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

federal and in each state constitution
were embodied in those instruments
with the high purpose Of maintaining
the American system Of government
and mere Inconvenience, either upon
the part of public officers or upon the
part of those in charge of public serv-
Ice corporations, should not be ACCEPT
ed as sufficient reason for disregard
Ing great constitutional principles.
The dignity and character of the du-
ties devolving upon the officers Of a
state are as great as those devolving
upon any officer and are generally
performed with as high a sense Of
public duty and with as much intelli-
gence as are to be found in any gov
ernmental department.
We as officers of the state of Min
nesota have no quarrel with the great
corporations engaged in the public
service; we have no reprisals to make
upon them. It would be a crime to
impair their usefulness or efficiency,
but it is none the less our duty to
limit and control the exercise of the
vast powers which they possess to the
end that the individual citizen will
receive fair and just consideration and
this duty am sure you will perform
calmly and efficiently.
Education.
The last two years have been
marked by a continuation of actual
progress in the schools of the state.
There has been a slight frightening
of the school terms. Teachers wages
are higher. The proportional number
of graduates from high schools, nor
NAL schools and colleges has in
creased. Mere schools than ever be-
fore have qualified for and received
special state aid i'll their respective
classes; and schools In general are
better provided than ever with Ii
braries and equipment generally.
Communications from many of the
most experienced school superintend.
ents indicate that the compulsory at
tendance law now upon the statute
books is practically a. dead letter. due
very largely to the fact that school
officers DO not desire to risk neighbor.
hood troubles by appointing truant
officers. would renew MY previous
recommendation that legislative pro
vision he. made for nonresident Off
Ger to enforce our educational laws
in the country districts.
would also renew the recommen'
dation l made to previous legisla'
trre looking toward the establishment
of county board of education, whose
duties would include the appointment
of county superintendent.
In discussing the subject further
Governor Johnson recommends law
: prescribing educational qualifications
for county superintendent and a min
imum salary law for teachers, adapt.
ing to the needs Of Minnesota the best
in the minimum salary laws of Mas
! sachusetts, Indiana and other states
Logs and Lumber.
The past year was eventful because
Of the unusual commercial and finan
cial conditions which have obtained
The stringency of the money market
and the attendant business depression
so affected the lumber industry that
the state timber board deemed it wise
to have no stumpage sale during the
past year The law provides arbi
trarily that there shall be but one gen
eral stumpage sale each year except
in case of al emergency and, as the
conditions did not justify this. no sale
was held The timber board has had
less difficulty than formerly in the
adjustment OF settlements for eithel
voluntary CT involuntary trespass Be
cause of the memorable rule OF tIie
board, which II ade no settlements ex
cept in strict accordance with tiie. :aW
timber operators have found it cheap
er to buy the timber il the regulai
way and pay for it accordingly There
they are gradually growing less, d
condition much to be DESIRED
| The present timber law relating tt
cash sales. which provides that tbs
auditor may sell the stunDage Of any
tract of Pic land not exceeding cne
| section in ara when the stumpage
does not exceed TO-: % feet, at pub
! lie auction to the his .ltst bidder fo1
| cash, should be repealed entirely. The
| law works serious difficulty to limo
| cent purchasers and almost invariably
! works g loss tc the state. The par
chaser buys the tract in good faith
! believes he owns it and proceeds K
cut it. Frequently he cuts more thar
! 100000 feet and when found by meas
| ure that it exceeds this amount he
becomes tresrasser under the law
and renaliZed accordingly.
| Insurance.
| At the last session of the legisla
! ture our insurance laws were modi
| fed and readjusted to such an extern
| that we have now. in my Judgment
! one of the best insurance codes of any
| state in the Union. Under these laws
! the department of insurance has beer
able to accomplish much in the way o.
regulating and supervising the insur