Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-03-17
DRAINAGE N THE SPOTLIGHT
Surprising Conditions Have Been
Brought to Light and Further
Sensations Are Promised. =.
Especial Cerrespondence.)

are promised. Interest has centered
in the Investigation, Of Engineer
George Ralph of the state drainage
commission, and the special investiga-
ton committee is doing the best it
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 by the
drainage commission. It 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 q judicial ditch and
that he can see no reason why he
should not buy lands there as well as
anywhere.
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 tes.
dmony, but the friends of Superin-
tendent Whittier say this will be en-
t1rely understood and the criticism
withdrawn when his side of the story
Il told.
Still another Investigation is prom.
1sed 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 ]. A. Hartigan. Mr.. Camp.
bell asserts his resolution aims not SO
much to criticise Mr.. Hartigan as it
hopes to remedy the system of run
ming the Office of the insurance com.
missioner that prevails now. He
charges that Mr.. Hartigan has gone
East on several occasions and has en-.
3oyed himself at the expense of the
state. Mr.. Hartigan stands high in
the state ana is looked upon as man
Of the highest sense of honor. and
proven probity.
!. !. +
The affairs of Secretary of State
Julius Schmahl are attracting consid.
cradle attention and much ugly talk
10 heard, emanating mostly from the
committee room of the committee on
public accounts and expenditures. It
10 charged that in addition to incur
ring the expenditure of something like
$4,000 more than the law allowed him
In the matter of printing, Mr.. Schmahl,
In handling automobile tags, bought
them at IS cents when he could have
secured them for IS cents, and that
they were bought through a middle.
man. Mr.. Schmahrs defense is that
it was necessary to buy them in a
hurry.
!. j. +
The matter Of exempting policemen
and f1remen from the prohibitions of
the anti-pass law came up for a hear.
ing in the senate committee of the
whole. The spectacle of old guard
senators and progressive members
standing side by side was the result.
The senate supporters of the bill al,
lowing policemen and firenen to ride
free could muster only thirty votes,
but enough to recommend it for pas
sage. Senators Lende ana G. H. Sui
Ivan led the fight against the exemp7
ton. charging that to exempt firemen
and policemen would result in nullify-
Ing the provisions of the law. The
street railway nten have had a lobby
at work trying. to defeat the measure
and in this they have been assisted by
the men who earnestly believe that
It would defeat the intent of the anti.
pass law to permit any exceptions
They profess to believe also that to
make an exception now would be fol-
lowed by requests for. other exceptions
later and that after while Legislators
would be riding on free passes, just
as they were accustomed to do.
-: + i +
Employers liability legislation seems
likely to go by the boards this ses
sion. There are four workmen's com.
pensationS measures now before the
senate and none. Of them: seem salts
factory to all parties. The report Of
the commission appointed by the late
Governor Johnson, composed of George
M. Gillette, H. ". Mercer and w. E..
McEwen has been split in two, Mr..
Mercer and Mr.. McEwen signing one
report and Mr., Gillette signing an
other. The chief difference between
the Mercer bill and the Gillette BIT is
that the Mercer bill is compulsory,
while the Gill ette bill is elective For
mer Justice Thomas D. 5O'Brien has in
troduced a bill. which has the back:
ing of the State Federation Of, Labor,
involving classified list Of Dangerous