The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-02-17
BIG COUNTY DIVISION MEETING
Attorneys Power, Archer and Arnold Ad.
dress!s Large AssembIage at
FaY 0perd.

torney Victor l.. Power of Hibbing,
President Arnold and Secretary
Archer of the Virginia Commercial
club, and their talks were not only
plain and honest but evidently met
with appreciation by the citizens
present, standing vote of those
favoring division showing but a
scant half dozen in the assem- blage
remaining seated.
Each Of the speakers gave good
and substantial reasons for the de-
sire Of the ranges for home rule,
Mr.. Archer confining his remarks
to facts and fguses on valuations,
taxes and percentages of expen-
diture of tax money paid by the
ranges, summary of these figures,
much as contained in the last issue
of the Enterprise, proving undeni-
ably that ranges would be in better
shape financially by secession and
the formation of a home rule gov
ernment.
Nr. Powers address was master
ful effort, dealing largely with the
manner in which the ranges and
range residents had Jared at the
hands of the Duluth official control,
citing the lack of road work for the
proper development Of the northern
country and the desire of certain
interests to hold the county intact
for political effect.
The address by Mr.. Arnold went
into the face of the opposition, let
ter addressed by the committee to
Mr.. w. ]. Olcott, president OF the
Oliver Iron Mining Company, invit-
ing his attendance at the meeting,
being read, together with his tele-
graphic answer thereto, Mr.. Olcott
finding it inconvenient to be pres.
ent.
This letter put the following ques-
tions plainly to Mr.. Olcott, and we
append his reply thereto in full that
all may judge whether or not his
answers are satisfactory:
/. Why do you oppose the meas.
ure now before the legislature?
2. Why you put yourself on rec
ord as desiring to defeat the rights
of 10000 people to vote PROPOSE
ton which can only be settled by a
fair vote of all the people of this
county:
3. Why should one man, or set of
men. go on record as opposed to a
measure which has the approval of
the attorney generals Office and
which our supreme court has said
in the case of State ex. rel. vs.. Doug
las V.Larson, S9th Minnesota, 1923, is
perfect law?
I. Why should one man, or set of
men,try to prevent 1900 people
from voting on proposition which
affects their right to say whether or
not they want local self.govern.
ment:
). Why do you oppose county
division:
Mr.. Olcotts reply to these ques-
tions~or his lack of reply thereto
as one may view the point, is to be
found in the following, which was
the subject of just criticism by the
last speaker of the evening:
81 have your letter and telegram
and am sorry that l cannot attend
your meeting. There are grea,
many people on the Messabe and
Vermilion ranges, of all kinds and
in all lines of business who do not
desire county division, and many
people who have been inclined tc
favor county division have had a
misunderstanding of the facts.
am not advised that the present Law
relating to county division, as the
same is now construed by the
courts, is unsatisfactory or tina
there is any necessity for chang.
in that law, especially a change ir
cutting out the naming in the peti
ton of the county seat and the frs
board of commissioners. Ii s.aud!
to reason that if the people of an1
part of county cannot settle upo1
their county seat at the time O
dividing the county, that any othe
scheme would bring about troubl,
and dissention throughout tn,
county afterward, and in this in
stance work injury to the business
and welfare of the people of tn
ranges. If there is any necessit,
for such a law as proposed in orde
to divide St. Louis county there j,
something wrong with the PROPOSE
ton.
"This, however, is not the mai,
objection to the present bill befor
the legislature, The main objec
ton is that it is an invitation for
tonnage tax. / am advised by tn
people best posted on such matter
that the agitation of this count
division measure will bring abou
la tonnage tax. which will be th