Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-02-17

!. presentation at this time ts to use i,
as a club to defeat proper redistris
button OF the legislative districts Of
the state. Besides, many OF the con.
sentative members Of the house th:nl
the present time inopportune for the
consideration of tonnage tax bill 1t
Is pointed out that the constitutional
amendment proposed by Mr.. Dunn
levy1ng 1-mill tax for good roads
purposes will add largely to the taxes
paid by the iron interests. It is not i'm.
probable besides that at the present
session the house will favor the bill
increasing the gross earnings tax on
railroads. The range roads, in pro.
portion to mileage, pay much more
towards this than roads located else.
where and this tax comes indirectly
out OF the Golfers of the steel trust
Why, 1t is asked, complicate matters
and endanger the passage of the re.
apportionment bill, the gross earnings
tax bill and the good roads bill by
counting the opposition in which the
attempt to force the passage of a
tonnage tax bill at this time would
certainly result? OF course these mat.
tiers do not touch the principle of the
bill, but they are practical objections
against taking up the matter at this
time certain, and properly so, to have
weight with those urging the reforms
to which l have referred
j. j. j.
In this connection have it from ex.
cellent authority that powerful infiu-
ences are already at work to bring
about the defeat, for political reasons,
Of the good roads legislation in the
senate, to which the house has given
a practically unanimous endorsement,
or such a modification of it as will
render it imperative and ineffective
| have hitherto explained the object
and purposes of Mr.. Dunn's bills.
From the best information l can gather
these bills are generally commended
throughout the state as affording both
the funds and the machinery by which
beginning can be made to make the
country roads what they ought to be-.
Moreover the 1-mill tax proposes to
levy on the large cities their fair pro-
portion of the tax for good roads, from
which ultimately, though indirectly,
they will receive the benefit. The
taxes which will be paid by the coua-
ties of Hennepin, Ramsey. and 81.
Louis far exceed what can possibly
be expended on roads within their
borders. In view Of the importance
of this legislation to the rural dis
tricts of the state, the favorable &C.
ton of the senate is matter of such
vital importance that feel it my duty
to direct attention to the character OF
the opposition to Mr.. Dunn's bills which
has been brought to my notice.
!. :. ::
The house refused the other day tc
go on record in opposition to the pro-
posed Canadian reciprocity treaty.
Sentiment was, however, fairly We'll
divided between those who approved
and those who disapproved of the
agreement to practically wipe out the
trade barriers which have been erect
ed between the United States and
Canada. As was natural the opposi-
ton to free trade with Canada came
largely from the representatives of ag-
ricultural communities. Mr.. Harding
put it very we'll when he said that
farmers had, by being given nominal
protection on their products, of which
they could see no direct advantage,
for years consented to pay roundly for
the protection of the products of East
ern manufacturers. Now, when the
protection had became real, and added
to the value of agricultural products,
it is proposed to take it away and
open the gates wide to the products
of cheap Canadian lands.
!. !. \
There are several telephone bills be :
fore the committees OF the house an.
senate for consideration and hearing
on them have been begun. Legi sla.
ton is desired to require different tel
ephOne systems to make connect:C n
over each Others lines Railroads are
required TIC DO this. 1t is commended
that in the public interest telephone
companies should be compelled to
make such connections at a reasona-
BILE charge satisfactory to the railro &C
commission Or some other SUPERVISOR,
authority. The multiplication of rural
telephone lines and independent com
panies makes this almost essential if
the public is to have efficient service.
Naturally any reform in this direction
is strenuously opposed by the long
distance lines, who always have a
corps of officials present at the hear
ings, while the public is generally in
adequately represented.
!. !.
Senator KunZe's bill providing for a
public holiday between May and Oct.
to be designated by the governor and
to be known as Minnesota day has
been reported out favorably. Besides