Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, February 9, 1907, Page 3

THE STATE LEGISLATURE Transactions in the Senate and House of Representatives. St. Paul. Jan. 31—Senator Moonan’s resolution calling for early action on the 2-cent fare bills took®up the en- tire time of the senate during the Morning session. After a long and Spirited debate the resolution was lost, 22 to 31. Up-to-date reforms had the boards in the new bills introduced in the sen- ate yesterday. Woman suffrage or a constitutional amendment to permit women to vote is proposed in a bill by Senator Sew- ard. The raising of the age of consent to eighteen years is proposed by Senator Nelson. Another bill by Senator Nel- son makes the saloon license $1,000 everywhere in the state. Senator Hall presented a bill to pro- hibit the confinement of insane con- victs in the state insane hospitals. This is the entering wedge for the es- tablishment of a state institution for the criminal insane. Senator Schaller introduced a bill providing for a maximum schedule of commodity rates on shipments of live stock, grain, coaf, etc. Senator Stephens introduced an en- tomological bill of interest. It pro- vides for an appropriation of $3,500 to pay for drawing, lithographing and distributing 10,700 colored charts of certain insects and of beneficial birds in the ungraded and graded schools of Minnesota. Other bills were: Relating to se- curing impartial judge; appropriating $10,060 for St. Peter insane hospital; permitting railroad taxes ad valorem or gross earnings; to include swamp lands in Minnesota fores In the House. The house held a short session yes- terday, adjourning at 10:30 out of re- spect to the memory of Former Speak- er Babcock, who died some time ago. A dozen or more petitions urging the passage of a county option bill were received. The Morse resolution, calling for $250 for “incidental expenses” for members of the legislature, was killed in the house on motion of the author, who moved its recall from the attor-* ney general, to whom it had been sent to decide its constitutionality. The resolution has been a bone of conten- tion ever since it was introduced. The Robertson bill calling tor an investigation of express rates in the state was recommended to pass by the committee on express companies. The most important bill introduced was one limiting the hours of labor of locomotive engineers, and trainmen generally, including telegraph oper- ators, to fourteen hours a day. ng the sale of mile ot Other bills: Prohibi liquor anc ci the state normal school v for probation cou s of less th officers in 50,000 popula- tion St. Paul, Feb: 1—There wa letup in the senate yesterday in the flood of bills that have put in an ap- pearance each day since the session opened. Only seven bills were intro- duced. The two most important general bills were one taxing all real estate liens and one which makes it a misde- meanor to offer anything in the shape of a bribe to the agent of another in order to injure that other in his busi- ness, or for the servant or agent to ask or receive the bribe or gift, A bill by Senator Stephens relating to banking provides that the capital of ever nk of di snall be at least $5,000 ir 400 population or les: $10,000 in a municipality of over 400 population and not over 1,000. Senator Alderman pr for the establishment of a fish hatch- ery in Crow Wing county. Title to 500.000 acres of land in Swift and Big Stone counties is quiet- ed in the present homesteaders and settlers who occupy it b bill intro- duced by Senator ngton. The land is what is known as the Hastings & Dakota railway grant. For the first time this session the senate went into committee of the whole to consider general orders. Sev- eral minor bills were disposed of. The Hackney-Butler contested elec- tion case was decided in favor of J. M. Hackney by a party vote. The con- test was brought by Pierce Butler, the Democratic candidate, on the ground that students at the Hamline univer- sity in St. Paul had voted illegally at the election. In the House. Two great highways crossing the state, direct, broad and massive, like the old Roman roads, are proposed in a bill introduced by Mr. Randall of Duluth. The roads are to run practi- | cally the length of the state, north and south. east and west. three feed wide in the center. O. B. Nelson offered a bill requiring i rx@ways to provide an underground | count and deposit | sented a bill | The Dill | provides for a road four rods wide, | with a macadamized roadway thirty- | crossing nae sides of the track is owned by the | same man, the owner to pay one- fourth of the cost. Frank T. White presente a bill placing all corporations’ or associa- tions dickering or dealing in any man- ner of stocks, bonds, certificates, etc., under the control of: the public exam- iner. The purpose of the bill is to shut out wildcat investment compa- nies. J. R. Wold offered a bill prohibiting wholesale coal companies from dis- criminating in the delivery of orders aniong its customers. Mr. Wold also presented a bill relating to the trans- portation. of stock. It requires rail- roads to move trains carrying live stock at a minimum rate of ten miles an hour until their destination is reached. S. D. Peterson’s resolution com- mending Congressman McCleary for his stand in the interest of the farm- ers was passed. Bills introduced: Providing for ex- amination of books of school officers; prohibiting combinations in restraint of trade; anti-polygamy memorial to congress; defining liability of em ployes in personal injury cases; es- tablishing a state normal school at Cass Lake. St. Paul, Feb. 2. — Senator Sageng called up his resolution requesting the Minnesota delegation in congress to oppose the ship subsidy bill. A long and spirited debate followed. The res- olution was finally defeated by a party vote. Senator Hinton introduced a bill in- tended to compel candidates to appear before the public in their true light. It provides that no candidate shall make any pledges of any character that he does not make public. Senator Wilson introduced a_ bill prohibiting the sale of goods by wholesalers with the requirement that the purchaser sells no other line ot goods. The bill is aimed at the to- baeco trust and other combinations which operate under such a method. A bill by Senator Glotzbach makes attendance compulsory for deaf chil- dren at the Faribault school for the deaf. Senator Hanson introduced two bills for the erection of additional normal schools, one at Thief River Falls and the other at Bemidji. Senator Thorpe introduced a bill amending the law relating to reports to the railroad and warehouse commis- sion. The senate spent some time in com- mittee of the whole in the considera- tion of bills, but no measures of gen- eral interest were disposed of. The senate adjourned until 11 o'clock Tuesday. In the House. The house was fairly swamped with new bills yesterday. When the finish had been reached thirty-six in all re- posed upon the clerk’s desk. Of this number nearly a score related to life | insurance, representing the work of } the national commission on uniform | insurance lav Most of the bills have already becn introduced in the senate. A tax of three-tenths of 1 per cent on all loans and mortgages is provided under the terms of a bill offered by Representative Haugen. It is to be a registry tax. By a bill presented by O. F. Chris tensen the amount of the paid-up capi- tal d surplus is made the basis of r for surety companies operating in the state. Such companies must make annual reports to the state. Other bills were: Appropriating money for a painting of the Third regt- ment; facilitating local drainage in townships and villages; prohibiting the Rng of elk, moose and caribou a tax on all liens; removing re- ns on labor employed ‘in pris- limiting the liability of insurance 9s; requiring insurance com- panies to make annual accounting ot surplus; requiring annual apportion- ionment of surplus on insurance poli- | cies heretofore issued; prohibiting the | division of insurance funds for politi- | cal purposes; prohibiting the issuance of non-participating insurance — poli regulating life insurance dis- ements; regulating the retirement | of capital stock; regulating the invest- ment of funds of insurance companies; prohibiting discrimination by life in- surance companies. The house adjourned until 8 o'clock Monday evening. St. Paul, Feb. 5. — The house re- sumea work last night after the short recess, and during the brief session several bills of more than ordinary in- terest were introduced. Considerable time was also put in in committee of the whole in the discussion of various measures. Representative Spooner introduced a bill increasing the gross earnings tax on railroads from 4 to 6 per cent, beginning the current year. The bill provides for submission of the act to the voters at the next gen- eral election. The extension of Minneopa State Park at the expense of the state is pra- | posed in a bill introduced by Repre- sentative Gates. Summer sessions of the state nor- | sented ‘by’ e Sawyer. A bill by Representative Libby would ‘allow any township to prohibit persons from riding over its roads in automobiles. : Representative Gates introduced a bill to prohibit the killing of prairie chickens or quail during the seasons of 1907 and 1908. < 1 A bill to require railroads to pay their employes twice a month was in- troduced by Representative Murphy. Representative Nimocks introduced a bill making railroad lands liable to assessment for local improvements. and another bill requiring express, tel- ephone, telegraph and other companies to pay special assessments. Three bills of minor were passed. In cormmittee of the whole the house took favorable action on the bill to abolish private banks. The senate was not in session. importance St. Paul, Feb. 6—Another distance tariff bill put in its appearance in the senate yesterday. The bill is by Sen- ator Canfield and established a classi- fication of ten classes of freight in less than carload lots, and twelve classes for carload lots. It then estab- lishes. a distance tariff, based on a schedule of five-mile sections, the greater the haul the less the rate. Senator Canfield also introduced an important election bill. It places state officers under a primary election law and also changes the date of the pri- mary to the last Tuesday in June. A bill by Senator Nelson adds to the removal powers of the governor of the state “or mayor of any city or vil- lage” for malfeasance or nonfeasance of official duties. A bill requiring express companies and telegraph companies doing busi- ness in the state to reduce their rates was offered by Senator Clague. Other important bills introduced: Limiting issues of stocks, bonds and certain certificates of indebtedness: of corporations engaged as common Car- riers in the state, and to prohibit con- solidation of such companies; provid- ing that all contracts in writing ex- pressing a consideration shall import a consideration; to establish a new ju- dicial district to be known as the Twentieth judicial district; vide for summer sessions of normal schools. Eleven petitions in favor of county option were presented in the senate. The senate passed ten bills, all com- paratively unimportant. In the House. A petition signed by 3870 school principals was received, asking for the erection of a college of education. at the university. This number, it was claimed, represented 14,000 teachers in the state. Representative Hollister introduced a bill requiring that hotels in the state must be kept in a sanitary condition. There must be individual’ towels, sheets and blankets must be of suffi- cient length and width to cover the bed and must be clean. Wild animals and birds living on state forest preserves and parks must not be molested, under the terms of a bill introduced by Representative Knox. Representative Randall introduced a bill requiring that all dogs in the state be muzzled from May to October of each year. Under a bill introduced by Repre- sentative Sawyer a tax of one-half of 1 per cent is provided for all mort- gages listed in the state. The recovery of unlimited damages for death by a wrongful act is permit- ted under a bill introduced by Repre- sentative Nelson. Resolutions eulogistic of the late M. D. Flower of St. Paul, who was a mem- | ber of the house in'1905, were’ adopted, !and as a further mark of respect the house adjourned until..2 o'clock Wet |” nesday afternoon. TAX LEAGUE READY FOR WORK. State Organization Formed With O. M. Hall as President, St..Paul, Feb. 7. — The Minnesota Tax league was formally launched yes- terday afternoon as: an organization devoted to the study of problems in taxation, as well as to aid in legisla- tion making for the best results to both the state and the tax payer. The first formal action of the league was to direct the executive committee to communicate with the members of the legislature with a view to passing a bill providing a direct tax on mort- gages and also to urge the passage of an act providing for the creation of a permanent tax commission. The session, which was held in the old capitol, was devoted to the election of officers and the formulation of a constitution and platform. The following officers were elected: President, O. M. Hall of Red Wing; vice president, W. L. Harris of Minne- apolis; secretary, Carl L. Wallace of Minneapolis: treasurer, John R. Mitch- ell of St. Paul. Three men were seriously burned by an explosion of molten metal in the Open Hearth furnace at Homestead, Pa. RRR RRR RRR aeeeeeeeeoeeeeesvvovervewrelw_—_—_—_—_—_0— - ————rm—nmm=_ aan: _MANY ARE FROZEN TO DEATH. Canadian Authorities to Investigate and Relieve Distress. Regina, Sask., Feb. 6.—Commission- er Perry of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police has issued orders for patrolmen to set out for Saskatoon to take relief to the settlers in the Eagle lake district who are in dire want since provisions ran out. The patrol will take three big sleds with provi- sions and will investigate the freezing to death of men in that district. WILL MAKE GOOD FARMS. Opening of Pennington Lands Causes Rejoicing. Rapid City, S. D., Feb. 6. — A bill opening to homestead settlement the two west tiers of townships in Pen- nington county has just passed, and a telegram from Congressman Martin was received yesterday to that effect. Great satisfaction has been expressed with this action, as the land is dis- tinctly agricultural and now will be settled up with great rapidity. RICH ORE ON BLACK RIVER. Claim Holders Say District Will Com- pete With Mesaba. International Falls, Minn., Feb. 3— That there are valuable iron deposits on the Black river appears to be cer- tain. Claim holders in that section are extremely enthusiastic over.the’ rich- ness of the ore and say that district before long with compete with the Mesaba range for the distinction of be- ing the greatest iron ‘producing coun- try in the world. PROMINENT IN THE PUBLIC P EYE SENATOR BEVERIDGE OF INDIANA Whose tartness of reply and alleged vudeness seems likely to make him disliked in the upper house. SENATOR G. C. PERKINS to pro-|Of California, who declares clash with Nipponese is inevitable. JOSEPH H. CHOATE, Former ambassador to Great Britain, who utters a warning against execu- tive encroachment upon legislative and judicial fields. U. S. SENATOR MOSES E. CLAPP Of St, Paul, who has introduced a bill Providing for the creation of a cor- poration to take charge of the min- eral and oil lands of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations. MINISTER OF EDUCATION BRIAND PREMIER CLEMENCEAU. Angered by the premier’s intimation that he admitted “incoherence” had existed in the government, but that he (Clemenceau) was not responsible, Minister Briand created a scene in the chamber of deputies by marching out and declaring his intention to resign. HON. W. G. GLASS. HON. J. W. PARMLEY. Leaders in South Dak6ta House of Representatives. DEATH AT THE FEAST. Coroner Delays Wedding While He In- vestigates Suicide. New York,,Feb. 5.—Standing in the doorway of an apartment where guests had assembled to witness a wedding last night a stranger, supposed to be Ulderic Hugton of Waterbury, Conn., blew out his brains. Death was in- stantaneous and the body tumbled backward down a long flight of stairs. The bride and many women guests became hysterical following the tragedy, and the marriage ceremony was delayed while the coroner held an impromptu inquest. The guests view- ed the body, each declaring ignorance of the suicide’s. identity. An hour later the wedding was solemnized. Gives $1,250,000 More. New York, Feb. 5.—Announcements was made of a gift of $1,000,000 by Mrs. Russell Sage to the Emma Wil- jJard seminary of Troy and also of $250,000 to the international commit- tee of the Young Men’s Christian asso- ciation. Worry Brings Suicide. Oshkosh, Wis., Feb. 5—Despondent from worry over difficulties of an es- tate left by his father, William Stutz; man, living near Butte des Morts, com- mitted suicide, JUMPS FROM WINDOW. New York Broker Breaks Away From His Nurses, New York, Feb. 5. — Howard P. Frothingham, a loan broker and call money man on the stock exchange, is dying at his home here from a frac- tured skull. While’ in delirium he broke away from two male nurses and threw himself out of a second-story window of his home. Ton of Powder Explodes. ‘Terre Haute, Ind., Feb. 5.—One per- son was killed and six injured near Linton as a result of the explosion of a ton of powder and a thousand pounds of dynamite. Poisoned by Needle. Marshalltown, Iowa, Feb. 5.—H. E. Simpkins, an undertaker of this place, is at the point of death from blood pol- soning which resulted from an acci- dental. scratch inflicted by a needle used for embalming. Two Hanged in Porto Rico. ‘San Juan, Porto Rico, Feb. 5.—Fran- cisco Dones and Francisco Rivera, two Porto Ricans, were hanged here Sat- urday for murder. Theirs was the first legal execution by hanging in the history of the island. Resume of the Week’s Proceedings. Washington, Jan. 31—Besides fixing Feb. 20 as the day to vote on the dec- laration that Senator Reed Smoot of Utah is not entitled to his seat, pass- ing a bill appropriating $2,000,000 to confine the Colorado river to its:banks and another placing the management of the Panama railway under the isth- mian canal commission, the senate yesterday listened to an extended speech by Senator Carter of Montana in criticism of the secretary of the-in- terior and another by Senator Hey- burn to the same end. The recent or- der of the secretary preventing the is- suance of patents to the public lands until after an examination on the ground by a special agent was the sub- ject of the criticism. The house completed the agricul tural appropriation bill yesterday after accepting sundry amendments. The river and harbor appropriation bill, carrying $84,000,000 in round numbers was then taken up. Washington, Feb. 1.—Senator Ray- ner’s address on the expansion of ex- ecutive prerogatives, Senator Lodge’s brief reply and an extended discus- sion of the administration of the pub- lic land laws by Senator Heyburn con- stituted yesterday’s proceedings in the senate. The river and harbor appropriation bill occupied practically all the time of the house yesterday. Washington, Feb. 2.—Senators paid tribute yesterday to the memory of the late Senator Arthur Pue Gorman of Maryland. All pusticre for the day was suspended at 2:30 o’clock, accord- ing to a special order, and eulogies were delivered expressing the pro- found sorrow and regret of the senate at the death of the Maryland senator. Previous to this order many bills of minor importance were passed. Appropriations for rivers and har- bors continued to occupy the attention of the house yesterday. Washington, Feb. 4. — Two hours were spent Saturday by the house in further consideration of the river and harbor appropriation bill, speeches against the bill being made by Mr. Hepburn of Iowa, Mr. Clark of Missou- ri and Mr. Keifer of Ohio. The senate devoted most of the day to the reading of the Indian appropri- ation bill for the adoption of commit- tee amendments. Several bills au- thorizing the construction of bridges and one extending the terms of leases in the Yellowstone National Park were passed. Washington, Feb. 5. — The house passed number of important bills yesterday, including the McCumber service pension bill, the omnibus light- house bill and the omnibus revenue cutter bill. Members sought to get through with as much legislation a possible under suspension of the rule: The house by a vote of 110 to 8 concurred in the senate amendments to the urgent deficiency bill, loaning the Jamestown exposition $1,000,000 and safeguarding the loan by a lien on the gross receipts. The senate occupied the first two hours of its session yesterday in per- fecting the house bill permitting the government to take an appeal on points of law in certain criminal cases. The bill is intended to reach cases similar to that against the meat pack- ers, Washington, Feb. 6. — General de bate on the rivers and harbors appro- priation bill, which has been bet the house since t Wednesday, ter- minated at 3 o'clock yesterday after noon, when the reading of the bill was begun under the five-minute rule. The entire day in the senate was spent in considering the Indian appro priation bill, but without concluding the discussion of senate amendments BREAK JAIL TO SHOW HOW. ' Ohio Criminals Give an Object Lesson to Bastile Keepers. Wooster, Ohio, Feb. 6—Simply to show that they could, Allen Meller, Harry White and William Eberhardt, youths in jail here under indictment for murder in the first degree, made their escape from jail this morning by cutting off the bars. The three got out of the steel cage and went down into another part of the building and gave themselves up. The three es- caped from the jail a month ago and were recaptured in a few hours. Elysian Marshal Loses Job. St. Peter, Minn., Feb. 7. — Elysian village, Le Sueur county, has put on the “lid.” Because the village marshai was somewhat lax in enforcing the closing laws the council summarily re moved him from office, and then the councilmen-increased the liquor li- cense from $500 to $750 without a dis- senting vote. Dies; Over 105 Years Old. Hancock, Mich., Feb. 3.— Jeremiah Rourke of Hancock is dead, aged be- tween 105 and 107 years, it being im- possible to obtain an accurate record of his birth. He had been a resident of Hancock for forty years. To Study German Arenals. Shanghai, Feb. 5—The new Chinese ambassador to Berlin, Yang Tchen. has recommended that the Chinese government send a large number of of- ficers to Germany to study the Ger- man arsenal service. a