Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-10-01
LEAGUE LEGISLATOR ].
q. . &. ~. REPORT THEIR WORK
Formal Statement to People Of
Minnesota on Special Session
- Activity.
To the Members of the National Non
partisan League and the People Of

M1uuOSOIds
We, the members of the legislature
Endorsed by the National Nonpartisan
league and elected by the people In
November, 1918, take this opportunity
of congratulating you upon the whole
some influence you have exerted upon
the legislative body in this state since
the regular session last winter.
The evidence that the legislators
have hardened to your voice on some
important propositions are many. The
refusal of the legislature to pass any
of the bills changing the election laws
and the passage of the tonnage tax
bill through both houses of the legis-
lature indicate that you have been
heard from. You have for once dem
| onstrated your influence when acting
in an organized way.
In this connection we want to re-
| view briefly the efforts we have made
to enact the League program into law,
and especially our efforts to enact the
| tonnage tax. We, as your representa-
tives, have aimed at all times to carry
out the mandates of the people as ex-
pressed in the program on which we
| were elected.
Bills for Whole Program.
During the regular session last win
ter we introduced measures covering
practically every point in the League
program. A portion of this program
requires changes in the constitution.
| A bill for constitutional amendment
was accordingly introduced permit
ting the state to engage in the oper-
alton of terminal elevators, flour mills,
packing plants and other marketing
facilities whenever in the judgment of
! the people such state operation be-
| comes necessary to protect the people
against exploitation by spectators
and gamblers in food products.
We introduced also such other meas
ures as could be enacted into law at
the present time. Among these latter
the most important was the tonnage
tax. This bill provided for a 10 per
cent tax on the net profits of COM
panies engaged in ore production. The
evident fairness of this measure is
such as to obviate the necessity for
comment or explanation. After con-
siderable time had been spent in pub
lie hearings and general discussions
the committee finally reported out the
League (Welch) bill without recon-
mendation. AS is now well known the
two votes.
Tonnage Tax Victory.
At the opening of the special ses-
sion the Leaguers introduced another
tonnage tax bill essentially the. same
as the one introduced at the regular
session. Mr.. Bendixen also reintro-
duced his bill practically the same as
it had been introduced at the regular
session and embodying the main fea-
lures of the League bill. Both bills
were introduced at the same time, but
it happened that the speaker present
ed the Bendixen bill first, thus putting
it ahead of the League bill for con-
sideration by the house.
The League members had decided
to support whichever bill came up first
and when they discovered that the
Bendixen bill had been put ahead of
their own, they supported Mr. Ben
dixen's motion to suspend the rules
and put the bill on it's passage at
once. This motion. requiring a two
thirds vote, was lost. All League
members then supported the motion
to make the Bendixen bill a special
order They had fully determined
that nothing should stand in the way
of passing tonnage tax legislation at
this session. AS result the Ben.
dixen bill passed the house by an
overwhelming vote, 101 to %.
incidentally, we call your attention
to the change in front on the part of
many who opposed such legislation
last winter. We take this as evidence
that they had heard the protests of
the people and feared the political
consequences if they again defeated
this measure. The overwhelming vote
is the house made a profound impress
sion on the senate, and in spite Of the
determined opposition of the old
guard the bill was forced through
the senate by vote of 38 to %, and
the people would now be enjoying the
benefits of this much needed legisla-
ton had it not been for the veto of
Governor Burnquist.
Primary Saved.
We also take pride in having been
instrumental In defeating the attempt
on the part of the politicians to tam
| per with the election laws. At the
very hour the senate was passing the
tonnage tax bill the house was voting
| overwhelmingly to defeat the assault
on the primary election laws. The op.
position and the press of the state
generally attribute both of these re.
suits to the work of the Nonpartisan
league.
| But neither the passage of the ton
mage tax nor the saving of the pri-
mary will solve the high cost of Hv-
ing, the problem now engrossing the
public attention. Something more
fundamental has to be done to remedy
the economic ills that now afflict So
ciety. Up to the present the cam
paign against the high cost of living
has had no other effect except to re
duce the price paid to the farmers fol
their products. In spite of the con
siderable slump in the price paid tc
the farmers the cost to the consumer
continues to advance.
Great Changes Needed.
It is obvious that under the present
system of distribution and reduction
of prices paid by the consumer will
be accomplished at the expense Of the
farmer. Until the facilities for mar
keting the farmers crops are placed
in the hands of those who use then
and made public functions there will
be no effective means of checking thu
exploitation of both producer ant
consumer.
| Labor has Jared no better in thi,
and previous legislatures than hav.
the farmers. Wage-workers need leg
islation to protect them against en-
shaving conditions which they have t,
endure at the hands of our grea
CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY Blu
there is little hope for any effectiv
labor laws until the workers of tn
cities join with the workers from tn
farms in electing a legislature thor