Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-03-15
Minnesota legislature
Proceedings at the Minnesota State Capitol for the
Past Week.

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Past
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st. Paul, March S.-Defending corp
oral punishment as the most humane
method Of discipline. expatiating on its
good qualities, and explaining the
work Of the state Industrial school at
Red Wing, Superintendent Whittier
went on the stand before the legisla-
ture 70 defend the charges that have
been brought against the school.
Tho investigation was conducted. as
before, in the house chamber, all Of
the members of the committee being
present, with the exception Of R. G.
Dunn.
The scene was intensely interesting.
Grouped about the little table in front
of tho desk Of the lieutenant governor,
were the members Of the investigating
committee. Senator Sullivan Of st.
Cloud conducting the investigation Of
the witnesses.
The house chamber, including the
gallaries, were filled with spectators.
who had come to listen to the exposure
of flogging and whipping brought about
through the statement made at Crooks
ton, short time ago, by former Sena-
tor Stephens.
Several boys took the stand and re-
peated stories Of brutal whippings, Of
being kicked and knocked down with
fists, and whipped with thongs on the
back, and finally Superintendent Whit
tier took the stand
There was a hushed silence as the
superintendent Of the school arose and
took his place. He INDUCED in a long
narrative, telling Of the work Of the
school, explaining how he had succeed
ed former Superintendent Brown. and
had found discipline gone, the school
In an uproar and of the necessity of
using strenuous methods to bring ord
or out of the chaos that existed.
Admits, Corporal Punishment,
Superintendent Whittier admitted
that corporal punishment exists in the
school, denied the existence Of the
electric flogging machine, but told of
the means that are used, Of the barrel
over which the boys are strapped, Of
the continuance utilized for the purpose
of administering flogging, in the man
ner most calculated to bring about the
kind of punishment that mother used
to administer.
eve talk to the boy before he is
spanked" said Mr.. Whittier. 1--WE
talk to him while it is going on and
we talk to him after it is over"
The superintendent of the school
neglected to describe the nature of the
conversation carried on under these
| unique conversational circumstances.
IA boy will think of more virtue
and forget more sins in few minutes
under this treatment" he sententious-
~ remarked, than any other kind of
treatment that I know Of"
Spooner Bill Recommended.
The Spooner bill, providing $4,000
for investigation of the feasibility of
canal system from Lake of the
Woods to Mankato, thence to Duluth,
through Minneapolis andSt Paul, TAX
ing advantage of the Minnesota and
Mississippi rivers, and contemplating
the building of immense dams for wa
ter power purposes, as well as a 12-
foot barge channel, was unanimously
recommended for passage by the sen.
ate committee on drainage. The bill
will be referred to the finance COM
mittee Immediately, and the members
Of the drainage committee pledged
themselves to make the bill a special
order of business as soon as possible.
St. Paul, March 9.-The state drain
age commission whose members are
Governor Eberhart, Julius Schmahl,
secretary of state, and s. G. Iverson,
state auditor, has had only a nominal
existence during the past three years
according to the testimony of Mr..
[verson before the house investigating
committee. George A. Ralph, state
drainage engineer, was really the
! whole thing. He appointed his assist
ants, fixed their salaries, made esti-
mates, ordered bitches and let the
contracts for the thousands of dollars
worth Of construction work done by
the state in northern Minnesota. The
board simply took him at his word
and approved all his actions.
Mr.. 1verson was on the stand dur
ing the greater part of the day and
was cross-examined not only by the
members Of the committee, by c. H.
Warner, the Aitkin representative,
who has made charges against the
state engineer, but also by Mr.. Ralph s.
attorney. bitches No. Sc, sc and So
were investigated through the testi-
mony OF Mr.. 1verson. He produced his
records showing how the contracts
were let and for what price. 1t de-
veloped that there was only one bid
der on each job. Mr.. Warner pointed
out to the committee these three ditch
es on which there was but one bidder,
the work was begun before the con-
tract was let. Mr.. Iverson was asked
whether he did not think it unusual that
only one firm bid on each work. He
declared that the state engineer said
that the price was fair and so they let
the contract on his word. Mr.. Warner
asked whether it was not true that
Minnesota Club Formed.