The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-04-08
Tuning In on The Minnesota
Legislature :.
s BY SENATOR WIN WEBER

st. Paul, Special to the Miner-Legis-
lation is being enacted so rapidly and
Capitol hill sees SO many things OF IN
terest each day that it is difficult In
the space allotted for this letter to even
give a brief synopsis of the "goingS on. !"
With April 21st set as the last day of
the session, a feveriSh tenseneSs seems
to grip legislators, each one of whom
has some one or more favorite bills
which he or she desires to see enacted
into law.
AS yet major legislation has not been
acted upon in the Senate and the re-
manning days will see stirring debate
upon the pending measures The House
is working with unusual speed and
passing bills that will tax every NOM
ent the Senate has left if that body
hopes to acquiesce in their passage.
But I feel confident the Senate will
not acquiesce in many cases. Much OF
the legislation has been dumped on the
Senate for political effect only. Other
bills have been sent to the upper body
without proper consideration in the
House and have neceSSitated much
change to get them into proper shape.
1t is surprising what can be accom-
plished once committee work is COM
pleted and full day sessions are held.
Senate committees have been unusu-
ally careful this session in seeing that
bills are in proper shape before sending
them to the desk and this will greatly
expedite work in the closing days.
One major bit Of legislation was set
tied in the Senate this week, H. F. al,
more commonly known as "the train
length bill" Introduced by friends of
the Railway Brotherhoods it was re-
commended for indefinite postponement
by the committee hearing it. A min
ority report was offered, however, and
the debate took place upon the motion
to adopt the report While propon-
entS sought to show that it was a
Safety measure, the opponents proved
that in the past 20 months there had
been fewer accidents on long freight
and passenger trains than on the short
trains. But the matter Of cost was the
thing that sounded the death knell to
the measure. Need for much more
rolling stock and labor, it was shown,
would without question of doubt in
crease the existing freight rates. This
cost would be borne by the farmer and
the consumer, it was shown, and with
both sorely taxed now the majority felt
that such an additional burden was I'M
justifiable. The vote was IS to 26.
Letters continue to pour in to every
legislator approving or disappearing of
H. F. lott, or the Anti-Farm Bureau
bill. Because Of an article appearing
in this column few weeks ago in sup
port of the Farm Bureau, the Farmers
Union, a farm organization having a
small membership in Minnesota, issued
a statement to all newspapers in the
state, attacking my stand and putting
forth its reasons why the bill should be
passed.
While I still stand by my statement
that the Farm Bureau has been an
agency for great good TO agriculture,
I am not interested in the quarrel be-
tween that organization and the Far
mers Union. To me it is regrettable
that the two organizations cannot con-
solidate and fight shoulder to shoulder
for the best interests of agriculture
rather than to pull in opposite di-
rectionS.
I have made a very careful study OF
the bill, and have spent many hours
trying to amend it so that any doubt
of the political angle might be removed
But I am frank to admit that I cannot
do so. Once twenty men are chosen
at an election to fill the office Of COM
mitteemen on a County Agriculture
and Educational Association, just thai
soon will the County Agent be placed
in the position of candidate and