The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1917-04-19

vides that where the one mill town
dragging fund is not used for drag
ging roads, any surplus may be util-
lied for strawing sandy stretches of
roads and keeping roads free of snow
in winter time. Another provision is
that upon petition of 20voters, the ques-
ton Of raising town roads drainage
fund can be submitted to the voters of
a town. There are some other good
provisions in the bill which time and
space prevent mentioning. In my
Judgment, the road legislation enacted
this session will prove highly bene-
fetal to every section of the state.
* *, *
There is a bill on general orders in
the senate which is simply the Elwell
road law in a modified form. 1t will
hardly be acted upon at this session,
unless it should happen to slip through
during the hurly-burly in the closing
hours. WITH a few slight amend
ments, I can see no objection to it's
enactment. My theory is that if this
so-called Elwell' law will secure the
building Of one mile of road which
could not be secured under any other
law, then it would be good policy to
enact it.
* * *
The senate finance committee and
the house appropriations committee
have about concluded their labors, and
the several bills containing appropri-
atoms for the maintenance of state
institutions and departments for the
next two years are now being consid-
cred. The bills will carry appropria-
tions~for the biennial period amount
| ing to twenty-five million dollars, in
round numbers. An increase in the
state tax rate of two mills is inevita-
BILE. The large appropriations are
necessitated by the increased cost of
everything that enters into the main
tenance Of the several state institu-
tions, including the increased cost of
building. Then there is the extraor-
binary appropriation Of a million dol
lars, good share of which will be al
lowed to the boys who went to the
border, and the re mainder for other
purposes in connection with the trou-
BILE with Germany. The entire appro-
priation will be handled by the pub
lie safety committee which is COM
posed of the governor, attorney-gen
eral, John Lind, former governor;
Judge John Il. MCGEE of Minneapolis,
G. H. March of Litchfeld, C. w. Anes
of st. Paul, and A. c.. Wiess of Du-
luth.
* * *
Charles M. Babcock, the commits
sioner of highways, is more than max
ing good. Matters that have been
held up for months awaiting action
by the old highway commission have
been disposed of within the past few
days. Mr.. Babcock gets right down
to business and he acts promptly: For
instance, the villages Of Onamia, Wah-
kon and Isle in Mile Laos county had
claims pending before the highway
commission for the past six months
Mr.. Babcock took up those claims and
disposed of them in less than an hour
and the villages have received what
was due them ere this time. It is but
fair to say that the delay in the set.
Element Of these claims was not the
fault of the highway commission; but
I only mention this one item simply tt
show that Mr.. Babcock is on the jot
and acts. The other day he made :
trip by automobile into Washington
county and disposed of a road loca'
ton project that had been source Of
annoyance to all concerned for mum
Der of years past. predict that Mr.
Babcock will make a splendid RECORD
as highway commissioner, and ont
that will meet with the approval Of
the people of the entire state.
* X *
In justice to the house it should bt
said that the members of that body
have made a good record at this SEES
sion. Several good measures, includ
ing the tonnage tax bill, and the pub
lie domain bill, passed that body, bu
were slaughtered in the senate. Sew
eral bills without much merit hav'
passed the senate and fell by the way
| side in the house. The house has beer
the progressive body this session AM
the senate has been slightly reaction
airy. The reverse was the case tw,
years ago. The big interests exer
cised larger influence in the senate
this year than they did two years ago
And yet, with only one exception, tn
membership of the senate is the sam
, as it was in 1915.
!, * X *
Everybody is pretty we'll tired on
, and there will be few regrets whe1