The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-12-31
STEPS OUT NEXT week
j. A. A. BURNQULST TO RE-
TIRE AS STATE HEAD
War Governor Will Move Aside
For Jake Preus, h. New
Executive
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatchl

ASSOCIATED Press Dispatchl
~. Paul. December Ex-Governor
J. A. A. Burnquist. who will turn
over the executive reins of state
government to J. A. o. Preus, gov
ernor- elect. next week, has served
the third longest term of any Mime.
sofa governor. assuming office on De-
cember 80. 1915. and continuing
throughout the present term.
Serving throughout the period Of
the world war, Governor Burnouist
mas had one Of the most difficult
strenuous and wearing terms that any
1nnssota governor has ever faced.
beSinning early In 1916, he had
strikes to contend with. At that
time the Irpn Range miners strike
brought up perplexing problems. and
many smaller labor difficuities also
were handled by the governor. Many
cahrges Of disloyalty against off,
Gals were made and In cases where
these charges were substantial in
the opinion of the governor, he
promptly removed the officials. =
Was Born In Iowa
Tho retiring governor was born at
layton. Iowa, on July !. 1879. His
father was q farmer. Governor
Burnquist was graduated from the
Dayton High school In 1896; from
Carleton academy In 1898, with high
cot honors Of his class; from Garlic
ton college with an A. B. degree In
1909; with a degree Of A. NJ. from
Columbia University in New York
"a 1904. and an L. L. B. from the
University Of Minnesota IN 1905; de
gree Of L L. d. OF Carleton college
IN 1920. an honorable degree.
He 10 honorary member OF the Phi
Bets Kappa. the Delta Sigma Rho
and the Order Of the Golf fraterna-
ties. He won the Minnesota State
Oratorfcal contest in 1901. At Carle-
ton college the governor was mana
ger and editor I'm chief Of the college
paper and also manager Of the foot
bail team. He began the practice of
law IN st. Paul IN 1905 and will re.
resume Il at the same location next
week.
The governor was elected to the
lower house Of the Minnesota Legis.
lature IN 1908 and re- elected without
opposition In 1910. In 1919 he was
elected lieutenant governor and re-
elected In 1914. On December 80,
1915. on the death Of Governor w. s.
Hammond he became governor of
Minnesota and at the next election In
1916, he was nominated and elected
by the largest majority up to that
time ever accorded a governor. He
was nominated and re- elected in 1918
with the opposition OF the Nonparti-
san league.
First Term AZ Governor
During his first term as governor
be was interested In the re-organiza
ton of state departments and advo-
Gated the consolidation Of different
offices for the purpose eliminating
expense When the legislature failed
to make such consolidation. he him
self did 50 by the appointment Of
fees and during the next session Of
the legislature he secured the pas
sage OF legislation which confirmed
the action he had thus taken. Chan
yes IN the law pertaining to the
drainage. highway, oil and boiler I'm
spection departments are illustrative
Of the consolidation Of offices.
The governor appointed a commits
sion for the purpose Of studying the
state school aid situation and the re-
organization Of the educational de.
partment. As 9 result, state ed
uestionai board Is now selected s ID. BY
instrumental in securing additional
representatives Of the farming ele.
ment on the Board of Regents Of the
State University. His belief in the
education Of the foreign born and In
accommodating those who have not
had sufficient opportunity for study
In early life has lead to his advocacy
Of night schools. which have been
established in Minnesota.
In 1918 the governor appointed q
commission on the rehabilitation OF
Industrial cripples: AS result OF
the appointment Of said commission
Ninnesota has taken q leading posi-
tion In the matter OF the education |
Of men who have teen injured In in |
dustry. In 1915, Governor Burnquist |
appointed commission to make |
suggestions as to revision and mo-
di6cation Of the laws relating to |
chs,aaren. The legislation which re-
suited has been model for other
states and recognized AZ the leading |
law on this subject. |
Commission On Aged
In 1919 another commission, knows
the Aged, was appointed by the gov
ernor. This Commission has been |
working on plan that will be sub |
mitted to the next legislature and IL |
enacted into law will insure suitable |
abode for aged people who will COM
ply with the proposed legal re-
quirements. The governor has dur
ing his administration, taken an |
active interest in the matter of Sc.
curing the adoption or the constitu-
tjonal amendment which will enable !
the state to 90 into a road building
program involving many millions Of
dollars.
In his inaugural message to the last |
legislature, ne advocated the estab- |
lishment of an agricultural depart
ment and the enactment Of cooper |
alive laws. The Agricultural De-
partment was established by the leg. |
islature and is doing effective work /
being instrumental In organizing a /
Potato Exchange and
other CO. operative enterprises, which,
have become the basis Of legislation
In otNer states. The cooperative
law enacted by the last legislature is
one Of the most far-reaching Of its /
kind IN the country.
One Of the purposes for which the
special session In the fall of 1919
was called by the governor was that
u enacting o soldiers bonus law