The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-01-14

o. Mr.. Haugland, a pronounced coun-
ty option man, when he proposed what
to the outsider appeared to be not only
an innocent; but salutary amend
ment to the house rules, which pro-
vided that bills referred to committees
should be reported out within fifteen
days. But no sooner did Haugland
show his hand than the liquor people
were down on him like a thousand of
bricks. John Selb, the st. Paul
representative of the Hamm Brewing
company, and John Brady, the DEM
ocratic whip, at once got busy and
passed the word from man to man
that this was county option move.
The forces were promptly whipped in
to line and the amendment was de-
feated 62 to AZ, which is believed to
very nearly represent the relative
strength of the enemies and friends
Of county option. ri =.
The harvester trust is in evidence at
the state capitol, working among 9TH
er mediums through the Implement
Dealers association rand through or
ganized labor. It's forces are, direct
&c against the proposition to estab-
lish a new state prison, not because
the trust cares two straws about PEN
ology or about the expense involved,
but because if more ample quarters
are provided not only will the facili-
ties for the manufacture of binding
twine be extended, but the state will
be enabled to furnish harvesters, NOW
ers, rakes, corn shredders, manure
soreaders and hay leaders to the far
mers of the state and relieve them of
the necessity of longer paying tribute
tc, the harvester trust.
| Identical bills providing for new
state prison have been introduced in
the upper house by Senator Sullivan
and in the lower by Representative
Zelch. They carry an appropriation
Of 100000. Another bill has been
introduced by Mr. Spooner of Morris.
The Spooner bill provides for maxi
mum expenditure Of $3,OOO,OO0, which
includes, however, working capital for
the manufacturing plants. 1t is Mr..
Spooner's view that the prison can be
built, fully equipped and paid for with
out levying any direct tax upon the
property and he makes of it a plain
business proposition in support of
which he points to the fact that the
accumulated earnings of the twine
plant since it was established aggre-
gate the splendid total OF s1,5OO,OOO.
| His proposition briefly stated is that
t. raise money as needed the state
shall issue longtime certificates of in
debtedness bearing interest at per
cent, and that the state investment
beard which now seeks investment for
the states educational and other
funds in Louisiana, Tennessee, Caro-
| lima, Massachusetts and elsewhere, be
authorized d by law to invest a portion
of these funds in the states own pris-
on bonds. In this way all difficulty
n raising money is disposed of. Then
the surplus earnings of the plant are
to be used first for the payment of in
terest, and what remains to go into a
sinking fund for the redemption of the
certificates when due. The Sullivan
Zelch plan differs from this in that tn
interest on the certificates and the
sinking fund is provided by direct
tax, so small, however, that it would
scarcely be felt. Each method natur-
allv has its advocates.
OF course a measure of such mag
nitude will not get through the legis-
lature without opposition, but the hon
est opposition which country members
naturally offer to the construction OF
a new prison will be minimized by the
m, q aria1 odyonfapa which will 1ccrup