New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1907-01-09

these nominations. The present ~
tenn of permitting any citizen to -
clare himself candidate for nomfna-
ton by the mere filing of a nomination
fee suggests a possibility of having a
totally unfit and unworthy man to be-
come the nominee of the political
party with which he aff1liates. A sug
gestion worthy of consideration is that
nomination for the primary election.
or the right of a citizen to have his
name placed upon the ballot, should
be by petition only. The number of
petitioners should be sufficient to pre-
vent frivolous candidates., but not so
high as to bar worthy aspirants. There
of the primary election law so as to
include state officers. While this is
correct in theory, and should ultimate
~ be accomplished, believe that its
extension to state officers should be
deferred until the law is corrected in
its application to its present field OF
operation.
Labor Legislation.
desire to renew a previous sug-
gestion to the legislature upon a sub
Ject which is of great interest to the
working people of the state and which
is generally described as the common
law doctrine as to the non-liability OF
a master to servant for injuries ec-
curing through the negligence OF
fellow servant
Whatever may have been proper as
to this common law doctrine in the
past the present law is certainly not
suited to the present time, when high
geared and dangerous machinery per-
forms such large part in the prodHc-
ton of manufactured articles and in
the construction of buildings.
Your intention is invited to the sue
cess that has attended the opening OF
free public labor employment agency
under the auspices of the. state labor
department and to the wisdom of an
expansion of such free. employment
agencies.
In connection with the subject of
labor legislation / also wish to sub
nit to you the desirability of increas
ing the number of labor inspectors.
not only for inspection of shops and
factories, but for prevention. of child
labor and enforcement: Of the truancy
! laws, to the end that there, may be an
Inspector in each of the nine congress
| sional districts Of the state.
| Governor Johnson here devotes con-
| siderable space to the various state
| departments and to the subjects OF
| good roads, drainage and forestry and
suggests what he believes would he
/ improvements in existing laws. He
| also recommends the adoption of
| uniform divorce law and calls atten.
ton to the merits of the advisory
| initiative and referendum. i.
Public Ownership.
Public ownership of public utilities
is fast becoming an accomplished fact
in many of the cities and villages of
the state: IF a city,; village or town
| desires to conduct it's public utilities
I by and for the public, after having Sc
!, decided by a majority vote, there can
J be no objection to allowing the munfc-
ipality to raise the money necessary
sees fit. Under our present laws it ia
| permitted to bond all the property al
/ the community for this purpose It.
4 on the other hand, it can find persons
who are willing to loan the money
upon the property of the public utility
desired to operate, pledging only tins
property OF the public utility loaned
on, there can be no objection ON the
part OF owners of other and general
property. This plan would remove the
objection sometimes urged against mut
nicipal ownership, that: it Injuries the
u credit Of a city or village and that ii
is not fair to tax non-users of These
utilities for the benefit of the users.
This expression of an advanced public
| opinion is found in our neighboriag
state of Illinois in the enacselent OF
the so-called Mueller law, which has
been sustained in the courts, and ap.
plies in that state to the acquisitlon
by municipalities of street railway
properties. The idea is just and cor.
rect and its enactment in this state
would undoubtedly have the effect OF
regulating in no small measure our
privately owned public utilities, il not
in acquiring them for the public use.
Fight on Harvester Trust.
During the past two years the state
prison Irvine plant has been materially
enlarged; the output amounting during
this period to 24,50O,OO0 pounds, which
was sold at price amounting to S..
100000. 1t is conseryatively estimated
that the farmers of this state have
been benefited to the extent of at least
3 cents per pound, amounting to ap-
proximately s750,O00, while the state
at the same time has made net profit
of $410,000, thus Welding during the
two years a net profit to the state and
the citizens thereof of more than 81, s
| 100000. The National Cordage com