The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-17
STATE PRESS AND LEGISLATURE

STATE PRESS AND LEGISLATURE
Browns Valley Tribune-If the legis-
lature is going to pass the new code.
section by section, and it should pass
it In no other way, 1t is time to get busy.
Hokah Chief-The legislature surely
has enough figures and facts at hand to
show that something is radically wrong In
the method Of fixing railroad freight
rates. Then why not act?' The hight
has been turned on and the people Will
soon know who controls the legislature.
Man Is known by his works, and legis-
lators will be judged accordingly.
Fairmont Sentinel-The free textbook
bill before the legislature is meeting vio-
lent opposition and 1t deserves all the
opposition it has met. This bill provides
that all school districts In the state shall
provide free textbooks for their pupils,
and in case they fail to do so the public
state school fund shall be Withdrawn from
such district. We already have law
which permits the people to have free
textbooks If they want them, and that is
enough.
Little Falls Transcript-A bill is before
the legislature providing that the rail-
road and warehouse commission should
be appointed by the governor. The sys-
tenn Of electing these members by the
vote of the people has not been as sat
isfactory as was hoped. The people have
taken but little interest in the nominal;
tons or elections. The commission
should have ample powers, and be ap-
pointed by the governor. The main in
terest in a state campaign is bound to
be over the selection of a governor, and
the more responsibility he has the bet
ter.
Morris Sun-A bill is being prepared for
introduction in the state legislature which
is interesting and at the same time seems
to have considerable merit. It is designed
to provide for the nomination of state
officers under the primary system, and
would effect this purpose by a combina-
ton of the primary and convention plans.
The plan is a simple one, and it is this
simplicity which recommends it. 1t may
have its weak points, but seemingly it
would be an improvement over the pres
ent plan.
Faribault Pilot-The committee of the
Minnesota legislature in charge Of the
reciprocal demurrage bill now pending in
that body spent considerable time last
week listening to arguments of the rail-
way corporation attorneys against the
passage of the bill. These railway at
torneys protested too much. There are
thousands of complaints against the
railway corporations by the citizens Of
Minnesota for the delays to promptly
furnish cars to shippers and for charg-
ing shippers demurrage when it was i'm
possible for them to unload the cars
within the time allowed. Surely there
must be some reason for so general
complaint by the public in this matter.
The demurrage scheme as it now exists
may be perfect for the railway cor
porations but very imperfect for the peo-
pie. Let's have a little reciprocity.
Lamberton Star-A bill has been intro
duced in the legislature to make county
offices four-year terms. Under the pri-
mary system this would be a good change
as at present it takes about one years
| salary to get into office, and there would
! be more show of getting good men If the
| term was for four years.
| Hector Mirror-A bill has been intro
| duced into the legislature to increase the
terms Of county officers to four years.
It also provides that there shall be no
election until 1908. which would give the
present incumbents four-year terms.
altho they were elected for only two,
| Better appoint them for life and cut out
| the election altogether.
Owatonna Journal-The legislature has
appropriated $4,000 for the purpose of
| purchasing a table service of plate or
some other suitable gift for the proud yes
| sci which the government has honored by
! calling the Minnesota. The Minnesota
will be one of the largest and best fight
ing machines in the navy, and bids fair
| to uphold the prestige of the state from
| which it derives it's name.
/ Franklin Tribune-Just now country
newspapers are flooded with appeals from
bankers merchants and other interests
| asking them to use their influence in the
| passage of this and that bill, before the
state legislature. And in the face of all
this some fellows have the supreme i'm
pudence to say that country newspapers
WELD no influence.
Eveleth News-A bill is to be intro.
duced in the state legisla ture providing
for free state employment bureau. 1t
would be a good thing. if run right, and
and wage earners.
u Morris Sun-An attempt is being made
at this session of the legislature to pass a
bill providing for the payment of road
| taxes in cash instead of labor. This
would undoubtedly be good thing, pro-
vided some definite system of working
roads under competent direction of a
: county superintendent were also adopted
Otherwise the present plan of allowing
each township to work out it's own sal
walton in the matter of making roads is
perhaps as good as any, and judging by
the roads one is inclined to think thai
4 thoughts of any kind of salvation do not
enter into the minds of the road-makers
when the roads are being built. The cash
plan does not meet with the approval O.
the farmers as general thing, and it is
not likely that bill of this kind would
pass.