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Show I Work of the Legislature I One-fourth of tho time allotted by I law to tho legislative session has H gone. While the record does not show I as many bills passed by both houses ' as during a corresponding period two B years ago, It Is probable that more H good work has been done. 'H There Is, It Is good to note, at this I session a disposition to get down to B the bottom of things In the commutes I rooms and when a bill is reported H back to either house, for considera- H tion to have it pruned into such shape B that It will not bo necessary to waste H too much time in rambling discussion. H This kind of work can be carried too H far, but at its worst it is far better H than failure on the part of committees H to find out the merits or demerits of H proposed legislation. H There Is one bill now in committer H that will be fought by a strongly or H ganized and well-equipped lobby. That is the measure which seeks to make unlawful any rate of interest above H 12 per cent per annum, no matter what kind of a loan it applies to. The men H and companies who make salary and chattel loans are ready to fight this sort of legislation to tho last ditch. They, some of them at least, do not propose to bo cut out of their 10 per cent per month on small loans made to small wage earners or to men who, through sickness or misfortune, are compelled to mortgage their household furniture or personal belongings. When questioned about these loans at such Shylock-llke rates of Interest, tho men who make them will always declare that their percentage of losses is bo high that they cannot afford to I j"50 less- while on the other hand 't Is equally certain that no poor man can afford to pay more for a loan than a rich man can. I & When tho mortgage tax question is raised there will probably bo one of hottest contests of tho present ses- tM, . Th rcal estate mon are Prac-wily Prac-wily a unit in pronouncing this ques-" ques-" of the tax on mortgages to bo w most Important which will come uefre this legislature arid a strong 1 i committee from tho Real Estate association asso-ciation will work hard to get tho objectionable ob-jectionable measure repealed or at least rendered Inoperative. As the law now stands there Is much of justice in the claim that It imposes a double taxation on many land owners. Attempts to avoid or evado lead to all sorts of subterfuges and -deceits. Certain It Is that many who aro in reality holders of mortgages mort-gages put them in the name of friend3 or business associates outside the state In order to escape tho taxation, but this leads in many cases to considerable con-siderable expense and sometimes to a direct loss. There is, however, an element in this legislature which cannot can-not be disabused of the opinion that every holder of a mortgago is a bloated capitalist who is not paying half enough taxes at the most and this element ele-ment will fight hard against any chango in tho law. Tho bounty bill is still a fruitful topic top-ic of conversation among tho mcmbors of both houses. Tho Senato Is not In tho best of humor over tho action of tho House In refusing to stand for an out and out repeal of the bounty law, while a majority of tho representatives insist that tho view of tho Senato Is narrow and prejudiced. As ono of the representatives put It In a conversation conversa-tion with a group of legislators In tho corridors yesterday, "Tho Senato would llko to wipo out bounties altogether alto-gether simply because an organized gang of rascals and corrupt deputies worked a scheme to defraud tho state. What wo want to do is to chango tho lav so that such a graft Is impossible, but tho country members will never consent to tho abolition of bounties." It is quite probable that an effort will bo made to secure some radical amendments to tho Irrigation law passed at tho last session. The mat-tor mat-tor being largely along experimental lines it was not to bo expected that perfection would at onco bo attained, yet it is true that as a whole tho now law has proved generally satisfactory. Some objections aro raised to the large amount of power and authority delegated dele-gated to the stnto engineer, yet tho objectors have nothing elso doflnito to propose. Following aro tho most of tho Important Im-portant bills recently presented to tho legislature: Representative Harry S. Joseph of Salt Lako has Introduced a bill concerning con-cerning mining tunnels, which, if made law, will allow owners of claims to drive tunnels through any patented claim in order to gain access to his own property, provided any oro Intersected Inter-sected bo not disturbed. Roberts of Cacho has Introduced a bill which purposes changing chapter 35, session laws, 1901, relating to tho powers and duties of tho state board of land commissioners. The intent of tho moasuro Is to have tho board consist con-sist of three members chosen by tho governor, Instead of flvo members, Including In-cluding tho governor, as at present. Roberts would fix the compensation of tho secretary of tho board at $2,400 per annum Instead of $1,800 and would greatly increaso his duties, making him tho custodian of state moneys and mortgages and notes of every description. descrip-tion. Tho secretary would bo bonded for $200,000. Each member would recolvo $1,000 per annum instead of $1,200 as at present and would bo bonded for $10,-000. $10,-000. Houso bill No. 59 (Austin). An act creating a stato board of park commissioners, com-missioners, providing tho manner of their appointment, fixing tholr compensation, com-pensation, prescribing their powers and duties; making an annual appropriation appro-priation of $2,500 for maintenance of parks and fixing penalties for violations viola-tions of this act. House bill No. CO (Kuchlor). An act providing for tho establishment of a central experiment farm, under tho direction of the Agricultural college experiment station of Utah. In lino with tho suggestions often mado by Truth that tho number of councilmon should bo reduced and their salaries raised, Assistant City ! ( I Attorney Dromol has prepared tlio following fol-lowing measuro for consideration of tho lawmnkers: Tho municipal government of all In- j corporntcd cities Is hcroby vosted In j a mayor and n city council. In cities of tho first class and in cities of tho second clnss tho city council shall con- ! Blst of flvo councilmon chosen at largo I by tho qualified electors of tho city. j In cities of tho first class tho salaries I of tho councilmon shall bo fifteen nun- j died dollars each per annum, and In ' cities of tho second class tho salaries of such councllmen shall bo twolvo j hundred dollars each per annum; and ', in cities of tho third class tho salar- j les of tho councllmen shall bo fixed by ordinance. j Salt Lnko City has Bomo, perhaps I moro than a fow, councilmon who will j bitterly opposo tho passago of a mca- 1 suro of this charactor. Tho mlsfor- ; tuno Is tho city's, but no fnult of tho proposed law. There Is considerable "hot air" talk about sensational disclosures regarding regard-ing tho expenditures of tho St. Louis fair commission, but it does not appear ap-pear that tho legislators will And rcn-son rcn-son for censure. Tho sudden discovery discov-ery of tho bounty frauds warped tho Judgment of some members and caused thorn to view everything with figures attached with a suspicious oyo. Tho Elks entertained tho legislators legisla-tors in royal stylo Wednesday night, ono might almost say Thursday morn- , Ing. Excollent music, many witty j speeches, a session of tho "Third Houso," tho merits of which cannot bo convoyed In print, and a cliolco lunch woro all enjoyed by thoso pros-ont. |