The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1917-02-15
WILL Be IMPROVED
Sherburne County Will Meet the Fed
eral Aid on the Princeton
Zimmerman Road.
Freak Bill to Prevent Competition
Among Potato Buyers-Other
Important Measures Pending.
st. Paul, Feb. 18th. 1917

st. Paul, Feb. 18th, 1917.
Shakopee has been selected by the
Board of Control as the place where
the womans reformatory is to be To-
Gated, was in hopes that Cambridge
would get it, and with all due respect
to the board Of control I am still of
the opinion that our neighboring vii
lage offered superior advantages, es-
pecially on account of it's proximity to
the Twin Cities and Duluth, and it's
excellent railroad facilities.
* * X
Ex-senator Elwell is to the front
again with another rural road bill.
The measure was introduced in the
senate last Thursday. I have not had
as yet an opportunity to closely ex-
anime the provisions Of the bill, but
it is modelled along the lines of the old
Elwell law which was repealed at the
last session Of the legislature. Mr..
Elwell claims that under his bill it
will be possible to secure good roads
now instead of in the indefinite future.
Of course the bill provides for a bond
issue Of the county commissioners
of county without a vote of the peo-
pie, and that is, according to my way
of thinking, most Objectionable fea-
ture.
j. i. +
Herman Polkow of Springfield,
Brown county, Chairman of the State
Association of County Commissioners
has issued a circular letter in which
he states in the most positive terms,
that G. M. King of Itasca county is
no longer chairman of the legislative
committee of the State Association of
County Commissioners. Mr. King was
never noted for his modesty. He is
wont to arrogate powers to himself
that were never conferred upon him.
He also imagines that county COM
missioner is functionary who owns
the county, ndwhose prerogatives and
perquisites should not be interfered
with. It is needless to add that he is
antagonistic to the state highway
commission and firm believer in the
right of county commissioners to
award road and bridge jobs and con-
tracts without let or hindrance, and
consequently an earnest advocate of
the cause of "home rule"
h h II
Here is the champion freak measure
introduced at this session of the legis-
lature:
- A Bill-For an Act to Prevent I'm
lawful Discrimination Between
Different Localities in the State
of Minnesota in the Sale or Pur-
chase Of Potatoes, and to Provide
Punishment for the Same.
Section Any person, firm, co-part-
nership or corporation engaged in the
business Of buying potatoes, either for
himself or others, who shall, with the
intention of creating monopoly or
destroying the business of competitors,
discriminate between different Sec
tons, localities, communities or cities
of this state, by purchasing such po-
tatoes at a higher price or rate in one
locality than is paid for such product
of same grade and condition by said
purchaser in another locality, after
making due allowance for the differ
ence, if any, in actual cost Of transpor-
tation from the locality of purchase to
the locality Of manufacture, use or dis
tribution, shall be deemed guilty of
unfair discrimination and upon con-
viction thereof shall be punished by a
b fine not exceeding $4,000 or by i'm
prisonment in the county Jail not to
exceed ninety days.
Section 2-The State Railroad and
Warehouse Commission shall enforce
the provisions of this act, and in SO
doing shall have and exercise all the
powers heretofore conferred upon
them by law.
X =: *
If the above bill should become law
it would mean that the lowest price
paid for potatoes at any little one.
horse hamlet on given day would be
the highest price permitted to be paic
in Princeton on that day. It woulc
mean that competition between buy.
ers would cease. It would mean a dis.
tinct loss to the potato-growers in the
country tributary to Princeton, the
largest primary potato market in the
Northwest, Of thousands of dollars an
nually. I cannot believe that such E
bill will ever become law.
* * *
Tomorrow: Thursday, the prohibi
ton constitutional amendment is {
special order in the senate. In my
/ opinion the bill will pass the senate az
it came from the house, with the ex