The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1908-06-05

Duluth. ~
Inc newly created tar con,,
oee'her with the state board Of eouaI'
,Aa'on. which preceded it 1.-THE mem
oers OF which were appointed hv
Governor Johnson), have in the -four,
years OF Governor Johnson's adm,n,s
.rauon increased the assessed v.I,.
ion OF the steel corporations iron ore
noiaings in Minnesota from SAP 600 ooo
to $4,000, 900. -'''O'OOO
Inc sieepingcar companies q, Min.
nesCta had never paid taxes IN Me-
heso'a In proportion to their e.-r;Dn.
4 ne governor recommended a change
IN the system of taxing these comnan.
les and a satisfactory law was enacted
similarly rational law as to mort.
gage taxation was enacted
Railway Regulation.
taxing up freight rates, Governor
Johnson In a powerful speech SO ex.
haustively and conclusively barred sx.
isung 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
ieeislation. this voluntary reduction
was followed by a horizontal rsd,o-
uon In maximum freight rates OF about
Is per cent. and there was creatsd
new class of merchandise tariff, In
which the rates were reduced ahou.
~ per cent The railways took these
reductions into the United States
courts. by enjoining the attorney gen.
erai OF Minnesota from enforcing the
law. This action has opened I'D some
OF the most important litigation in.
VoiVing constitutional Interpretation
mat has come before the supreme
court In this generation.
The Two-cent Law.
Inc 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 platitudinous 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 a convention
OF commercial travellers. Immediate
ly the state was afiame with this limo.
walton In railway legislation. When
the legislature met. he asked for a law
embodying this idea and the legisla.
ture quickly responded. Neighborins
states followed with reductions. and
now throughout the middle northwest
the two-cent rate prevails
About the time Governor johnson
came into off!ce 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
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 a free state employment blu.
reau designed to eliminate the many
abuses that have marked private en-
ployment bureaus in the great labor
centers Of Minnesota. Such bureau
was created and has been thoroughly
helpful and widely efficient
Since time immemorial. that relic
Of feudalism, the common law doc
trine OF non-liabil.ty Of employer to
employee for injuries occurring
through the negligence Of a fellow
servant has prevailed In Minnesota. az
well as in many other states. This
ancient rule OF the common law" said
Gov. Johnson, coupled with the other
rule generally referred to as the doc
trine of the assumption of risk by
employees, has cast upon the fndivid-
ual laborer q risk and responsibility
out Of proportion to the wages he re-
ceives."
During his term Of office Gov. John
son has had to deal with one great
conflict between labor and capital.
the strike OF the miners on
the Minnesota iron ranges. By direct
personal Intervention. by advice to the
on the one hand and the
strikers on the other. the governor sue
ceeded. without the use Of state troops.
In preventing violence and bloodshsd.
In the forests and prairies Of north
ern Minnesota are great extents OF
fertile land, which. owing to lack OF
drainage, have not been available for
Thanks to Gov. johnson.
additional legislation on this subject
was secured, and hundreds of thou
sands OF acres of fertile land WIN b
added to the rolls of the states
wealth
Gov. Johnson believes In the muni-
cipal ownership Of public utilities, and.
following his suggestion. modified
form of the Illinois Mueller law was
adopted by the Minnesota legislature.
Under its provisions q municipality
may bond its street railways or other
"a. ..s,sxto~ 80 my tho cost of the