Morris tribune., 1914-10-30


and honestly say that there are few,
if any, men who hold the remarkable
public career that is held by William
E. Lee, the republican candidate for
Governor of the State of Minnesota.
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1t was in the 1885 session
that William e. Lee, then one
of the youngest, but yet
+ most important member, insist
ed upon the law creating the
railroad and warehouse commits
= sion for Minnesota and giving
: to that body the power to con-
troll railroads.
=
In 1885 there was enacted the first
bill for the regulating Of warehouses
and the inspection and the weighing
and handling of grain, and Mr.. Lee is
on record as a supporter of this meas
ure. 1t was not all that could have
been desired, but in 1893 when Mr.
Lee was speaker of the House, and
when what is known as the Peterson
bill declaring elevators and ware
houses on all railroads to be state pub
lie institutions and placing them I'M
der the control of the Railroad and
Warehouse Commission, Mr.. Lee gave
his personal, as well as his speaker
ship influence to the enactment of that
law.
Helped to End AduIteratIon.
It was in 1885 that the Dairy and
Food Department was created by the
legislature of the state. This law made
it practically prohibitive to offer adul-
terated products for sale in Mime
sofa.
50 =
Mr.. Lee is found on record in
favor of this measure, as he also
was for the law providing for
the prevention and spread Of
contagious diseases among cat
tie, horses and other domestic
animals, the first Of it's kind in
the state. !"
= =
Old residents of the state will recall
the struggle for the establishment Of
at ST. Anthony Park, but it was not
until the 1885 session, the first one in
which Mr. Lee appeared, that bill
finally became law. AS result Of
that act Minnesota has now one of the
finest agricultural school systems in
the Union.
Favored Farmers Institutes.
It was during the 1887 session that
the first provision was made for con-
Quoting farmers institutes through
out the state, and who is there now
who will deny the wonderful benefits
which have accrued to the farmers of
the state as result of this act. Mr..
Lee was a warm supporter of that
measure. In the 1885 session he sup
ported the measure providing for the
formation of mutual companies for in
surance of crops against loss by hail,
tornadoes, etc.
The Famous ~" Law.
Standing out also prominent is Mr..
Lees record in what is known as the
celebrated "Y" connection law. This
measure was introduced in the 1893
session when Mr.. Lee was speaker.
It's author was ]. F. Jacobson, of Lac
qui Parle county. The motive for the
measure was that the Great Northern
and Minneapolis & st. Louis Rail
road Companies intersecting at Han
ley Falls, refused to put in a Y where
by wood from northern Minnesota
could be hauled to Hanley over the
Great Northern and switched on tt
the Minneapolis and st. Louis without
unloading from the former and reload
ing to the cars of the latter. The bill
directed those connections, ant
through the influence given by Mr.. Lee
the bill became law.
= 1
He also supported the meas
ure, during the 1885 session, fix
ing the maximum hours for the
employment of locomotive engi-
neers and fireE1en each day.
Mr.. Lee is also found on record
to have supported the law re-
curing street railway COM
panies to place the vestibules at
the front and rear of their cars.
Taxed Utility Corporations.
In 1887 Mr.. Lee is found to be al
enthusiastic supporter of the bill pro
viding for the taxing of telephone AM
telegraph companies, and giving tn
state auditor the right to examin
the books of these companies.
When the critic scans Mr.. Lees rec
ord on all matters pertaining to edu
cation he can not help but feel prou'
of that record. Two of the most i'm
portant measures pertaining to on
school system we're enacted in 1885.
One was the law providing for TIL
r compulsory education of children, an,
/ Mr. Lee was a persistent and consist
} ent supporter of the same.
/. At the same session measure wa
passed and supported by Mr.. Lee pro