Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, January 20, 1909, Page 3

St. Paul, Jan. 14.—Speaker Rockne of the house and President Eberhardt of the senate yesterday handed down their committee appointments. Gen- eral satisfaction was expressed over the selections. Thoroughgoing changes in the pres- ent primary law, and the extension of the law to all state officers and United States senators were proposed in a bill presented in the senate by Sena- tor Moonan. Features of the Ken- tucky and Wisconsin laws are incor- porated in the bill. The author thinks that he has solved many of the diffi- culties which have been met in the practical operation of the primary law. Senator Durment proposed a con- stitutional amendment providing that there shall be four to eight associate justices of the supreme court, as the legislature may direct. This gives the legislature power to increase the number of supreme court members at any time. All marriages between negroes and whites are to be void after the pas- sage of a bill introduced by Mr. Cal- houn. There is a penalty of $1,000 for both the contracting parties and the man who performs the ceremony. Ole Sageng presented a bill provid- ing for a constitutional convention. In the House. The repeal of the mortgage registry Jaw was one of the most important in the big bunch of bills introduced in the house yesterday. The measure is intended to exempt all credits from taxation. Two bills of interest to the state officeholders were introduced. One makes the public examiner elective, with power to appoint his assistants. The idea is to make the examiner in- dependent of any of the other depart- ments which he must investigate. The other bill raises the governor’s salary from $7,000 to $10,000, the state audi- tor from $4,200 to $5,000, the state treasurer from $3,500 to $5,000, the secretary of state from $3,500 to $5,- 000 and the attorney general from $4,800 to $5,500. Another bill makes all the city offi- cials in cities of 50,000 elective and fixes good-sized salaries for them. A comprehensive measure for park districts in cities of less than 50,000 was introduced. Any city may adopt the system by ordinance and create a park district in the city. A bill proposing a constitutional amendment increasing the supreme court justices from five to seven was introduced. A bill for a normal school at Be- midji was handed in by the member from that city. The law establishing the state farm for inebriates is repealed in a bill in- troduced yesterday. Foreign manufacturing corporations are required to pay a filing fee when entering this state, just as large as the fee paid by domestic corporations under the present law, under a Dill in- troduced by Representative Stuart. Relief funds for fire departments in cities of 50,000 or less are provided in a bill by Representative Spooner. It provides for a tenth of a mill tax. A bill declaring that the state is the owner of all minerals and lands under meandered lake beds was intro- duced. Contributory negligence as a de- fense in personal injury cases is done away with in a bill by Representative Kneeland. se @ St. Paul, Jan. 15.—A joint commit- tee of the legislature will draw up a bill for the new department of lands, mines and forests, according to a con- current resolution introduced by Sen- ator Works, which went over until to- day. Investment companies which prom- ise 6 or 12 per cent a month will be required to deposit a real estate bond amounting to $200,000 before they can do business in Minnesota, according to the bill of Senator Works. They will also be under the supervision of the bank examiner. Loan sharks will find it more diffi- cult to fleece salaried nien if a bill in- troduced yesterday becomes a law. It provides that no assignment of fu- ture wages shall be valid unless ac- cepted by the employer. Married men must get the consent of their wives to assignments. Minnesota gets into line with older states in establishing a state board of accountancy, as contemplated in a bill handed in yesterday. This board will have power to designate those who pass the examination as “Certi- fied Public Accountants.” A bill requiring railway companies to clean up the ditches along their rights of way was introduced yester- day. Hail insurance by the state is pro- posed in a bill introduced by Senator Sundberg. The bill provides for the resubmission of what was the third REVIEW OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK OF THE STATE LEGISLATORS FOR THE WEEK. amendment to the constitution at the last election, Automobiles and motor cycles will pay an armnual tax of from $2 to $12 for the benefit of good roads, if a bill sent in yesterday becomes a law. In the House. Members of the railroad and ware- | house commission and their agents and employes will not be privileged to ride on passes, if the bill introduced by Representative Spooner becomes a law. Another feature of the Dill amending the anti-pass law is that letter carriers may be carried free. A resolution for a committee to in- struction of the new steel plant at Duluth was offered yesterday. Infor- mation is desired as to how far the Steel corporation has gone toward fulfilling its promise made to the leg- islature two years ago. Representative Ferguson introduced a bill providing for a third judge in the Fifteenth judicial district. A bill prohibiting unfair competi- tion in buying and handling grain was introduced by Representative Ben- dixen. It makes it unlawful for any concern to pay a higher price in one town than they do elsewhere. The penalty is $5,000, or a year’s impris- onment, together with the danger of being prohibited from doing business in the state. The present primary election sys- tem is wiped off the statute books by a bill introduced by Representative Peterson. His bill has only one line, repealing the chapter of the code re- lating to primary elections and does not provide any caucus or convention system to take its place. The usual anti-cigarette bill made its appearance yesterday. The bill, which was offered by Representative Nagal, prohibits absolutely the manu- facture, sale, keeping for sale, giving away, or in any manner disposing of either cigarettes or papers and to- bacco which may be used for ciga- rettes. Jobbers doing an interstate business are exempt from the law. A bounty of 5 cents for killing old crows is provided in a bill by Repre- sentative Murphy. For young crows the bounty is 3 cents. The killing of prairie chickens dur- ing 1909 and 1910 is prohibited in a bill by Representative Gates. - * * St. Paul, Jan. 16—Senator Pauly yesterday offered a bill providing for non-partisan nomination and election of district and probate judges. He would have a_ separate ticket for judges at the primaries and omit party designations after the names of nominees at the general election. The resolution introduced by Sen- ator Works Wednesday, providing for a joint committee to draw up a bill for the new department of lands, mines and forests, was yesterday re- ferred to the judiciary committee. The state will employ track walk- ers to inspect the roadway, bridges and rolling stock of the railways of the state, if a bill sent to the senate yesterday becomes a law. Two bills providing for pensions for citizen soldiers in the Indian out- breaks of 1862 were introduced yes- terday. ‘ Senator Nelson offered a bill pro- viding for a 10 per cent income tax on iron ore royalties, to be levied on owners and lessors of iron ore lands. A bill authorizing the state board lands site for the establishment of state institutions was handed in. In the House. The house yesterday adopted a res- olution providing for a committee of five to investigate the packing plants at South St. Paul to ascertain wheth- er those concerns are engaged in a combination in restraint of trade. The time of the primary election is changed form the third Tuesday in September to the second Tuesday in June in a bill introduced by Repre- sentative Sangstad. A bill proposing a _ constitutional amendment by which railroad com- panies may be assessed for local im- provements, just as other property owners are, was offered by Represent- ative Nimocks. A bill by Representative Holmberg appropriates $10,000 for practical in- struction for students of the forestry school of the state university and for experiments in preserving and creo- soting timber. A 5 per cent penalty upon corpora- tions that fail to pay employes promptly is provided in a bill present- ed yesterday. The bill requires them to pay twice a month or pay the pen- alty. Bounties for the killing of all kinds of destructive animals are provided for in a bill handed in by Represent- ative Rustad. Licenses are required for dining cars and buffet cars which sell liquor in a bill offered by Representative El- mer Adams. The license is $100. Minors are prohibited from playing introduced by Mr, Mork. i A bill for the | establishment of county agricultural schools was intro- duced by Representative Johnson. Any county may establish such a school at a cost of not over $15,000. The school is to be governed by a county school board of five members. A stamp tax on board of trade sales is provided in a bill introduced by Representative Thayer. The tax is 1 cent on each $100 on all sales or agreements of sale of any products at any exchange or board of trade, whether for present or future- deliv- ery. The tax goes to the state treas- ury. Representative Swendsen presented a bill repealing the registry tax on real estate mortgages. 7. * ® St. Paul, Jan. 16.—Abolition of the forestry board, the forestry eommis- sioner, the immigration commission and the timber board, and the forma- tion of a board of public lands is con- templated in a bill introduced by Sen- ator Works. The bill creates a board of three members at $5,000 a year, appointed by the governor. Free rides on street cars for police- men, firemen and mail carriers in uni- form is provided in a bill by Senator McColl. Payment of a $2 fine for failure to vote -at primary or general election in Minnesota is provided for in a bill by Senator Witherstine. Township drainage is contemplated in a bill by Senator Clague. This is similar to a law passed two years ago and declared unconstitutional. Students of the state forestry school are to be paid a total of $10,000, ac- cording to a bill by Senator Sund- berg. It is an annual appropriation to be used for the labor of students. Another Indian outbreak pension bill was presented yesterday by Sen- ator Calhoun. The senate confirmed a lareg bunch of appointments sent in by the gov- ernor. The senate after a lively debate ad- journed until Tuesday morning at 11 o'clock. In the House. A bundle of claims, about twenty- five in number, and involving about $115,000, was presented in the house ye&terday by Representative Spooner. The claims represent alleged dam- age to crops and lands in Traverse county because of the overflow of what is known as the Mistinka river j ditch, This ditch was built by the state several years ago to relieve the state swamp lands in Grant county, and ever since has overflowed an- nually. Representative White presented a bill making the office of labor com- missioner an elective one. The com- missioner is to be elected every two years and will the appointment of the necessary assistants. The salary of the commissioner is fixed at $3,000. Normal schools at Thief River Falls and at Bemidji are provided in bills introduced by Representative Han- son. Chattel mortgages must be record- ed with the register of deeds just the same as real estate mortgages are at present, if a bill introduced by Representative Nimocks becomes a law. Ninety days in the county jail or $100 fine for all participants in a “charivari” is the provision in a bill handed ‘in by Representative Lobeck. Local option on the sale of liquor is provided for cities of the fourth class in a bill introduced by Repre- sentative Adams. At present only villages and towns have this option. A bill appropriating $12,600 to pay bills for fighting forest and prairie fires during 1908 was introduced by Representative Davis. The constitutional amendment for an educational qualification for coun- ty superintendents is resubmitted to the voters in a bill presented by Rep- resentative Ferguson. A bill authorizing villages to pur- chase water, light and heating plants, where such exist, 1s before the house. A bill directing the state superin- tendent of public instruction to estab- lish a free public employment bureau for school teachers was introduced by Representative Johnson. The house adjourned until Monday afternoon. TO BOOST THE STATE. Convention of Commercial Clubs Asks Legislature for $100,000. St. Paul, Jan. 17. — With the pass- ing of a resolution urging the legis- lature to appropriate not less than $100,000 for the use of advertising Minnesota, and a thorough discussion of the good roads question, the sec- ond annual convention of the Minne- sota Federation of Commercial Clubs, which adjourned yesterday afternoon. The election of officers resulted as follows: President, D. M. Neill of Red Wing, re-elected; first vice presi- dent, Senator A. D. Stephens, Crooks- ton; second vice president, F. E. Wade, Fairmont; treasurer, Frank J. Meyst, Minneapolis. aA eur OO OOOOe—~>Os=>SEOEOO™—"""——_ 00000 0 Or rrnrrer- GOLD HUNTERS ARE EXCITED. Wisconsin Prospectors Organize Com- pany to Develop Holdings. Menomonie, Wis., Jan. 17.—Excite- ment over the discovery of gold at Knapp, this county, continues. A sec- ond company, in which the A. R. Hall estate is represented, has been organ- ized and will prospect on the holdings of that estate in the vicinity of the earlier finds. Other property owners thereabouts are investigating the pos- sibilities of their real estate. JOHN F. STEVENS GETS JOB. Denver, Colo., Jan. 15—The Times says John F. Stevens, former chair- man of the Panama canal commission, and at present vice president of the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad, has been offered and will probably accept the presidency of the Colorado & Southern railroad, to suc- ceed Frank Trumbull when the latter retires next week. The Colorado & Southern was recently acquired by the Hill interests, FROZEN TO DEATH. Houghton, Mich., Jan. 15.—Antoine Swanson, a young homesteader, resid- ing in the vicinity of Silver Moun- tain, in Baraga county, was found dead by his nephew, who was return- ing from a trapping expedition. Swan- son was frozen to death. He had tak- en off his overcoat and the snow was well tramped down, evidence that he had made a bitter struggle to keep his blood in circulation. He was twenty-eight years of age, GE EG Sa LA i CE a i Aa em PP ee td NSN DE De I ce A a RS 2 pc ca eG i Se AE LES, ARN GI ee AOE OTT A Si TE BSL RATS ERR ODES tal te Deen Bae TBAT ATS SNES RO Mes Thee SE ERS PLAN FOR TROLLEY ON RANGE. Mining Towns Stand Ready to Renew Expired Franchises. There seems the strongest of proba bilities that the near future will see actual operations begun on the long- discussed electric railway to connect the towns along the range. Capitalists have been at work on the scheme over two years, and at various times their labors have all but come to a head, but each time something has delayed operatoins. Two companies are interested, one with its headquarters at Virginia and Biwabik, the eastern end of the pro- posed line known as the Mesaba Rap- id Transit company, in which the Low- ry interests are said to have part, and the other the Northern Traction company, with headquarters at Hib- bing. The two companies are rivals, as both propose ultimately to extend their tracks into the territory covered by the other. Over a year ago the Mesaba Rapid Transit company obtained franchises from the towns of Virginia, Biwabik, Aurora and McKinley. Eveleth, how- ever, held up operations by refusing to grant a franchise. Eveleth is the central point between the towns, and it was necessary to obtain a franchise from it. Before it could be secured the financial trouble last year came and those interested thought best to hold operations for a while. The several franchises were granted on condition that operations should be- gin within a year. This was not done and, of course, legally the franchises have run out, but all the towns are likely to renew them if a line is as- sured to them, and Eveleth also is said now to be willing to grant rights under any reasonable conditions. The plans of the second company include the building of a line about Hibbing, to Chisholm and Buhl. If this pays the line will be extended to Virginia. The company has secured a franchise along the county roads as far as Virginia and last year it graded three miles of the proposed line. Those on the inside say that opera- tions are to begin again early in Feb- ruary. This line proposes to circle the vil- lage of Hibbing about a mile to the south, taking in the various locations, and then run on to Chisholm. STATE TO BE ASKED TO HELP. Bridge Building Problem Not Yet Ful- ly Solved at Mankato. Blue Earth county and the city of Mankato have entered into a contract with the Hennepin Bridge company of Minneapolis to build the second bridge across the Minnesota river at Manka- to for $23,900. The contract is con- tingent upon the legislature changing the site and appropriating a little more money. Two years ago it appropriated $6,- 000, and since then the city of Man- kato and county of Blue Earth have each voted $6,000, and the county of Nicollet $2,000. This leaves $3,900 to be raised, which it is hoped to secure from the legislature, because the floods last June placed an unexpected burden of $40,000 on the taxpayers of the city. The bridge is badly needed and will be 343 feet long, of two spans and will be completed by Aug. 1. NO HOUSEWORK FOR WHITEMEN. “White men are not intended to do housework,” said Miss H. A. Clinton, superintendent of the woman’s depart- ment of the St. Paul branch of the state free employment bureau. “TJ have places for ever so many girls,’ she continued, “but the girls don’t come.” When it was suggested that some of the men who are unable to find work be substituted for the girls who don’t put in an appearance, Miss Clinton said that if they were Japs she might send them out, but that housework isn’t a white man’s job. “If the men begin to take the wom- en’s places in the kitchen,” she said, “more girls will be driven to the fac tories.” NOTARIES CAN RESIGN. Lawyers who wish to lay down their notarial commissions may be able to do so by simply tendering their resignations to the governor. On account of the anti-pass law, many lawyers have been willing to resign their commissions in order to keep their pass privileges, obtained through connection with railroads. The point was raised whether on account of the commissioners having a term of ten years to run, they could be canceled before the expiration of the period. Attorney General Simpson has given an opinion in the affirmative on this question. Se BEES NOT AFFECTIONATE. That the confidence of a bee can- not be won was the conclusion reach- ed by the Minnesota Beekeepers’ as- sociation, which held a little auxiliary meeting of their own in the mayor's reception room in Minneapolis, while more comprehensive state farm inter- ests were getting under way down stairs. Affection, or even gratitude, they, determined, were not parts of the bee’s makeup, - - ee WANTS HALF A MILLION. State Historical Society Will Appeal to Legislature for New Building. The Minnesota State Historical so- ciety will ask the present legislature for $500,000 to be used for the pur- chase of a site and the erection of a building for housing their records and exhibits of the society. This important decision was made at a meeting of the society held at the old capitol, in St. Paul, at which Cass Gilbert, architect for the new state capitol, was the chief speaker. Mr. Gilbert explained the advantages of grouping the state building on Capitol hill, using as illustrations the build- ings that are provided in Wisconsin and Iowa for the historical societies. He spoke at some length on the ap- proaches according to the plans that are now being developed. At the conclusion of the address by Mr. Gilbert the following members were called upon for remarks. State Auditor Samuel G, Iverson, Channing Seabury, former chairman of the state capitol commission; Gen. William G. Le Due of Hastings, Prof. Robert Koehler, president of the State Art society, and Mrs. Winifred M. Dem- ‘Ing and Mrs. Irene C. Buell of the Daughters of the Revolution. The committee to be named by President Langford of the historical society to prepare the bill asking for the appro- priation will be composed of the coun- cilmen of the society. Edward B. Young of St. Paul was elected a member of the executive council, the vacancy having been caused by the death of J. B, Cheney. Two new members were admitted, Prof. Samuel B. Green of the state agricultural school and Jarvis W. Ma son, 544 Wabasha street, St. Paul. FAIR OFFICERS ELECTED. Mower County Agricultural Has All New Officials. The annual meeting and election of officers of the Mower County Agricul- tural society took place Tuesday, and an entire new set of officers and board of directors were chosen. Presi- dent, Charles L. Rice; treasurer, J. E. Crippen. Board of directors, William Christie, Austin; Frank Hambrecht, Le Roy; Harry Rutheford, Austin; John Rahilly, Dexter; Dr. W. F. Lef- fingwell, Austin; John Heimer, Ad- ams; L. W. Decker, Austin; August Smith, Red Rock; W. D. Bassler, Austin. Delegates to the State Agri- cultural society, H. W. Lightly, W. C. Harrabin. The retiring president, John J. Fur- long, has been at the head of the as- sociation for over a quarter of a cen- tury.Several of the directors have been members of the board for fifteen years. Society TAB COMMISSION REPORTS. State’s Income, Exclusive of That Re- alized From Gross Earnings, Was Twenty-seven Millions. Preliminary sheets of the biennial report of the state tax commission, which is being prepared for the two branches of the legislature, have been given out. The document is a volu- minous affair, and contains much valuable information. From its taxable property the state for 1907 secured over $27,000,000. This was exclusive of gross earnings and other revenue-producing sources. In 170 the amount realized was less than $2,50,000. A county assessor system is recom- mended by the board in place of the township assessor, of which the state has now employed nearly 2,600. In the opinion of the board eighty-five of- ficials could do the work better. IOWA COLONISTS FOR RANGES. Sixty Families Buy Lands in Country South of Hibbing. A party of five families from near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, arrived last week at Stewart, twelve miles south of Hibbing, on the Great Northern, where they will settle permanently and engage in farming and dairying. They brought their household goods and farming effects with them. The party comprised the advance members of a colony of about sixty families who will settle near Stew- art. They state that the region is ideal for dairying and the colony ex- pects to establish a creamery and de- vote much attention to dairying. The colony will be tributary to Hib- bing commercially and will be anoth- ‘er argument in favor of the estab- lishment of the county experiment farm in Hibbing. BONDS REDEEMED. State Has Almost Cleared Up its Debt, C. C. Dinehart, state treasurer, has received from the state auditor a check for $62,000, representing the re- |demption of Minnesota funding bonds, The original issue of funding bonds ‘was $1,659,000, and the last of the ‘bonds will be taken up Jan. 1, 1910. The state treasurer also received to- day $12,058.02 from the state prison twine fund. r Resume of the Week’s Proceedings. Washington, Jan. 12—The strenu- ous work of Friday strained the house of representatives, and in consequence after being in session a little less than an hour Saturday adjourned until to- day. During that short period of time 500 pension bills were passed, as was also a resolution for a rigid inquiry into the whole question of the investi- gation of frauds against the govern- ment. The stim of $5,000 was appro- priateq for the inquiry, which is to be made by a committee of five members to be named by the speaker. Washington, Jan. 12.—Senator Till- man was the central figure in the senate yesterday, occupying almost an hour of the time of that body with his carefully prepared speech in reply to the president’s charges concerning his action in attempting to acquire by purchase some of the timber lands of Oregon originally held as a railroad grant, while advocating litigation by the department of justice to compel their sale. The senate passed a bill appropriating $90,000 for the purchase of the Sequori grove of big trees in California. After undergoing a stormy discus- sion in the house of representatives yesterday the resolution authorizing the granting of permits to the commit- tee on inaugural ceremonies and the use of the pension office building for the inaugural ball, was compelled to go over for two weeks before final ac- tion will be taken upon it. As it stands the section relating to the pension building was stricken out and a further amendment was made refusing permission to extend over- head wires into the structure. It was manifest from the outset that the ma- jority of those present was opposed to the pension office proposition. Washington, Jan. 14. — A spirited speech by Senator Foraker of Ohio on the use of private detectives in inves- tigating the Brownsville affair was the feature of interest in the senate yes- terday. Mr. Foraker laid aside his manuscript several times during his address to inject remarks that were pointedly aimed at the president, al- though he refrained from the mention of Mr. Roosevelt’s name. Evidently referring to the president he declared that men who make charges and insin- uations will some time “be where they can be called to account.” Mr. Lodge replied to Mr. Foraker’s remarks, declaring that the use of the $3,000,000 fund appropriated in 1899 as an emergency war fund for the presi- dent during the Spanish war, in the employment of detéctives on the Brownsville case, was not in violation of law. Mr. Foraker vainly endeavored to have a day fixed for voting on his bill for the re-enlistment of the discharged soldiers of the Twenty-fifth regiment. Working with only a small quota of members, the house of representativs yesterday devoted its entire time to consideration of the District of Colum- bia appropriation bill. Washington, Jan, 15.—The Ananias club was discussed in the senate yes- terday by Senator Tillman, who de- clared the statements made by Attor- ney General Bonaparte and Postmas- ter General Meyer in reply to his answer to the charges made against him by the president in relation to his contemplated purchase of Oregon timber lands made them eligible to membership in that organization. He again defended his action and said, in fighting the “unscrupulous men” who are determined “to destroy him” he was “prepared for anything, even assassination.” The bill to establish postal savings banks and the omnibus claims Dill were under consideration during the day. For a time yesterday in the house of representatives it looked as though that body would further resent the president’s statement affecting mem- bers of congress and the secret serv- ice by ordering the printing of 2,000,- 000 copies of the proceedings of last Friday, tabling his remarks. A reso- lution to that end was presented by Mr. Landis of Indiana, but so strong was the sentiment against it that it was tabled. Washington, Jan. 16——An amend- ment in the legislative and executive and judicial appropriation bill, in- creasing the salary of the president to $100,000, of the vice president and speaker of the house of representa- tives to $20,000, with $5,000 additional allowance for carriages and coachmen for the vice president and speaker, and increases for the judiciary aggre- gating $328,500, precipitated a lively discussion in the senate yesterday. Without concluding the debate, fur- ther consideration of the amendment was postponed until next Monday. Private bills had their innings in the house of representatives yester- day, almost the whole session being given up to their consideration. Many were passed. Cashier Goes to Prison. La Junta, Colo., Jan. 15. — E. J. Smith, former cashier of the defunct Bank of Rockyford, the president of which, John E. Godding, is now serv- ing a penitentiary term, was yester- day sentenced to from three to four years in the penitentiary on a charge of receiving deposits after knowing the bank to be insolvent.