Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-01-11
GOV. J A. JOHNSON
MAKES ADDRESS
Ills First Annual Message Deals With Facts That
Are of General Interest to All Citizens
of this Great Commonwealth -.

Ing. lighting and ventilation. with a view
TO the 5 Ersat rnr comfort Of the pupils
all rural school houses should be. con-
structed In the future upon plans sub
mltted to and approved by competent au-
thority. believe the special state aid
provided during recent years has done
much to raise the standard and Increase
this liberal policy will be continued. Ade-
uuate and intelligent supervision for this
class of schools is as essential as for
think change in our law is necessary
whereby our county superintendent vii,
not only be paid adequately for their
should be at least commensurate with
those OF other county, officers. and with
do a like amount Of work and in return
Tor a proper compensation, there should
pc some requirement which would guar
sion Of our rural schools. Believing. that
the educational system OF our state should
De divorced from partisan politics as far
as possible and that superintendents
Snoulu be chosen because Of their e6uca-
tionai qualifications instead Of their par
tlsan politics. ] would urge and recon-
mend such changes in our laws as would
whose duty would include the appoint
ment Of county superintendent and
such other school duties only as are now
pStACA AiCN ny Tie UOdTu VI county COM
miSsiOnerS.
During the last ten years the duties
imposed upon the department Of public
the working. force during ali this time
has increased with but a Single clerk. and
the funds at the disposal Of the depart
ment have been only CORRESPONDENCE in
creased. In view of the increased duties
OF this department touching every branch
Of our public schools and other educa-
t tiea service: recommend that the leg
Cow
slstant. and that the permanent fund Of
the working. force Of the Office be made
$4,000 annually.
TIMBER TREsPASS AND MINERAL
LEASES
Inc public examiner of Minnesota
states IN his official report that hundreds
of thousands of dollars are due the state
by reason of timber trespass. and urges
suits for the collection of the amounts
due He states further, that suits have
fasss a t6s for the Of back
panies.. The work of prosecuting these
cases has been delayed. he reports. by
the ~ INABILITY ability Of the attorney general to
other duties. There should be no cessa-
ton In the prosecution of these claims.
i ana 1 would suggest to you the advisa
appropriation: for the employment of spe-
cial counsel to take up the work Of COL
Letting the amounts claimed to be due
makes reference also to timber trespass.
bearing out the statement Of the public
examiner. From these two offices the
been openly violated and it appears that
the statement of the public examiner,
That 1t was cheaper to steal the timber
and settle for it than it was to buy it,
is in some measure true. It is alleged
also that thousands of dollars worth OF
timber has been stolen from the state, Of
which no report has been made. It would
m rJofc c1rf4S 13~ H. A~
enable the executive to make complete
Investigation Of our timber conditions,
with view Of bringing offenders to jus
tice and securing to the school funds of
the state the amounts properly belong
The public examiner further states, as
leases have been issued contrary to law,
and to persons not legally entitled to hold
them; assure you that proper steps will
caution AGAINST future Violations As Of p tSe
law that this class Of property may yield
to the state the greatest possible revenue,
IeG9mm me a. the u passage OF bin to
public auction to the highest bidder, and
that every such sale should be after due
and proper advertisement. and after a
meteorological examination Of the land by
the state before such sale. Within a few
years vast mineral beds have been un-
covered. and there IS reason to believe
low. The Interests Of the state must be
safeguarded in every possible way, and I
again call your attention to this most inn
portant question.
RAILWAY LEGISLATION.
One of the great problems of the pres
ent time and which is of the greatest and
most vital concern to the people repre-
sented by you, is that Of railway transpor-
1ation and tariff rates for the same.
There is no need to rehearse the history
Of recent litigation affecting combina-
tons Of parallel and competing railway
lines. The United States supreme court
in 4 decision rendered by it, has decreed
against the merger of such PARALLEL anG