The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1919-05-14
GRAND mARA,s COOK COUNTY,. nm, 1Ay 4. 1919.
MANY CHANGES IN LAWS sszS |.=
. MADE ny 1873 LEalsLATuRE

Session L.,vs Published Ia This Issue.
Read Thorn Over and Get Posted.
This week we publish the full text
Of the session laws of 1919 il sup
plement form This supplement- is
the result Of the .labors of the Min
nesota legislature, which has just adj
journed. In all, .533 laws were
passed and fourteen joint resolutions.
As is usual with all legislatures,
some Of these.acts are of minor inn
portar1ce and many of them are local
in their application. IS: .*
/ A large number of laws affecting
labor were passed at this session,
most of them being changes in the
workmens compensation law, raising
the amount Of compensation in case
of injury, and generally beneftting
the workmen in their operation and
application. -.
Other general laws of interest are
numerous, among which we might
mention the one providing for the in
spection and certifcation of seed po-
tatoes, which will undoubtedly result
in better and purer seed and more
uniform crops of potatoes, which
will command the top of the mar
ket at all times. Another is the es-
tablishment of agriculture, which
will handle many of the farming
problems that arise.
Four constitutional amendments
were sanctioned for the approval of
the voters at the next general cleo
tion., The first and most important
is the Babcock road law. The second
provides for making the term of
Judge of probate four years instead
of two, as at present, so as to be in
conformity with other county offices.
The third relates to the changing the
method Of assessing personal prop
erty for taxation and allows the levy
| ing of an income tax. The fourth
would make real estate owned by
railroads subject to assessment and
taxation for local improvements.
The first amendment-the Babcock
road LAWS of vital Importance to
the whole state. It provides for the
establishment and construction Of a
state system of hard-faced trunk line
highways, which will be wholly under
state control and which will be built
and maintained by tax on motor
| vehicles, which will be in lieu of all
| other taxes on such vehicles. This
! amendment carries the definite route
of such trunk line roads from point
! to point, and embrace a distance of
| 5000 miles or more. For Cook county
this will include the North Shore
road.
If this amendment is adopted by
the people, the state would wholly
take over such roads as are desig-
mated and pay for their cost and up
keep. The county would still re-
ceive their apportionment of the
state road fund as at present, which
added to the local county road and
bridge fund, could be used for con-
struction and maintenance of side
roads, saving the heavy amount that
must now be paid for upkeep or
these main highways. The Federal
road aid would be used on the state
trunk lines. This arrangement would
greatly benefit counties and localities
where the maintenance of present
roads has become so burdensome that
funds are not available for new con
struction.
A law was also passed which has q
definite bearing on this proposed
amendment, in which it is provided
that counties may issue bonds 70,
building hard-surfaced roads in com.
pliance with the specifications con.
templated under the Babcock consti:
tutional amendment on the routes
set forth for the trunk lines, and
then if the amendment is Carried
the state may take over such con
structed roads and assume the pay
ment of the county bonds issued
therefor. This allows the people Of
such counties to get the benefit Of
such roads prior to the time it, viii
take to acquire them under the Bah
cock law (which cannot be voted OF
by the people until November, 1920
and which cannot be made effective
until after. the legislature of 1921
!. meets.) !, I. ~ Z. S..s... 4.
SHIPPING G ASSOCIATION MEETING