The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-04-26
many new Laws
ON The STATUTES
NEARLY SIX HUNDRED MEAS
URES ARE APPROVED BY
THE LEGISLATURE
few OF GREAT IMPORTANCE
BLUE SKY LAW, PROHIBITION
AMENDMENT AND WEFARE
MEASURES HEAD LIST

Y. l.
Minnesota legislature worth while
Opinion differs on this point, but the
view of yours truly runs to the belief
that it was money not entirely wasted
Altogether nearly six hundred new
laws were placed on the statute books
True, some of them were an abuse OF
good white paper and valuable print,
ers' ink, but at the same time quite q
few abuses were corrected, several re-
forms enacted and the foundation laid
for many good things to come. Pro
hibition, long a legislative bugaboo
found expression in the passage OF q
. bill putting the question up to the
voters. Juvenile and welfare correc-
tive propositions had their answer in
the passage of no less than twenty
five acts. A "olue sky law, long de-
manded, was placed on the statute
books. 1t is severe on stock and spec
ulative validating. An absent voters
law was passed and the presidential
primary law, enacted two years ago,
was sent to the discard. The game
laws of the state were placed on a
real protective and sane basis. A COM
prehensive drainage law was passed
and also one regulating the operations
and control of water powers in the
state. To enumerate some of the re-
garded big things that did not get by
one might list woman suffrage, par
tial return to the convention nominal
ing system, the dissolution of the
Mayo foundation as it applies to the
state university and the enactment of
an iron range tonnage tax law. The
measures named are only a fraction
of the whole, but they serve to show
what the legislature considered and
what they selected from the lot Tor
either passage or defeat.
When one stops to consider, it is a
remarkable aggregation, this Mime
sofa legislature. More remarkable is
its output Of laws, hundreds of them
drawn by laymen, all designed to cor
rect so..le aouse or put into effect
some reform, and each fairly clean as
to confhct with tt e constitution and
the kings English. The Minnesota
legislature is composed of nearly two
huliuIe u llen, gathered from every
section of the state and from prac-
tlcally every walk Ut lte. For little
llvre ChaIi .IIre7 nl.nLnS III each Gil
year they are ass -mblCd at the stat2
eapftol and during most of that time
chaos seems to Le the predomlnatlng
feature. To delay seems to be the
chief aim Of the opposing forces.
Viewed from the press table the whole
resolves itself into a tangle, the solu-
ton of winch seems impossible. At
the same tine the observer wonders
how this and that member ever got
by. Still out of it all comes order and
while some may continue to criticize
still the fact remains that each two
years the state progresses anu laws
consistent with that progress are en-
acted. -----..--...
State capitol circles have not yet
gotten over the fight between Gov
ernor Burnquist and State Auditor
Preus for control of the legislature
in the matter of the public domain
bill. If you will remember the state
auditor won hands down. The senate
was his stamping ground. To many
the failure Of the program OF the effl-
cheney and economy commission to get
by was the shame Of the Legislative
session Just closed. According 10 theil
viewpoint the program represented
progress. Perhaps it did, but the fact
remains that had its chief measure
the public domain bill-prevailed the
state would have ::otten little out of it
beyond a spectacular fight for patron
age. That was about all that remained
after the senate and house got through
with the bill. Viewed by many, the
fight over the bill had as it's founda-
ton the governorship two years hence
Friends of Mr.. Preus deny such. They
say Mr.. Preus has no executive ambi-
lions at this time. Governor Burn
ouist likewise is emphatic in his state.
ment regarding this phase of the
scrap. Just the same the Democratic
king makers cannot see anything but
Republican disruption and they ale
preparing to take advantage of the
fact. Iney are confident that the fight
now on will elevate their man to the
governorship.
The manufacture of cheese in Min
nesota was givcn an impetus when the
legislature sanctioned an appropria-
ton for the erection and maintenance
of state cheese factory to be located
at Cleveland, in L Sueur county. The
idea is to encourage the cheese indus
try. Representative H. H. Flowers
of Cleveland, after hard fight, S.
cured the appropriation and the desig-
nation Of Cleveland as TIE location of
the exnnriment station. The manufac-
ture of cheese is one of the chief ag-
! ricultural industries in Wisconsin. In
that state it comes pretty near being
an art, and Representative Flowers
idea is to make it such in Minnesota.
a..