The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-01-06


lieve that the giving or accepting OF
free railroad pass or a frank is IN.
tended in any way as a bride and yet
the mere acceptance OF the courtesy
necessarily places the recipient under
some slight. d easure OF obligation to
the corpora ION. Public officials and
men prominent in other walks OF life
| have been the beneficiarles OF this
system, which has been in vogue ever
since our existence as state; and the
| system has been SO much abused thaI
sentiment has become aroused against
a continuation CT the practice. All cor
porations do business on an earning
basis and every free pass Or favor
| granted by corporation IS OF neceS-
| s.ty paid for by the class or cltlzens
| who do not come within the favor OF
the corporations. Public opinion ID
this state has grown to such an extent
that there is a general demand for the
passage of a law similar TO that adopt
ed in the state of Wisconsin, and
which is most stringent and eFectGal.
! | would urge the adoption OF a law
which will abolish the pass system III
this state. The Legislature should not
hesitate to give expression to this sen
| timent.
PRISON LABOR.
Fora number Of years the state has
maintained plant at the state prison
lfOr the manufacture OF binding tWlne,
and the messages OF my several prede-
CeSsors in Office have in almost every
instance acknowledged the wisdom OF
| the establishment OF that plant. 1t is
q Profitable source OF employment for
our convict labor and, in addition
thereto, is Of great benefit 10 the farm
ers Of the state by giving to them
cheaper binding Irvine. The situation
| in this regard is peculiar to the extent
that in this Instance the convict labor
! thus employed is not thrown into com
| petition with the free labor OF the
state IL would be wisdom upon the
part Of the state to devote practically
I'll OF the prison labor to the manufac-
ture of binding Irvine. 1t would be a
SOurCe of revenue equal to that de-
rived from the manufacture OF other
products. Prison labor should not COM
pete with free labor II might be a
source OF economy 10 engage q pof-
tion OF this labor in the manufacture
OF shoes and clothing for the inmates
Of our other public institutions, but,
aside from this, | believe it would be
wise economical and profitable to ex-
tend the twire plant to such an extent
as to provide employment for the re-
mainGer. Our present contract system
is open TO a great deal of criticism.
BY the change suggested two results
would be accomplished, beth Of which
would be to the best interests of the
state.
LABOR LEGISLATION.
Another subject which is Of great
interest to the working people of our
etate is what may DE described as the
common law doctrine as to the non
liability of a master to servant for
injuries occurring through the negli-
gence Of fellow servant This an
cient rule Of the common law, coupled
with the other rule, generally referred
to as the doctrine OF the assumption
Of risk by employees, has cast upon the
individual labOrer 2 risk and reSpon-
sibility out OF all proportion to the
wages he receives Whatever may
have been said as to the prOpriety Of
the common law doctrine in the past
it is entirely unsuited to the present
era when high gea-ed and dangerous
machinery performs such large part
in the production OF manufactured
articles. This fact has been recog.
niZed in the matter of operating rail-
roads, the fellow servant" rule having
been abolished in this state as to them.
The true rule is that the industry
should bear the risk and not the I'm
fortunate warImen who are now daily
deprived OF the means of earning a
livelihood by those appalling accidents
which are occurring with more anu
more frequency of late.
SWAMP LAND DRAINAGE.
Vast tracts of land, located largely
in the northern part Of the state, are
at present a useless waste because
they are low, wet and untillable. This
land drained would reclaim to the
state countless acres rich in soil and
capable of profitable cultivation. l
urge upon your consideration the en-
actment of law having for it's pur-
pose the drainage of this land under
state supervision To do this | would
recommend the establishment OF re-
volving fund from which the expense
providing for this Improvement may
be met, the money thus expended to
be returned to this fund in deferred
payments, without interest, from taxes
levied upon and collected from the
lands benefited. The present system
is unsatisfactory.
| deem it my duty also to call your
attention to the national swamp land
grant. by which thousands of acres of
swamp land were decided to the state
with the understanding and consid-
Grafton that these lands were to be
drained by the state The duties ard
obligations thus imposed should be
met and the pledge made by the state
to carry out its part of this agreement
should most certainly be redeemed.
There is need at this time for gen.
eral revision of our present insurance
laws. Under present conditions insur-
ance companies are permitted to so
| transact their business that the inter
est of the policyholder is not fully pro-
! tected Such large amounts of the
peoples earnings are invested in vari-
Gus kinds of insurance that it is high
| ly necessary and proper that legisla-
| ton should be had at this session
which will not only make the super
vision of the insurance department
fair and efficient but which will absc-
lutely safeguard every interest Of the
policyholGer and which will compel
every company doing an insurance
business in the state to do that bust
ness upon a legitimate basis. The