The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-07-31
From Mankato Daily Free Press, July 25N
WHY NOT?

conversation to-day relative To
the meeting called for August 18th,
to devise some plan for raising the
money necessary to enable the Com
missioners to make creditable show
| ing in the coming Columbian Exposi
tion at Chicago of Minnesota's ad-
vancement and present resources Sem
ator Barr made the statement that
the means recently adopted in South
Dakota, viz: that Of called meeting
of the legislature, in which the mem
bers would voluntarily act without
per diem or mileage, had occurred to
| him some weeks prior to the announce
ment that it would be tried in thaB
state, and added that for one he
would willingly serve with that I'M
Outstanding, and believed that very
large majority of the remaining MEM
bers would do the same.
Why not adopt this plan? The ar
guments in favor of a special session
of the legislature for this purpose are
many. The burden can be more eQui-
tably distributed in a legislative ap-
preparation than by any other method
which may be employed. 1t is the
natural and simple method. The
money can be thus raised more quick
ly than by any other plan, and, If
raised in this way. it will not be nee
essary to create any new machinery
for its assessment and collection, as
this work can be done through the
regular cha.nel.
The only argument Of consequence
! against it is the expense of an extra
session, and this is done away with II
the members agree to serve without
pay or mileage, as in that event the
expense will be merely nominal, and
this plan will thus become not only
the best but at the same time the
least expensive.
We suggest that in communities
where the idea of an extra session
meets with approval delegates be sent
| to the August meeting with instruc-
lions to advocate and support that
method, and that the members Of the
legislature from such localities be ap-
pointed upon such delegations. This
will bring them together upon the
ground, enable them to consult with
each other and. if the plan is decided
upon. to at once formulate request
to the Governor to call an extra seS-
sion.
The magnitude of the Worlds
/ Fair movement is now so ap-
parent and the Importance OF
/ Minnesota's making cred. a1aDfe,
display is so generally ,ggreeiated
and conceded that ore. can be nc
doubt but the me- c,5ers, of the legisla-
ture are fully awake to the necessities
OF tne case ead would promptly MAKE
prov sion for the needed anpFoell@.
i On if called together.
a There is merit in the suggestion OF
: an extra session. We trust it will be
: earnestly considered and that many
of the representatives in the legisla-
{ ture will be among the delegates 70
!. the August 18th meeting.
The assessed valuation of property
! in Minnesota according TO the retrns
: made in 1890. foots up in round
( numbers to $500, 1000. To raise the
!. sum of 100000 on this yaluati don
; would be a tax of less than two
tenths of one mill on the dollar FoF
example, man who pays 500 in taxes
! would contribute toward the Worlds
: Fair fund less than taC9 cents, The
Y proportion of property holders who
5 pay one hundred dollars in taxes IS
! small when compared with those who
s pay less than one-half that amount,
S and by this it will be readily seen
that the individual contribution to
S the fund, if drawn from the State
s treasury, would be too insignificant
for any man to object to.
Let the proposition for holding an
extra session Of the legislature in ac-
Q cordance with the above suggestion
receive considerable attention. It
D seems the most feasible, as it surely is
, the most equitable, means which can
possibly be employed TO meet the ext
0nncieS of the Situation