The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1911-03-07
STATE LEGISLATION
Correspondence Gazette.
Especial espondence.)

: DSe&tO S,S
have been brought to light, and others
are promised. Interest has conferred
in the invest: cation of Engineer
George Ralph of the state drainage
commission, and the special investiga-
ton committee is doing the best ii
can to find the truth in the matter.
About all that has developed is the
fact that contractors in Aitkin county
began work on their contracts before
they had been formally allotted blythe
drainage commission. 1t also devel-
ops that George Welsh, state immi-
grafton commissioner; Secretary of
State julius Schmahl, Senator L. o.
| Cooke and others owned lands in Ait
| kin county near the bitches excavated
! The answer of Mr.. Welsh is that he
has faith in Northern Minnesota lands
that the ditch was judicial ditch and
that he can see no reason why he
should not buy lands there as well as
anywhere.
i i. !.
The investigation of the state indus
trial school at Red Wing, started
through the statements made at
Crookston by former Senator A. d
Stephens, is also in progress. Boys
have appeared on the stand to tell OF
! whippings they received. They have
/ presented some rather damaging ties
timony, but the friends of Superin
tendent Whittier say this will be en-
tirely understood and the criticism
withdrawn when his side of the story
is told
Still another investigation is prom
ised in a resolution introduced by Rep
resentative Campbell in the house
asking for an investigation of the &C
counts of former State Insurance Com
missioner J. A. Hartigan. Mr. Camp
bell asserts his resolution aims not Sc
much to criticise Mr.. Hartigan as il
hopes to remedy the system of run
mig the Office OF the insurance com
missioner that prevails now. h
! charges that Mr.. Hartigan has gone
East on several occasions and has en-
joyed himself at the expense of tht
state. Mr.. Hartigan stands high il
the state ana is looked upon as mar
of the highest sense of honor anc
proven probity.
:. i. !.
The affairs Of Secretary Of State
julius Schmahl are attracting consid
cradle attention and much ugly tall
is heard, emanating mostly from tn,
committee room of the committee OF
public accounts and expenditures. |
is charged that in addition to incur
ring the expenditure of something lik
$4,000 more than the law allowed hin
in the matter of printing, Mr. Schmahl
in handling automobile tags, bough
| them at 35 cents when he could hav'
secured them for Is cents, and tina
they were bought through middle
man. Mr.. Schmahl's defense is tina
hurry.
The matter of exempting policeme
: and iremen from the prohibitions @
: the anti-pass law came up for heal
) ing in the senate committee of tn
whole. The spectacle of old guar
senators. and progressive member
standing side by side was the result
The senate supporters Of the bill a
= lowing policemen and firemen to rid
free could muster only thirty votes
, but enough to recommend it for pas
sage. Senators Lende and G. H. Su
Ivan led the fight against the eXemI
e ton, charging that to exempt IRENE
and policemen would result in nullify
o ing the provisions Of the law. TIL
street railway men have had a lobb
at work trying to defeat the measur
: and in this they have been assisted
n the men who earnestly believe tha
: it would defeat the intent of the ant
pass law to permit any exceptions
They profess to believe also that
make an exception now would be TO
/ lowed by requests for other exception
e later and that after while legislator
would be riding on free passes, jus
as they were accustomed to do.
- y ~
# Employers liability legislation seem
likely to go by the boards this Sc
sion. There are four workmen's con
L pensation measures now before til
: senate and none of them seem sati
|, factory to all parties. The report
the commission appointed by the lai
il Governor Johnson, composed of Geors
:, M. Gillette, H. v. Mercer and w.
McEwen has been split in two, M
g Mercer and Mr.. McEWen signing or
is report and Mr.. Gillette signing a
r other. The chief difference betwee
= the Mercer bill and the Gillette bill
that the Mercer bill is compulsor
while the Gillette bill is elective. Fo
mer Justice Thomas D. O'Brien has i
le troduced bill, which has the bac
a ing of the State Federation of I.abc
involving a classified list of dangero1