The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-02-19


Legislature organize two or more
county agricultural schools and
place them beside the Crookston
School OF Agriculture, and see
how they would compare. The
trouble with schools like the one
at Crookston, according to Mr.
Johnson, was that it cost $4,000
too much. Same money would
establish fifteen or thirty agricul-
tural schools and contribute to
many more times the number OF
scholars.
Mi. Johnson admonished his
hearers to get together on all mat
tiers and with a solid front the
representatives of northern Mime.
sofa could 60 down to St. Paul
and demand and get pretty nearly
anything reasonable.
l.. A. Barnes of Duluth spoke
of Duluth's interest in the meeting
and alluded to the splendid dele,
cation which that city and the
iron range had brought to the con.
vention, including the mayor OF
Duluth and many other important
people of that section; and touched
on the exceeding unjustness of the
representation allowed the 49th
district, in which he resided.
Robert ]. Wells, of Breckenridge
! spoke in part as follows.
In the successive efforts of the
past ten years to obtain reapportion'
ment there has been too much jockey.
ing not only by the democrats but
by the republicans. Many members
who should have had reapportion.
ment as their main issue neglects it
for some small private or local
measure. This is because they did
not have proper instructions from
home. Let Northern Minnesota
send a strong delegation to both the
republican and democratic state
conventions and have reapportion.
ment put in the party platforms and
then compel the candidates to stand
by their respective party pledges
It won't take long to obtain q
redistricting of the state.
Another matter that needs re
adjustment is the method of invest t.
ing the state funds. They are nov
invested in the bonds of Virginia
Tennessee, Louisiana and othe,
states, drawing in some cases only
three per cent interest. Our countie:
want to borrow money for drainage
work, good roads and schools, bu
the state has no money and probably
| will not have any for two or three
years. Marshall county wants t
borrow nearly 100000 but probabl,
will have to pay six per cent interest
Il propose that the investment
board sell off enough of its foreign
bonds to provide fund for loans t
our own people to develop our owr
state. So .>:.:@,* -
The one mill tax for roads anc
bridges should be voted and dom
believe that there is a county in thu
state against it. It has been sale
that it is unconstitutional to tax the
state lands for road improvements
It will be legal however for the
legislature to appropriate $4,000
or 100000 to pc disbursed by tn.
state highway commission in open
ing roads through state lands anc
this method will have the same
result as if the system of levylne
assessments should be adopted.
Our state lands are not handled
in. businesslike manner. If !:
private person held those millions o.
acres and wanted to dispose of then
methods would be entirely different
Skilled men would be sent out t
examine every forty and ascertain
exactly what was on it. The soil.
would be analysed, the lands classl
fed according to the purpose TO,
which they are best adapted. AL
possible data would be collected anc
if there were any drawbacks which
made the land unsaleable, such as
lack of roads, wet places, and Sc
FORTH, they would be corrected
Then when a prospective settler
appeared, the state would know whal
twas selling.
THE honest satt1er should III