The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-10-29

TX CENTRE HERALD
pointed by the members of the court.
The present incumbent is Mr.. Caswell,
who has no opposition for reelection.
He will undoubtedly be re-appointed
in case the amendment is adopted, and
it will mean that he can hold the po-
sition as long as he wishes.
The third amendment authorizes
the tate to construct roads, bitches,
fire breaks, ETC., through and around
unsold state school and swamp lands,
and provides for a $250,000 revolving
fund, realized and kept up from the
sale of those lands, and set apart for
the above purpose. 1t places no adj
ditional tax upon the people, but sim
ply creates fund out of the first
$3.50 900 received from the sale OF
these lands for the carrying on OF the
improvements mentioned, and as rap
idly as used, is to be replenished from
the sale of other lands to which price
the cost of improving has been added.
In northern Minnesota the state owns
immense tracts of land that can be
benefited in this manner, and when so
benefited they will bring at public
sale, a great deal more per acre than
they can be sold for at the present
time. Consequently, it is good BUSH
ness policy for every taxpayer OF Min
nesota to give his aid toward the
adoption of this proposed amendment.
The fourth proposed amendment is
one which seeks to eliminate from the
constitution that particular clause
which requires the printing in detail
of the annual statement of the state
treasurer in one st. Paul newspaper.
When the constitution was adopted
this clause was inserted. At that time
the item of expense was small one.
But the state has grown rapidly, and
with it the business of the state. To
comply with the strict Interpretation
of the constitution at the present time
it would take about $4,000 to print
this statement according to its terms,
but the printing commission, by an
act of the legislature, is given the
right to edit the statement, and con-
sequently the cost of the publication is
kept down to about $4,000 per annum.
The statement is published in book
form, and those who wish to inspect
the same can do so by writing to the
treasurer for one of these volumes.
If the printing commission could re-
duce the entire statement to the min
imum and have it published in at least
one paper in each county of the state
it would be much more beneficial than
is the present system.
The fifth proposed amendment is
one in which the farming constituency
of Minnesota is deeply interested. 1t
will, if adopted, permit the legislature
to make provision to loan the perma-
nent school and university funds of
the state upon improved and Guilt
waited farms of the state, the owners
of the latter giving first mortgages at
such rate of interest as the legis-
lature may prescribe, but probably not
to exceed four per cent per annum.
At the present time these funds can
be invested in the county, school, and
city bonds, at a period not to exceed
twenty years. The proposed amend
ment will include improved farms and
the time limit is extended to thirty
years.
The legislature of 1913 increased
the term of all county offices, the
terms of which were not prescribed
by the constitution, to four years,
commencing with January LIST next.
The office of probate Judge is one
wherein the constitution fixed the
term at two years. The legislature
wanted that office placed on the same
basis as the other county offices and
so enacted a proposed amendment to
the constitution providing that the
term shall be four years. This pro-
posed amendment is the sixth on the
list, and in justice to that office, if
the other offices are to be four year
terms, this one should also be extend
ed to that period, and consequently
the voter will do well to vote for it.
The seventh amendment is our old
friend-the seven Senator bill. 1t is
aimed at Hennepin, Ramsey and St.
Louis counties, the three heavily pop
ulated counties of the state. 1t pro-
vides that senators shall be appor-
toned equally throughout the state,
according to the population, except
that no county shall have more than
seven senators. Hennepin county has
nine senators at the present time,
while Ramsey county has seven. The