The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-10-25


IN regard to the raise in passen
ger fares, the governor said that
his was a matter which was not in his
hands at all. The United States
supreme court has this question TO
decide. The state railroad and
warehouse commission have done
very efficient work in the investiga-
ton of these issues and have dis
covered that the railroads have been
running things about as they please,
but the supreme court decided that
it was unconstitutional for the state
to fix these rates and simply on
account of the fact that the rates
were raised during his administra-
ton does not make the governor
responsible for it. If he is again
chosen for governor, Governor Eb-
erhart said that he would do all in
his power to bring these rates down
where they belong, but that n"
would treat the railroad companies
fair. They will get just what is
or less ..r
Public Utilities Commission.
The governor expressed himself
very much in favor of a state pub
tic utilities commission. I'm state
developing as rapidly as Minnesota
he said, the question of state SUI
rervision end control over all pub
lie utilities is of the greatest i'm
pcrtance. After a careful consider
ation of the question and studyins
'ho reports of similar commissions
of other states. / am firmly of tn
Union that Minnesota should have
a state public utilities commission
During the past few years MIn,
rosetta has made great progress II
he building of state roads. At the
last regular session of the leSisla
lure. Representative R. c.. Dunn
secured the enactment of nue.,
needed legislation and the state
h'ghwav commission has extended
its work of building roads and
bridges to every section of the
state. State roads are being built
everywhere and there is scarcely
locality where there is not state
road under contemplation or con-
struction. However, more funds are
necessary and it is of great import
ance that at the next election the
constitutional amendment. author
izing the legislature to levy tax
on all the taxable property in the
state, not to exceed one mill, be
secured. Farmers, business men and
all have contributed great deal of
money TO the building of good roads
and Minnesota is in the lead in
the good roads movement now. But,
if the state can raise one mill on
every dollars worth of taxable
property in the state the good roads
problem would be solved. And there
would be the additional advantage
of providing work for thousands of
men," ~.-.. .-s
Favored a Reapportionment.
Governor Eberhart is strongly in
favor of a reapportionment of the
legislative districts. The different
localities are not equally represented,
and this is absolutely necessary to
have a government of the people,
by the people and for the people.
Perhaps his own district will get
but two in the future, but if this
is just it must be.
In regard to the enactment Of
blue sky law the governor said:
ed in some kinds of legislation it is
behind the times in prohibiting the
watering of stocks and the sale of
worthless stocks and bonds. A law
Of this kind has been called the
blue sky law. 1t prohibits the is
suing or sale of stocks or bonds I'M
til thorough investigation of the
securities has been made and the
issuing of the bonds sanctioned by
state authorities. Invariably it is
that poor man who is taken in by
this sort of graft, the man who has
not the time nor means to make
the right kind of an investigation"
The governor said that Minnesota
is getting to be a great manufac-
turing state and that the new fac
tories should be built in the smaller
towns. This would relieve the
strain of dense population of the
cities as well as help the growth
of the smaller towns. , ...r ...
Governor Eberhart urged the en-
actment of a workman's compensa-
ton law, so that if man was hurt
in a mill or factory his family would
not have to suffer All Europe has
laws of this kind and some of the
states have enacted them.
Progress of Education.
The governor laid great stress on
the progress of education and the
development of rural schools. Dur
ing the past two years Minnesota's
rural schools have advanced by
leaps and bounds Eve have now
thirty-eight agricultural schools and
fifty-eight consolidated rural schools,
which give instruction in manual
training, home economics and agr1-
culture. Ip the consolidation of the
rural schools the purpose is N a
large extent to give the country the
social privileges of the towns and
cities. In the assembly room OF
these schools civic clubs can meet,
study clubs can be organized and
all kinds of social functions can De
enjoyed. 1t has been :. argued that
this measure will lose the governor
votes, because it will remove the
little country school from the land
of many farmers and this is con-
sidered to be of value in disposing
of the land" The governor assert
ed most emphatically by saying that
it made no difference whether he
lost votes or not, it is what he be-
lieves is right and he will stand or
fall with it. He also advocated the
securing of better teachers for the
rural schools. Because teacher
hoe Served for a number of wears