The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-24
SENATOR NELSON
SPEAKS FOR DUNN
Continued From First Page

been almost an unsettled wilderness.
where it was difficult to stop or discover
trespassers on the public land. The lum-
bermen were ever on the alert with their
army of cruisers and choppers. To fol-
low this army, to keep track of their
depredations and to secure the necessary
proof, in such an immense wilderness,
with a mere handful of men at his COM
mand-only four crulsers-was no easy
task. It was struggle of the few against
the many.
When all this is taken into account the
surprise is not that he failed to collect
more from these treSpasSerS. but that he
succeeded in collecting so much: He has
had the same fortune that President
Roosevelt has had in his efforts against
the trusts. He has encountered the NOR
tai enmity of some of the treSpaSSerS
The. act of 1895 provided for double; or
treble damages in case of willful timber
treSpass. But our supreme court in the
case of the State VS.. Shevlin 81 Carpen-
ter Co., has for practical purposes neu-
tralized this law. SO that it is now diff da5
cult If not wellnigh impossible, to col
lect more than actual damages.
AS Collector
Trespassing on the state timber has been
going on. more or less. for the last one
third of a century-ever since numbering
began in the northern part of our. state.
It was more prolific and more easily ,, car
years ago than In recent years, Tor less
Watchfulness and less care was then in
b It Is to M neoa
of eight years. he collected ten times as
much money for timber trespass as had
been collected during the thirty years
next preceding. 1t may be that some
trespassers were sharp enough to escape
him, but the number compared with those
ae ea aa h nee nd IN Il the Tse
in the value of timber be taken into &C
count. it will be found that Mr.. Dunn set
tied at a much higher rate for the timber
taken than any of his predecessors.
A large number of unauthorized timber
permits issued by his predecessor, based
upon mere nominal wholly unreliable and
utterly insufficient estimates of timber,
and at a price far below the real value,
he either entirely Cancelled or forced the
men who had secured the permits to set,
tie. not on the basis of the quantity and
price specified in the permit. but on the
basis of the timber actually cut or stand
ing on the ground covered by the permit,
and It's full market value. Cases OF this
kind are too numerous to specify in de-
tail on this occasion. While governor.
several of these unauthorized permits
came under my observation, and know
of my own knowledge that Mr.. Dunn
when he became auditor disposed of them
in the way have indicated, to the great
advantage and profit of the state.
Gross Earning Tax
advocated and still favors and advo-
Gates, an increase in the gross earnings
tax from per cent to 4 per cent. The
great iron companies had for years es.
taxes. Mr.. Dunn was largely instrument
tai in getting the law amended SO as to
make them pay their just share: Before
year; last year $500, 900. He was also in
strumental in securing legislation giving
our state board Of equalization ampler
power to adjust inequalities and discrep-
ancies.
But cannot go into further details on
this occasion. Mr.. Dunn has not only
t bre an ofscer. but has also brought his
/ energy and knowledge Of the interests
of the state to bear on the legislative
department to secure the laws that were
welfare of our state The state has had
no listless or Indifferent drone in Office
in him. He was ever alert and vigilant
on behalf of the state and its interests,
both as legislator and auditor.
"Oh," say some who never mingle much
with the rank and file of our common
humanity and who are, at least in their
own minds. on a loftier pedestal. Mr..
Dunn is not refined; he is rather coarse,
and has been known on occasions to
cath and On that OF ought
finement. q more fastidious man, is re-
quired for this Office.
1t is true that Mr.-Dunn is not Ches-
terfield in his ways. In the ceaSelesSs
strenuousness of our modern life the
sChesterfieldS have become obsolete and
mere academic quantities, A dignifed
mummy in the executive chair would no
doubt be fine to look upon, but not of
much practical use. A man of energy
and action, of vigilance and alertness is
required in the executive chair. He must
keep vigilant eye on all the varied in
terests of the state. He must be in
touch with the legislature and know how
to secure the necessary legislation. He
must be able to meet, contend with, and
not be overreached by, all kinds of
spoilsmen. He must possess an encyclo-
pedia of knowledge of state affairs and
public men, Sometimes. for the good
Of the state, he must be mild hammered,
argue, and implore and at other times
Ebe must almost assume the attitude of a
pugilist, to fend of unconscionable and
overpersistent spoilsmen. And such a
man, in his texture and makeup, and by
training, Is Mr.. Dunn.