The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-01-10

sation and the prompt payment
thereof. This would relieve the
courts of large measure of litiga-
ton and the tax payers of heavy
expense.
REGULATION of Woman and Child
l. abor.-Under our present industrial
system women and children cannot
be excluded from labor in manufac-
turing establishments, and it is
therefore necessary that their hours
of labor should be made as short as
possible and that they should be sur
rounded with the best safeguards of
health and comfort. Child labor
should be reduced to a minimum. /,
therefore, recommend more stringent
legislation for the protection of wom-
en- and children, in the labor depart
ment that the law may be strictly
enforced throughout the state.
Rural Betterment.
Agricultural and Industrial Train
ing.-No state in the Union has with
in recent years made greater prog
ress than Minnesota in the extension
of agricultural and industrial train
ing. Through the college and schools
of agriculture, the dairy and food de-
partment, the university extension,
the farmers Institutes, and the state
and county fairs, this state has made
most rapid advancement in the de-
yelopment of intensive and scientific
agriculture. With all these and many
other agricultural activities united
under the efficient administration of
an agricultural department, there is
no doubt as to the achievement of
still greater results. 1t is readily
conceded that the only institution
which reaches every nook and cor
ner of the state is the rural school,
and all the leading educators of to-
day agree that practically every i'm
portant phase of rural development,
industrially and socially, must neces.
sarily be associated with that insti-
tuition. OF the half million young peo-
pie in our schools and colleges, our
present facilities for agricultural and
Industrial training reach less than
two per cent and the knowledge of
scientific methods of agriculture
reaches so few of our three hundred
thousand farmers and farm hands
that it is of slight benefit to the
state.
Social and Civic Centers.-While the
educational and economic Importance
of this movement cannot be overeS-
timated, it has another phase of no
less Importance, and that is it's social
and civic advantages. The unsuc-
icessful farmer who estimates that
he can make more money by selling
his farm at a hundred dollars per
acre and live in the city on the inter
est derived from the proceeds, makes
the sale largely for economic reasons
but moves to the city almost wholly
for social and educational advan-
tages.
To the young people rural life
appears too lonely and unattractive.
There are in most rural communities
very few social opportunities. Here
again the large community school
with it's little assembly room, large
enough for the community it serves,
is the only practical solution. The
teachers become the organizers and
leaders of all social and educational
activities. They organize literary
and debating societies, social clubs,
athletic clubs and various kinds of
entertainment, thereby increasing OPP
portunities of country life and max
ing it more interesting. Through the
university extension and farmers in
stitutes, this school assembly can be
made a leading center of attraction
both as to entertainment and instruc-
ton. Farmers clubs are organized
and speakers secured to discuss every
topic of interest to the farm and
home. Moving pictures are intro
duced and everything of interest from
the standpoint of education and en-
tertainment is depicted on canvas.
Thus the community school house be-
comes the center from which all the
social and educational interests "a
date in every direction. 1t brings
to the rural sections of the state all
the advantages in the way OF Gull
ture, refinement and instruction that
heretofore have been obtained only
in the city.
Public Hishways.-Att the last cleo
ton the people of this state ratified
an amendment to the constitution au-
thorizing this legislature to levy one
mill on all taxable property of the
state for the Improvement Of public
highways. The state has now an eff
ficient organization and, with the
funds available when this constitu-
tional provision is put into effect, road
Improvement will go forward by
leaps and bounds There is scarcely
a section of the state which has not
already completed or has under con-
struction or contemplation a state
highway, and the demand for state
aid is coming in from all directions.
Under the new provision We will be
able to meet these demands.
1t is very important that the new
constitutional amendment should be
put into effect, and that the highway
commission should be given sufficient
authority to build and maintain the
best possible roads the communities
in question can afford and the avail
able material permit. With the in
creased production comes the demand
for better market facilities, the most
important of which is the modern
public highway.
During the past two years the au-
tomobile has become an important
factor in improving the methods of
building and maintaining public
roads, but it has also given the roads
the hardest usage. 1t would, there
fore, seem that the tax on automo-
biles should go directly for the i'm
provement of public highways rather
than into the general treasury.
State Publicity and Development.
During the last biennial period the
publicity given Minnesota has at
tracted settlers from every portion
of the country. State lands and tim
Der have been sold to the greatest
advantage and the state trust funds
enriched by several hundred thou
sand dollars more than during any
previous biennial period. 1t is gen.
orally admitted that Minnesota leads
hnr cfafn no tinr