The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1921-07-14
ST. PAUL LETTER

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1t can be said with considerable
certainty that before j. A. Preus re-
linquishes the reins Of government
there will be on the statute books a
law providing for a centralized police
department or as is best known, a
state constabulary. A special session
put it over or perhaps It's creation
of the legislature may he necessary to
can be deferred until the next regular
gathering of the state law makers,
but in any event it is coming and
when Jake Preus makes up his mind
on a proposition it is practically as
good as settled. Governor Preus is
satisfied that state system for MIN
nehota is absolutely necessary and as
the reports of crimes committed con-
tinue to pour into his office he is only
the more convinced. His excellency
has not said that he will call special
sehsion of the legislature to enact
into law the state police scheme he
proposes, but it can be said with
more or less truth that such is dam
gerously near. A few more additions
to the increasing list of terrorism
that have been piling up in his office
the past week and the state lawmak-
ers will find themselves treking for
the Capitol City. At the late ses-
sion of the Minnesota legislature
Governor Preus made strenuous et-
forts to have passed bill providing
for a state police system and While
it prevailed in the senate the radical
element was sufficiently strong to
thwart his efforts in the house. Ii
ANYTHING was needed to intensity the
situation and to induce his excellency
to renew his efforts for a state police
system it is found in series OF dar-
ing highway auto robberies winch
have taken place in the vicinity OF
the Twin Cities the past week. Ad-
ded to this is an unsettled labor con-
dition throughout the state and the
tendency to violence. In the majority
of cases the crimes committed have
been beyond the jurisdiction OF the
regular policed sections and as GeV-
ernor Preus points out, those con-
cerned have operated with the know
ledge of such.
Quoting the tonnage tax advocates
the state treasury is due to be en-
riched to the extent of $4,3OO,OOO, as
result of the six percent infection
on iron ore as ordered by the late
Legislature, but from reports the ex-
pected windfall will fall far below
that figure. Because of depressed
iron market few mines on the range
are operating and what ore is beng
shipped is from old stock piles. 1t
the receipts from the tax exceed ST.
OOO, 900 the state will be lucky. Like
the opposition to the railroad gross
earnings tax the haunting fear OF
those who have stood out against the
new iron ore infiction is the know
ledge of a probable increase in the
tax by each succeeding legislature
and the chances are that such will be
attempted unless in the meantime the
courts set the new tax aside or the
people put the stamp of disapproval
on. the constitutional amendment
which proposes to make the occupa-
ton tax the idea general. This
amendment will be voted upon at the
next general election and concerns all
lines of industrial and professional
endeavor. Many regard the propos-
ed amendment as. a vicious addition
to the state constitution and an or
ganized effort will shortly be started
with view of discrediting it.
Housed in a number of buildings
in St. Paul and Minneapolis lily suit
ed for the purpose, are several hun
dred world war veterans who are the
wards of the United States Public
Health service. Many are the victims
of gas, shocks and incipient tuber-
culosis and are as a rule in the con-
valescent stage. Located on an is
land in Lake Vermillion, one of the
beauty spots of the state, is an alb
andoned Indian School, acres in ex-
tent and with buildings of perman-
ent character ample in size and cap
acity to care for several hundred per-
sons and the wonder is when such are
TO be had for the taking, why they
Ire not made available for the states
overseas veterans. The spot on Yer
million is an ideal one and would con
tribute much to the comfort and the
pleasure of the soldier convalessing
In making the buildings used in the
city available for the soldier sick
more than 100000 has been expend
ID and even with this big expenditure
both housing facilities and location
re admittedly far from what they
should be- Here is chance for Min