The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-03-10

voted against the bill. The second
Dunn road bill, providing for the
submission of constitutional amend
ment permitting a one mill tax for
road purposes, passed by unanimous
vote of 81 senators present after it
had been amended to do away with
the proposed appointment of state
highway commission. The house
will now agree to this amendment
and the two bills go to Governor
Eberhart for the signature that
makes them law. These measures
together with the C. H. Warner bill,
which has passed the house by vote
of 80 to 9, appropriating 100000 in
aid for the common schools, means
much for the rapid development of
northern Minnesota and general i'm
provement of Minnesotas highways.
The Warner bill will have the effect
of taxing state lands five cents an
acre for the benefit of schools.
While most of the testimony in
troduced at another public hearing
in the senate chamber Tuesday eve
ming in the investigation of the Red
Wing training school was intended
as a vindication for the methods
used by Superintendent F. A. Whit
tier, renewed charges of cruelty were
made. Mrs. S. S. Mack came from
her home at Long Prairie to testify
that while visiting the school one
Sunday she had seen an officer grab
boy from a marching line, throw
him to the ground and kick him, re-
peating the process for three times.
AS at the previous hearings, former
Senator A. D. Stephens of Crookston
was present. Judge Orr of the Hen
nepin county district court who also
has charge of the juvenile court tes-
titled that of the boys he had sent to
Red Wing none had complained of
i'll treatment, but the judge admitted
that these boys were always more
anxious to talk of the future than of
the past. The judge referred to
boys who had been paroled. S. W.
Leavitt, formerly of Litchfield, but
now living in Minneapolis and "a
member of the state board of control,
from 1903 to 1909 went to the stand
and admitted that the board knew
that boys were being stripped and
strapped. He was loath to admit
that corporal punishment was a de-
sirable method of dicipline but said
in general cases, properly admins
tered it was advisable. Rev. Father
Goughan of Red Wing, who visits the
school regularity to conduct religi-
GUS services, praised the school and
Supt. Whittier, but said that he had
seen one boy''get a snapping." Father
Donahue, volunteer probation officer
and Catholic missionary worker
among boys in St. Paul, was not ex-
actly a success as a witness in behalf
of Superintendent Whittier. He said
that a mother had come to him with
story of complaint regarding her
son at the school but that he was too
busy at that time to pay much at
tention to her story. DR.. L. R. S.
Ferguson, a member of the board OF
visitors frankly admitted that he had
visited the school without knowing
there was any spanking device and
that he did not even know that cor
poral punishment was being inflicted
until the present investigation had
started. George D. Reilly, another
member of the board of control also
testified and reluctantly admitted
that he favors corporal punishment
Senator j. D. Sullivan who question:
the witnesses has established the re-
putation of being fair. While Mr.
Stephens has made no complaint, il
looks at times, as if privileges grant
ed the defense was purposely denied
him. An effort on the part of Mr.
Stephens to introduce three telegram:
bearing on the investigation but hi
was cut short with, "you can't intro
duce them at this time
X * X
1t is just possible that Bemidji'
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