Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-20
TELLS OF GREAT
WEALTH Of STATE
GOVERNOR OF MINNESOTA Is
IN LOS ANGELES
Democratic Executive Pleased With
California and Hopes to Event.
ually Make His Home in
Delightful Climate

II believe that men of all parties all
over the United States think that Pres
ident Roosevelt is doing all in his
power to regulate railroads. The ex-
treme difficulty of his position can
hardly be realized by any one outside
the inner circle of politics." said Gov.
John A. Johnson of Minnesota, who is
in Los Angeles with his wife on a
pleasure trip.
Governor Johnson is the second Dem
ocratic governor to be elected in
Minnesota since that state was ad-
mitted to the Union in 1858. AT the
presidential election of 1900 Mckinley
was given the largest Republican ma :
jority ever given from Minnesota up
to that time, which was $4,000 votes.
In 1904 Roosevelt received majority
of $4,000 votes and Gov. Johnson was
elected on the Democratic ticket by a
majority of 10000.
Local issues were the main causes
of Gov. Johnson's election, according
to his assertion, made last night at
his rooms at the Van Nuys hotel. He
said, in part: Although l am a Dem
ocrat, | fully believe that President
Roosevelt is doing everything in his
power to act for the best interests of
the country. The mere fact that he is
of another political party than myself
does not necessarily initiate against
my understanding that he is wholly
honest and sincere.
Study Insurance Question
'In Minnesota we have been taking
a very active interest in the large in
surance companies, and we have been
trying to make laws that would en-
able us to regulate them with some
degree of precision. Not prohibitive
laws. but such rules as would force
them to be fair and honest In their
dealings with the public.
Il appointed an insurance commits
sioner and nearly all the other states
have done likewise, and in January the
insurance commissioners of the states
of Wisconsin, Kentucky, Nebraska and
Minnesota WILL with the governors of
the states named, confer on the sub
ject of insurance regulation.
"Then after the conference from the
four states l have mentioned is over
there will be another national confer
ence in which the insurance commits
sioners of every state will join with
the governors and President Roosevelt
and there is n great likelihood that
here will something leading be done.
"At the present time in Minnesota
the insurance commissioner and eX-
aminer examines the affairs and books
of the insurance companies just as the
state bank examiner goes into the af-
fairs of the banks of the state. This
is our aim and our ideal, that no in
surance company doing business on an
unsound basis shall be allowed to even
begin operations in Minnesota, and If
any are now there of that class they
will soon be banished.
Likes Los Angeles
"What do 1 think OF Los Angeles? ?
Well, now. that seems to me to be a
rather unnecessary question.
"Of all the visitors to this city whom
you have interviewed since you have
been here. has any one of them ever
manifested any dissatisfaction with
Los Angeles? No? Well, that is ex-
actIy my state of mind. Really.
though, Los Angeles seems to me to
be more metropolitan than any other
city on the coast. San Francisco is a
larger city, of course, but it is a typi-
cal western town. Now, Los Angeles
might be any of the eastern cities to
look at 1t. Only / viii say mat there
are very few eastern cities so beauti-
fully built as Los Angeles. There is an
air of hustle and prosperity about this
city that / failed to ana in san Fran
cisco and the other cities TO The north
of California.
california Is large producer of
gold | understand Well that seems
natural, for this is "a ally mountain-
GUS country where m nerals might be
expected. But I'M Nlal way we are
mineral producers iu Minnesota. In
the small ranges o. mountains to the
north of Duluth There Is C. siderable
quantity of iroH ore mined each year.
Last year Minnesota produced 2l,OOO.-