Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-09-30
valuation Of railroad properties as basis
for maximum freight tariff.


Ing insurance and regulation Of insurance
companies, reorganization Of the state in
s 81! department. the abolition of tho
be paid into the state treasury, thereby
placing the department for the first time
IN the states history on an efficient busi-
Increased appropriations for roads and
brldges, and the creation of a state
highway commission. appointive by the
governor, for thoroughgoing and scien-
tific development of state system Of
New laws and revision Of former stat
utes for development of state drainage,
including an act creating a state drain
age commission, consisting Of the govern
or, state auditor and secretary Of state.
with authority to develop and carry into
effect a comprehensive plan for the ulti-
mate drainage Of the states vast acreage
OF swamp lands. amounting to several
millions OF acres granted to the state by
the general government, and with addi-
tional provisions governing the drainage
o Of county and private lands and the as
Legislation and state aid for the de-
velopment and extension Of the states
rural schools.
Numerous statutes and increased ap-
preparation for the, development Of the
dapGr legislation protecting labor in
defining the liabilities of employers. en-
forcing the child labor and truancy laws,
increasing state factory inspection. and
Dc
Proposed Constitutional amendment.
submitting to you the extension Of the
powers OF the legislature to enable the
Just and adequate taxation Of corpora
tons and many classes of property which
now escape their proper share Of tho
New laws. for the proper and efficient
taxation Of inheritances.
Authority. for the annual examination
public examiner.
New legislation to increase the eff
cheney and extend the capacity Of the
farmers of Minnesota to properly defend
themselves against the exactions Of tho
binder Irvine trust.
Rendering Account Of Stewardship.
The practical results of this progress.
sive and constructive legislation and
the aggressive and successful admins
trative and executive acts which car
ried these laws into effective execu-
ton, you have watched from time to
time. I outlined them to you some
what at length in the campaign of two
years ago. presented them to you in
accounting for my stewardship as your
public servant and chief executive
agent. Naturally l was proud of my
stewardship. My worthy opponent
Bays "dS uIluulJ plOuU VI lily
stewardship. Perhaps I was. But I
want to say now, and l am willing
to make the admission as strong as
you desire, that the chief credit for
this work is due not to myself, nor
even to the legislature which strength
ened my hands and in every prac-
ticabIe manner gave the great CO.
operation of its appropriations and
legal authority, but to the sovereign
people of Minnesota whose servants
we were, and whose instructions regis
| tered at the polls we followed to the
best of our only too feeble ability.
! That you considered that we had acted
| in good faith and that our stewardship
was fairly satisfactory to you was
shown by your verdict at the polls.
when you gave it your endorsement by
over 10000 plurality.
For Advancement Of the Common
| wealth.
In 1904 and 1906 you saw fit to elect
| a legislature that was Republican in
both bodies to serve in conjunction
| with Democratic executive. In my
inaugural address to that legislature
! I referred to the fact that as your
| legislative and executive servants we
were chosen by the same people to
! serve the same cause, and that our
| labors were, therefore, dedicated to
! one and the same purpose, to carry out
your will for the moral, educational,
! civic and material advancement Of this
| commonwealth.
On that platform, the following
measures, recommended by me in
| whole or in part, and introduced and
| supported by legislative members re-
CARELESS of party lines, were adopted
and approved and made part of the law
| of this state as embodied in the gen.
eral statutes of 1907:
! Constitutional Tax Amendment.
! The re-submission of the constitutional
tax amendment extending the powers OF
| the legislature so as to enable the s1ate
! to adopt the most modern and up-to-date
measures Of taxation especially to reach
those classes of corporate and other prop
| erty which now escape in large measure
| their Just share Of taxes-an amendment
| which you have the opportunity 70 en-
dorse with your ballots in this election
The Tax Commission.
The creation Of a permanent tax com
! mission to make thorough and scientific
investigation of tax and assessment laws
| and conditions in this state, to make q
thorough and just re-valuation Of prop
! critics now only in part or rnedually as
! local assessors, equalization boards and
taxation officers, with a view to securing
! equality, justice and efficiency Of assess
| ment and taxation as between the differ
| ent counties. towns industries. and prop
| erty classes, the compilation of all our
| existing tax laws with recommendations
for future taxation reforms, and the gen.
eral supervision and enforcement of our
| laws for assessment and taxation.
The submission to you OF consttu-
| tional amendment establishing the road
| and bridge fund and authorizing the leg
| islature to levy an annual tax for con-
! structinS and improving roads and bridges
in this state.
Taxation Of mortgages by a just and
| registry tax.
| Railway Taxation, Etc.
Taxation Of sleeping car companies,
| which had hitherto almost entirely es-
! capped taxation, by a four per cent tax
on. their gross earnings: eeoo+:.
| taxation Of freight line companies.
| A law forbidding railroad and other
! transportation passes, and telephone, tele-
graph and express company franks, or
| in price not accorded to the general pub
! lie, and providing for the enforcement Of
this law by proper penalties OF fine and
A maximum passenger rate Of two
cents per. mile upon all railways in this
state, making a saving of millions of dol
The classification and reduction Of
freight rates on staple commodities, such
as grain, lumber, livestock, coal and like
| products, which constitute the great bulk
Of railroad tonnage; the act adopting such
reduction of freight rates being now in
| contest between the state and the rail-
road companies in the state and federal
| a Reciprocal demurraoe law recurring