Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1909-01-08

that all grain inspection work "a thl
state, whether under the railroad and
warehouse commission or under tho
direct appointment Of the governor,
. be subjected to q civil service test. i
would also recommend in the inter.
est Of efficiency an amendment to the
present law by which the terri &C Of
S flee Of members CT ttlsse syra:n taspec-
ton board be terminated Gre cach
year. the plan being that the boards
ct Minneapolis and Duluth shall al
ways have two old members.
!, Governor johnson then refers indi-
Vidually to the various state institu-
lions and public departments, includ-
ing the Soldiers home, the state bank
ing department, the department of
| public examiner. the state sanitorium
for consumptives and the institutions
caring for the states unfortunates. He
recommends state refOrmatory build
ing for women prisoners:
Regulation OF Public Utilities. +
Minnesota is one Of the states that
have not yet taken up the subject Of
state regulation of public utility cor
poratfons, like street and suburban
, electric railways, telephone, telegraph.
! power and lighting: companies. We
have railway and warehouse com
mission for the supervision Of rail-
roads and elevators; but the time has
! come in the states development when
the supervision of street and suburban
electric railways, and of telephone and
telephone companies is likewise OF
prime Importance, both in the interest
of the general public, which receives
!. the service, the state, and municipal
! 1ty, which grants the franchises for
the use of the public streets and high
ways, and the stockholders and other
investors. trust this legislature will
give this subject its early and earnest.
attention. - s.
I desire to renew the recommends
ton made by me, to the last legisla-
i ture in the matter of the enactment
!, OF law covering what is generally
! known as the advisory initiative and
/. referendum, which would permit the
| people of the state, county, city, VIII
lage or town to express their views
! upon questions affecting their organi-s
zation. The enactment of law pro-
viding for the advisory initiative and
referendum can be accomplished with
| out constitutional amendment and
| firmly believe that such legislation Ia
desirable.
Primary Election Law.
While there are doubtless some
minor defects in our present primary
, election law and because of these de-
fects the law in its operation is not
! just what the trainers Of it anticipated
! it might be, and because OF these de-
fects some notifications of the law rs
| 1t stands now may be necessary. It
is urged, and with much reason, tat
the law in its present forn perm, is
perjury, fraud, deceit and misre, ,.e-
sentation and total disregard for t 9
entire electoral system. Citizens ca'' d
upon to declare their political aft Il
!. tons feel that election judges tr 4
pass upon their constitutional rigL s..
They feel also that no one has the
! right to deny to them the fullest aud
most complete participation in public
affairs. Whatever criticism may he ye
been made, just or unjust, am more
than ever convinced of the correct
ness Of the principle of the law under
lying the system and I feel this so
strongly that I earnestly urge upon
this body the necessity OF making the
necessary notifications iii the law as
applied to present conditions and I
desire to go even further than that
and say that in my judgment better
results would be obtained by extend
ing the primary election law so that
it would include all of the elective
officers Of the state. If the law is
| proper one as applied to the election
of congressman, district Judges, coun-
| ty. city and state officers it certainly
| would be proper one as applied to
| the elective officers Of the state. That
there will be differences Of opinion in
| this matter, as there have ever been,
am aware, but in the states where
the primary election law has been ex-
| tended universally the most complete
| satisfaction obtains. !
| Conclusion.
| Finally, gentlemen of the 1egisla-
| ture, we live in and owe allegiance to
one of the greatest commonwealth in
| the American Union and we approach
our respective duties at the period of
the states highest development and
prosperity and therefore at the period
of the states greatest legislative and
executive responsibility and oppor-
tunity.s Whatever may be our respec-
| tive personal and political Affiliations
and ideas our duties and our purposes,
am sure, are one; namely, the pro-
lection and advancement of the high.
est public interests Of our common
wealth. Elected to our respective no.