The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-01-19
GRIND 0F'LAW MILLS.
Investigation Fever Takes Hold of
Legislators and They Propose
to Find Out Things.
Story Of the Banquet Given SoIons by
ton of NJ. e. Ciapp, Etc.


ton of M. e. CIapp, Etc.
Unions Special Correspondence.
st. Paul, Jan. ]8.-As usual, no
sooner has the legislature settled
down to business than it's members
begin to get inquisitive. They want
TO know, and the easiest way they can
think of is to investigate, although
that is generally quite an expensive
process, and often there isn't much to
show for the money spent. Still when
the people pay the bills that but
rarely phases members of an inquir-
ing turn of mind. Perhaps that IS
not always their fault. For instance,
take the case Of the drainage board.
The governor may have suggested an
inquiry into it's affairs by the naive
confession in his message that he
didn't very well know what it was
about although he is at the head OF it.
Then the Aitkin county commissioners
gave the ball a push which the
governor had set a-rolling. They
resoluted to the effect that Mr.. Ralph,
the engineer of the drainage board,
ought in the public interest to be
called off from supervising the con-
struction of judicial ditch in which
they we're interested, and to supervise
which he had been appointed by the
court. There had been rumors be-
sides; and all those things set the
mem ers to thinking. The upshot of
the matter is likely to be legislative
Investigation which will open up the
whole matter and which may involve
others besides Mr.. Ralph.
g @ g
Then there we're the forest fires, and,
by the way, some curious bills have
been turned in by those active in re-
lieving the distress of the sufferers.
Evidently the officials and medical
men up there had no notion of being
philanthropic for nothing. Be that as
il may, however, Donald Robertson
who, at least. has no ak to grind,
wants to start an entirely worthy in
curry as to whether something ought
TO be done by the state to help out the
unfortunate people who we're made
homeless and in many instances no
doubt, penniless, by the disaster.
His idea is to send joint committee
of the house and senate up into the
fire zone to make inc uiries on the
ground and report to the legislature.
OOu btless, within short time some
thing of this sort will be done.
Then the state fair is to be investi-
gated once more. Two years ago it
was investigated by a committee of
the house of representatives. It has
been investigated twice since by the
public examiner. The other day it
was completely overhauled by a
board of audit appointed by the
governor. Now it is to be investi-
gated by joint committee composed
of five members of the house and four
OF the senate. The joint resolution
which passed both houses without
debate, after referring to the irregu-
larities reported by the board of audit
and making provision for the appoint
ment of the Investigating committee,
concludes that there is a demand for
tegis alton putting the affairs of the
board on more orderly and bust
ness-like basis. If this shall result
from the labors of the committee they
will surely be worth while.
eee
Representative Moyle Edwards has
touched up a matter which comes
home to everyone. Edwards comes
from Breckenridge and has there the
reputation of being an adept in the
gentle art of raising Cain. He used
to be mayor of his town, and one
time, when he set out to buy it's
winters supply of coal, be found out
shat, although be needed matter of
some l,500 tons he couldn't get it
without paying to the local dealers a
rake-of of so cents a ton. He tried
every way to buy direct, but he found
himself up against the determination
OF the big coal dealers to protect the
middlemen at public expense. He
seems to think that now is his chance
to get even, and so be has made a
move to start an Investigation to find
out whether or not there is an under
standing or agreement among fuel
dealers in restraint OF trade. Incl
1dentally I understand the charge that
railroads manipulate shipments in
collision with dealers, so as to make
the most possible vut of the traffic, is
to be looked up. 1t will be a happy
circumstance if. as a result of this