Fair play., 1908-04-25

owned iron mines. The governor
recommended royalty tax on the out
put of these mines, He did not get 1t,
but the United States Steel Corpora
tion bound itself as substitute to
establish a s2o,OOO,OOO steel plant at
Duluth.
The newly created tax commission,
together with the state board of equal
ization, which preceded 1t (the men,
bers of which were appointed by
Governor Johnson), have in the four
years of Governor Johnsons admins.
tration increased the assessed valua-
ton of the steel corporations iron ore
holdings in Minnesota from s32 100000
to s190,000,000.
The sleepingcar companies OF Min
nesota had never paid taxes in Min
nesota In proportion to their earnings.
The governor recommended a change
in the system OF taxing these compan-
les and satisfactory law was enacted.
Similarly, a rational law as to mort
gage taxation was enacted
Railway Regulation.
Taking up freight rates, Governor
Johnson in a powerful speech so ex-
haustively and conclusively barred ex-
isting unequal and exorbitant rates
that the railway companies voluntarily
made a reduction of ten per cent. on
grain rates on their lines in northern
Minnesota. BY order of the railway
commission, reinforced by subsequent
| legislation. this voluntary reduction
was followed by a horizontal reduc-
ton in maximum freight rates of about
| 13 per cent, and there was created
a new class of merchandise tariff in
which the rates were reduced about
20 per cent. The railways took these
reductions into the United States
courts, by enjoining the attorney gen.
eral OF Minnesota from enforcing the
law. This action has opened up some
Of the most important litigation In
volving constitutional Interpretation
| that has come before the supreme
| court in this generation.
The Two.cent Law.
The enactment of the two-cent pas
senger tariff law was an example OF
| Governor Johnson's celebrity OF action.
| Invited to address the Minnesota Edi-
| torial association, instead OF making
the usual plattudinous address on
! such occasions, he exploded the two
| cent bomb and urged that an end be
put to the giving Of passes. He talked
on the same subject to convention
OF commercial travellers. Immediate
! ly the state was afiame with this inno-
vation in railway legislation. When
| the legislature met, he asked for a law
embodying this idea and the legisla.
ture quickly responded. Neighboring
states followed with reductions. and
now throughout the middle northwest
the two-cent rate prevails.
About the time Governor Johnson
came into office there was a wide
spread agitation for reciprocal demur-
rage laws, which would compel rail-
ways to allow shippers demurrage
charges for failure to deliver cars on
time. Governor Johnson ever abreast
OF popular progress, recommended
such law and got it,
Thanks to his initiative, the orders
of the Minnesota Railroad and Ware
house commission are now Immediate
ly effective, pending appeal.
In Defense of Labor.
Governor Johnson, in consonance
with his thorough democracy, and
believing in equal rights. has not been
negleCtful of the interests of labor. He
desired free state employment bu
reau designed to eliminate the many
abuses that have marked private EN-
ployment bureaus in the great labor
centers OF Minnesota. Such a bureau
was created and has been thoroughly
helpful and widely efficient.
Since time immemorlal, that relic
Of feudalism. the common law doc
trine of non-liabiity of employer tc
employe for injuries occurrins
through the negligence Of a fellow
servant has prevailed in Minnesota, a!
well as In many other states. "Thi!
ancient rule of the common law" saic
Gov. Johnson, coupled with the othe
rule generally referred to as the doc
trine OF the assumption of risk b,
= employees, has cast upon the fndivid
ual laborer risk and responsible,
out OF proportion to the wages he re
ceives"
Durisg his term OF office Gov. John
son has had to deal with one grea
l conflict between labor and capita
namely, the strike OF the miners O
j. the Minnesota iron ranges. By direc
personal intervention, by advice to tn
q employers on the one hand and tn
i strikers on the other, the governor SUI
= ceeded. without the use OF state troop!
J. in preventing violence and bloodsheC
I In the forests and prairies OF nortl
/ ern Minnesota are great eXtents
!, fertile land, which, owing to lack
l. drainage, have not been available fc
cultivation. Thanks to Gov. johnson
=, additional legislation on this subjet
n was secured, and hundreds of tho
:. sands OF acres of fertile land will b
v added to the rolls of the state
wealth.
Gsv. Johnson believes in the nun
r cipal ownership of public utilities, an
s. following his suggestion, a modifie
IS form of the Illinois Mueller law We
Ie adopted by the Minnesota legislator
n Under its provisions municipali
n, may bond its street railways or oth'
n. public utilities to pay the cost of Il
y, purchase and operation of the same,
e, Minnesota, leading agricultur
a state, has long had to contend wi
p the cordage trust, which has prac
" cal monopoly of the binding twill
used in harvesting. For many yea
4 txtrt,