The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-01-14
LEGISLATIVE TIPS
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OF street railways has been added
to the duties of the commission, and
now it is proposed to put telephone
and telegraph companies under their
supervision. This it is thought Is put
ting too much in addition to its pres
ent duties, upon the board of rail-
road and warehouse commissioners,
and it is suggested that the time has
arrived when to establish as a separ-
ate body commission to have super
vision of all public utilities other
than steam railroads as in New York
and Wisconsin, or to increase the
membership of the railroad board say
to five, and make provision in the
railroad department for a bureau
whose special duty will be to super
wise and control public utilities other
than railroads. Ordinarily am op-
posed to the multiplication of COM
missions or to any undue increase in
departments, but in, view of the
Growth and importance of public util-
tiles corporatiops, some such provis-
ion as that suggested appears to be
one of the pressing needs Of the near
future.
The introduction by Representative
Ware of Northfield, of bill provid-
ing for the nomination of county, con-
gressional and judicial candidates by
conventions, directs renewed atten-
ton to a problem which perhaps more
than any other is puzzling members
O: the legislature. All agree that the
present law is unsatisfactory. Indeed
I believe if the members consulted
their own judgment it would be wip-
ed off the statute books. They fear
the effect, however, of appearing to
wish to deprive the voters of the di-
rect voice they have exercised in the
nomination of candidates. But they
by no means agree on the best solu-
ticn of the problem. MIR. Wares is
only one of many remedies. Accord
ing to his plan, We would adopt again
the representative instead of the di-
rect system, insuring to the voters
rs full control over the choice of dele
gates to a representatives convention
aS they now have in the choice of
candidates. His method would give to
the people through their representa-
tives the iniative in the choice of
candidates, thus avoiding what prac-
tically the present law makes COM
pulsory, the candidates taking the in
itiative themselves and forcing the
people to choose between the various
rivals who have announced themselves
rs seeking their favor.
Representative Saugstad holds the
opposing view. While he admits that
theoretically the ideal system would
lie one under which delegates chosen
by the people without the Intervention
of bosses or machines would meet to-
gether, and, after full debate, confer
tence and consultation, select the par
ty candidates he dispairs of the legis-
lature ever being able to make such
provisions as would result in making
party conventions free, independent
and fully representative. He will,
therefore, propose the extention of the
primary system to embrace state Off
GERS. Singularly enough he is inclined
to change the view he recently held
that the election of seniors by pop
ualr vote is desirable In his view
the best results have not been OBJ
tanned in those states which have
adopted that method.
If we are to Judge by what already
has been submitted considerable tenn
perance legislation will be proposed
this session. Bills restricting liquor
licenses to one for each 500 popula-
tion and villages of less than 500 pop
ulation to a single saloon; increasing
tine minimum license fee to $1,000;
proyiding for the Dayment of Is per