The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1915-03-18
SOLONS ARE after
STATE UNIVERSITY
THE FARMER MEMBERS ARE
OPPOSED TO THE AGRICUL-
TURAL DEPARTMENT.
The PROHIBITION BILL FAILS
FRANK MINETTE'S TELEPHONE
BILL HAVING TROUBLE
IN THE SENATE.

Especial to Sank Centre Herald.)
St. Paul, March 7.-Centimeter air
guns have been aimed at the state
university.
The boom, boom of their attacks
and the answering fire of the univer-
sity field pieces, which pour vocal
hail back at the attackers, was heard
at the capitol most every day last
week.
The real fireworks were touched off
at the hearing of the House commit
tee ON public accounts and expendi-
lures. 1t was there that the crux of
the whole situation was arrived at.
The farmers in the legislature, or at
least part of them, object to extern
sion work being done by the Agricul-
tural college. These facts were
placed before the committee.
Then in the House itself an inves-
tigation of the university has been
asked in a resolution presented by
Representative C. ]. Malmberg, L. A.
Lydiard and Thomas Greene. They
want an inquiry into the conduct of
affairs of the school.
The objections voiced by country
members at the committee hearing
Were aimed at the county agents for
the most part. Some of the farmers
apparently don't take kindly to these
fellows.
Representative Teigen hit off the
attitude of the farmers pretty well
when he told of a county agent that
admitted he could not answer ques-
tions put to him by farmers. From
this and other remarks it would seem
that the farmers have taken the atti-
tude that because some of the county
agents are not what they should be,
the whole extension system is wrong.
Dean A. F. Woods, of the Agricul-
tural college admitted that some of
the agents were not good men.
Officers of the University present
at the hearing confined themselves,
for the most part, to answering ques-
lions and making explanations of Ger
tain features of university work. It
was for John Lind, former president
of the Board of Regents, to take the
committee into his confidence:
81 knew such embarrassment as this
would arise, he said, But the branch
ing out of the school was in response
to public opinion. 1 was afraid that
maybe the sentiment would turn
against the school. Do not undo the
the work that your predecessors
have done. Don't cut out the work
being done now. Go slow before you
act"
The Lobeck Statutory prohibition
bill got just about what was expected
from the Senate.
Seventeen senators saw their way
clear to support the measure. The
most optimistic guess placed its sup
porters at about thirty. You know
there is difference between what
people really think and what they
prefer to think for publication. A pro-
hibition supporter was asked:
.sWill the bill pass?"
eyes, / think it WILL" was the
answer. But pressed for an honest
opinion the dry man said it would
muster some thirty votes, and at that
he was slightly too optimistic.
1t was natural that the prohibition
people pushed their bill. But they
We're up against some real difficulties
in getting a passing vote for the Lo-
beck bill.
In the Senate, for instance, there
were men there solely as result of
their pledges to- support county op-
ton. County Option gives the people
a chance to vote for themselves on the
liquor question. Some of the Senators
and well they night-thought that
they would be going back on their
pledges to vote for the Lobeck bill
as that sought to make the state dry
by statute and did not give the peo-
pie their say This was one feature
working against success for the bill.
Half cent a mile.
That is what the railroads want.
They will get it if the Westlake bill
introduced in the senate last week is.
passed. The bill provides that rail-
roads may charge not more than 2R
cents mile on passenger fares. The
present interstate rate is cents in
Minnesota.
Senator Westlake presented an ar
gument with his bill. 1t recited that
the 2-cent fare has been found to be
too low. 1t explained that railroad
expansion is at standstill; that the
rates should be increased for the ul-
innate benefit of the state.
"Since 1907, when the fares were