,000 assessed
valuation. This pledge which has been
so flagrantly violated was aired freely
in no 70 cI,oy nj
climax when Senator Sletvold, of De-
troit Lakes, offered an amendment to
make the bill comply with the ex-
pressed and printed pledge of the ad-
mlnistration party. The Senator knew,
OF course, that passage of bill carrying
such a provision, if enacted into law,
would close every school and munich
pality in the state. But the debate that
ensued had a statutory effect and one
which in the future will no doubt cause
parties of whatever kind to ponder well
the promises they make on platform or
through the printed word
Farmer-Laborites We're noticeably
irked. They kept their tongues, their
only spokesman rising to urge an end
to the debate and the campaign
speeches. Said Senator Harry Bridge
man, Farmer-Laborite, LET us get down
to debate and forget the politics. We
are not in campaign and the speeches
that have been made are nothing more
nor less than campaign speeches"
Whereupon Senator Rockne declared
that that was what the legislature was
called into session for-purely as
campaign gesture on the part of the
administration.
But if there was politics in the Sen
ate bit of politics was also being
played in the chief executives office.