Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-01-06
hammond TALKS
T0LEG|SLAT0RS
Approves Work Of Economy and
Efficiency Commission.

PRIMARY Law GETS HIS 0. <.
Unless to Cure Minor Defects Govern.
or Says There Should BE No Change
In the Statute-Favors State Devei.
opment Of Waste Lands to Encour.
age Early Settlement
st. Paul, Jan. Ex-Governor w. s..
Hammond, in his inaugural address to
the legislature, paid particular atten.
ton to the reorganization of the state
departments as recommended by the
economy and efficiency commission.
He commended the report and urged
it's adoption into law. The address, in
part, follows:
"The last legislature in it's wisdom
saw fit to enact legislation providing
for the election of the members of
both house and senate as nonpartisans.
There is considerable difference OF
opinion as to the expediency Of this
departure from we'll established
practice In Minnesota, but the statute
has been enacted, and in the recent
election the voters selected their rep
resentatives in this legislative body
regardless of their political beliefs.
The statute is entitled to a fair trial.
"The people believe in primaries.
They realize that there are defects in
the primary election system, but they
prefer that system as it is to a return
to the old convention plan, and unless
it be to cure some defects in the pres.
ent law or some unfortunate condi.
tions that the statute permits, there
should be no change in our primary
election law.
1T is a matter of common knowl.
edge that many Democrats vote in
Republican primaries and help nomi.
nate Republican candidates. Undoubt.
eddy many Republicans likewise vote
in Democratic primaries, and mem.
bers Of other political parties assist
in nominating candidates for whom
they do not intend to vote. Perhaps
on the whole no great harm is done
by this kind of voting, but the spirit
of the law is violated. Should the leg.
islature see fit to amend the primary
law so as to permit all electors to par
ticipate in each primary, considerable
criticism of the system would be
avoided; no harm would be done, and
on the whole, probably better nomina.
lions would be made.
TOO MANY AMENDMENTS.
AT the last election there were
submitted to the electors eleven pro.
posed constitutional amendments, and
all but one defeated. The ordinary
voter has not the time, or will not
take the time, to familiarize himself
with SO large number of PROPOSE.
tons. Each one Is worthy of much
study and of earnest consideration. 1t
is too much to expect that voters will
give such study and consideration to
eleven proposals in single election.
One or two of them might be submit.
ted and the judgment of the people
obtained upon these, but when a large
number are proposed a great many
voters will either not vote at all or
vote NO because they do not feel
justified in voting Yes OF the
amendments approved in the legisla.
ture it is advisable that some method
be adopted to determine the one most
important, and submit that, and that
alone, to the plebiscite.
The first proposed amendment pro.
viding for direct legislation by the
people of the state through the initia.
tive and referendum was defeated, al
though it received greater number
of votes than any one Of the other
ten amendments save only the ninth,
which was approved, and there were
less votes against it than were cast
In opposition to the one that carried.
While I think this particular amend.
ment should not be submitted at the
next election to the people, do rec
0mmend that proposed constitution.
al amendment empowering the legis.
lature to enact legislation establish.
ing the initiative and referendum be
submitted.
GOOD ROADS AND DRAINAGE.
There must be no backward step
taken in the construction and main.
tenance of good roads throughout the
commonwealth, and in the develop.
ment of conservative forestry pol.
icy. The so called Dunn law, in my
judgment a well balanced enactment
may perhaps be made better by some
minor changes, but on the whole it is
working we'll. The amount of money
| expended for roads increased more
than 200 per cent in the six years end.
ing in 1913, and so large an expendi
ture directs the attention of the PEG
pie to the work accomplished and the
methods pursued. Care must be taken
lest criticism develop into antagonism
and it would be we'll to leave with the
local authorities as much control and
direction of road work as is compati
BILE with uniform improvement Of the
highways throughout the state.
There is in the state a great body
of land which ought to be productive
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