St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-09

| claimed and restored to q tillable state theu-
sands of acres of wet swampy aud over
| flowed lands of the richest and most fertile
| in the valley part of these lands are
| owned by the state ana these have, in con-
| sequence of the drainage, become enhanced
in value to an extent exceeding the amount
| of money expended by the state. In 1884 the
| board let contracts for the Mustinka river
! ditch. in Traverse county, the Borup ditch
! IN Norman county, the Ada ditch IN Norman
| county the Snake river ditch in Polk county
| and the Kennedy ditch In Kittsou county.
! The Nustinka ditch is finished, The other
| bitches are incomplete, and will not De mn
| ished until next summer and fall. These
| bitches viii drain and reclaim vast area OF
| overlooked and wet lands, some OF when are
| owned by the state. Not only Will large
areas OF land be reclaimed by this compre-
henslye system Of drainage. but the entire
| valley will be affected and undergo vast
| Improvement and change for the better.
Wet lands have caused late seeding ana late
maturing crops, and these crops have had 10
| contend with carly frost. Drained lands
| lead to early seeding and to early crops be-
| yond the reach of the frost. The Red river
| valley contains some of the richest ana most
| fertile lands in the state. Some OF these
lands are low. wet and oFerfiowed, and re
! quire drainage TO become arabic and pro-
ductive
The work of drainage is TOO extensive to be
| carried on by local enterprise and local
! means. the federal government gave our
| state large grant of lands 10 be USED III
| draining ana reciaimlng just such I0nds as
! these. The stale having accepted the lands,
| stands morally, if not technically, charged
! with the trust. and IN expeEding money LOT
| this work of drainage, is doing no more than
what it fairly undertook TO do when 1t
| accepted the grant. The contracts that have
| been let Will nearly exhaust the money that
| mas been appropriated. There Is still g con-
| siderable amount of drainage that ought TO
| be undertaken By the state OF this perhaps
| the most extensive and important is the open
| ing OF the Middle river near Argyle Ill Mar
shall county. This involves often as large.
| as difficult and as expensive as the sand Hill
| river in Polk county.
The Strengthening and dyking OF the Otter
| Tai river IN NilKin county, and the opening
OF the Rabbit river in Grant county, are also
works of Importance There are, in addition
| 10 those mentioned, many other important
places where drainage, too extensive for
! private enterprise is urgently needed and
called for. | have visited and personally
| examined all the bitches | have referred to
ana nearly all the localities where further
GItchIQg Is needed. More funds are required
TO complete this system or drainage, ana
| am confident that no money Can be eXpend-
ed to greater advantage or with better re-
| suits than for this purpose. l, therefore,
| earnestly recommend this matter to your
favorable consideration and attention.
municipal Government
The Importance of securing a more uni
| form, more complete and well-guarded syS-
| TEN Of municipal government for our larger
| towns IS evident and pressing. Since the
adoption of the constitutional amendment
OF 1892 lnhiDItlng special legislation, the
| necessity Tor a WeL-dIgeSted general plan
| has become still more urkent No part CT
| the American system of government has eX-
| hIbiteQ more defects or been SUBJECT t. more
/ Just crl lciSm tE8n the mode il which cur
| municipal affairs are managed. Aside from
| the city OF Washington. where the govern
! ment Is practically III the hands of the Uresi-
! n ted
! there seem TO be TWO methods in vogue in
| establishing city governments. b one plan
! the legislative department OF the state gov
| erument prepares and enacts in detail the
| entire scheme ana plan OF municipal gov
eminent; by the other plan the people OF the
| city are left to perfect and adopt their own
! municipal system. The latter plan is of
| more recent origin. but has proved quite
satisfactory where tried. II you proceed on
| TINS line II VIII ueCessitate the enactment
| ana submission.tO the people of a suitable
| constitutional amendment
state Census.
Pursuant to Section % of Article " of the
| Constitution. il IS your duty TO provide for q
| census of the state during the present year
! Provision should be made. not only for
| correct enumeration of the inhabitants, but
also 10 Ia correct census OF the real and per
! sOual property. the manufacturing, agricult-
! ur2I. mining and commercial industries of
| the state. and of the labor and capital en-
| erly taken, Will be valuable guide III The
! future progress OF ouI state. la order to in
sure correctness the Wo i'll its detail ought
! not TO be committed TO local assessors, but to
| some other pubic functionaFy or TO persons
| especially appointed for that purpose.
Legislation in tue Interest of Labor.
The factory act of 1898 has. on the whole
| fulfilled the purpose for which it was enact
| ed. There are some minor defects developed
| Ia the practical workings of the law that
! should he correCSed. oar mine industry
leeds q mine INSPECTION law III spirit and
! purpose similar 10 the factory Inspection
! law. Chapter IS of the General Laws of 1898
| the so-cailed Personal Liberty law, should be
amended so as to be clearer, more specific
ana more stringent in It's provisions
Recent labor strikes. prolonged aud extens-
i've, strongly suggest the Importance OF ell
acting suitable laws for the Cancellation or
arbitration of disputes between capital and
LABOR, III some tribunal or before some board
designated by law. Inesmuch as both capital
and LABOR have the undoubIed right to make
3 peaoeaDie strike. compulsory arbitration is
not warranted and would be unWiSe. But in
most cases II 4 proper tribunal with malicious
safeguards were provided, capital and labor
would both be disposed TO voluntarily submit
their controversies 10 arbitration And the
uQe OF public opinion would, in Sucn eases.
not only iWpel the parties into such court.
but would mako lis DEGREES respected ana
Oaeyed. He who would refuse to arDltrate,
or. having submitted 10 arbitration. would
refuse to accept The result would forfeit all
puDlic approval, and would, in the outcome
ana III one form or another have 10 submit
In the presence of so much idle labor need
ing the assistance of public and private
charity, it would be proper 10 consider the
wisdom OF giving our various municipalities
/ more enlarged powers to raise ana ext end
funds in The construction of waterworks
sewerage, streets, parks, electric lights and
other essential urban facilities to the end
that sucn public improvements could be
made III manner 10 afford labor TO those
VINO without such labor would have to rely
| on charity OF some Kind for their support.
The object OF such legislation should not be
to authorize needless i'm proyement, but to
give the needy unemployed the preference
IN obtaining municipal work, which they do
not have under the ordinary contract sys-
TEN.
Banks and Loan and Trust COM
panies
II IS the duty of the public examiner, I'm.
der existing laws, to examine into the al
fairs and ascertain the financial condition of
banks, saving associations and loan and trust
companies and report the same TO the COVER
nor. with such recommendations as he may
deem pertinent. However precarioUs the
| condition of Inc bank may be, about all the
| governor is specifically authorized to do on
| receiving such report is 10 publish the same.
This. in case of banks or loan and trust com
panies that are insolvent or that have i'm
| paired their capital, is Wholly Inadequate.
The powers of the pubic examiner should
be so enlarged, by appropriate legislation
that III case he asceTtains that any bank or
loan and trust company has, through any
cause, impaired its capital or become insOlv-
ent, or has conducted its business in defiance
or violation OF law. then and in either case.
! 1t should be his duty, and he should have the
power to require the stockholders and officers
of such bank or loan and trust company.
upon reasonable notice, 10 be designated bv
him. 10 replace The capital impaired or. in
case of insolvency. to meet ali liabilities :;
and in case the ptal i'm paired Is not SO re-
placed, or the insolvency existing is not so
provided for within the time limited by him.
then he should have the power and it should
be his duty TO at once institute proceedings
in court TO have such bank or loan and trust
company placed in the hands of receiver
for the purpose of closing up its business and
distributing its effects among its creditors
| Powers similar TO this-Iudeed more arbi-
tTaTy and dTastic-are given to the comptroll-
er of the currency in respect to national
banks, and such powers have proved TO be
both effective and necessary safeguards
The public examiner should only be re-
quired to report to the governor the condi-
| ton OF those banks and loan and trust COM