The Tomahawk., 1916-05-11
BIG STATE LOANS
ARE HELD ILLEGAL
PAYMENTS AGG3EGATlNG $3.50,
coo CONTRARY no CONSTlTU-'
TIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
EVENTS 1T STATE CAPITOL
Interesting and Important Happenings
OF the Past Few Days Selected
and Arranged fer the Conven.
ience % Busy Readers.
St. Paul.

st. Paul.
Disclosures that 1873 loans aggregat-
ing s1,650,000 of state funds fail to
comply with constitutional require
ments, although not regarded as threat
| ening any losses to the state, are to
effect more stringent rules to govern
investments Of state funds. Steps are
being taken to make pending loan
applications conform to the require
ments and curative act to remove
any question as to the legality of con-
summated loans may be asked In the
next legislature.
The disclosures we're special order
| in a meeting of the state investment
board. Resolutions were unanimously
| adopted pledging the board to receive
no new applications for loans OF any
kind until Jan. !, 1917 and then to
| give preference to schools over ditch
and other projects, and ratifying the
| delaying Of warrants for borrowers
resolutions meeting the letter of the
laws.
Postponement Of reception Of new
applications followed q statement that
applications for approximately $780,
900 are now waiting action, while less
than $4,000 will be left when those
tentatively approved are closed and
| only $2,456,O00 is expected to accrue
to the funds during the next year.
X X X
May Hit County Officers.
Practically every county officer In
the state and possibly the members
| of the State Railroad and Warehouse
| Commission may be hit by the dec1-
sion of the supreme court in holding
invalid the act Of the Legislature OF
1916 attempting to extend the tern OF
district court CLERKS.
Immediately following the decision,
Attorney General L. A. Smith was
pressed for an opinion as to the stand
ing Of the other county officers of tho
state, and the case of the Railroad
and Warehouse Commission YVES Incl
dcntally brought into question.
Members of the Railroad and Ware
house Commission were aDpOintlve I'M
till 1899, when the office was made
elective In 1911 the Legislature made
/, the term of each commissioner six
years.
It is possibility that the rule OF
law followed by the supreme court in
the decision may require the com.
missioners to confine themselves to
the twoIyear terms. The constitu'
ton provides for all state and coun'
ty officers except state auditor.
The tenure Of county officers is haz'
ardous because the act extending the
terms involves practically the same
principle as that which has just bcen
declared unconstitutional.
X X X
Good Farm Help Needed.
Spring is backward, with seeding
progress from two to four weeks later
than last year mainly because Of eX-
.cessive moisture and continued cold,
according to initial 1916 crops prospect
reports from scattered districts receiv-
ed by Fred D. Sherman. state I'm
migration com missioner. Arrivals OF
new settlers were reported in Rem
Vile and Dakota counties. Good farm
help was s:id to be in demand in Da-
kota. Goodhua, Chippewa and Mcleod
counties.
4 X 4
Observe Minnesota Day.
Minnesota day will be observed IN
schools throughout the state with p"o-
grams relating to the states history,
resources. natural features and indus
tries and to promote state patriotism.
Governor J. A. A. Burnqlist having
proclaimed the day, G. G. Schulz, state
superintcndent of education, mailed
special bulletin compiled as basis
for the celebration.
Defend Grain inspection.
Insisting that the Minnesota system
of grain inspection is the best known,
members of the State Railway and
Warehouse Commission took exception
to charges made hv Representative
Young of North Dakota in the debate
in Congress on the Federal grain stan
dardization bill that dishonest and
crooked measures are used in inspcc-
ton of grain at the terminals.
r Il X
Bio Balance In Treasury.
| 0eDOTt Oh iSESipLS VI
of State Treasurer Cooling for ADrii
has been completed. The cash balance
in all funds is $4,43S 5S5.4S. Last year
the cash balance was S69S,516 Tor the
same period. The revenue fund is
s2.3O6,93962 which is larger than
! last year. Some OF the school funds
{ are exceedingly light,
| 4 X 4
| Arguments In Timber Case.
| The state timber board has just
heard from SAC. Iverson, former state
auditor. and Burt F. Chase, former
land clerk, in regard to settlements for
state timber. The board decided to
meet the latter part of May to take
up with lumbermen the schedules for
measurement. The state now accepts
payment for pulp wood on the basis
of four cords to the 1000 feet, but
| some contend that two cords to the