The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-02-13
THE LEGISLATURE o.
by r. W. HITCHCOCK. Representative Doth Dist

the usual number of ''blue laws" is
In evidence at this session of the
Minnesota legislature. Malefactors
of these modern days arg no longer
! threatened with burnings at the
stake but we shall make the hose
gov yawn for them if we can. The
reformers of today burn with just
as ardent desire to compel US by
law to be good as did our hard faced
pilgrim forefathers.
/ TheLegislature of 1922 passed a
public dance law that was pretty
fairly rigid in its terms, but not
rigid enough to suit us of 1925. 1t
, seems that notwithstanding our quite
rigorous restrictions, some folks who
go to public dances will not be as
good as they ought to be. So now
we propose to close all public
dances at midnight. Some of us
think that private dances ought to
be closed at midnight, too None
of us have quite gone to the length
of completely prohibiting dancing,
but there will be another legislature
along in 1927 and probably it will
attend to this little oversight.
There is another itch that afflicts
the legislature. 1t is the itch to
help the farmer. Examine pro-
posed legislation carefully, consider
the character of the comment heard
on thu floor of each chamber, and
you will be forced to the conclusion
that law making is being attempted
in Minnesota mostly for the benefit
of the farmer. The farmer himself
is perfectly frank about it. 1t is a
matter of course with him that the
Minnesota legislature exists for the
purpose of passing class legislation
for the farmer. Minnesota legislat-
ures have been passing laws for the
benefit of the farmer for many
years.
Farmers have laws exempting
them from this and giving them spe-
cial favors for that. Your personal
property. and mine is supposed to be
assessed at 40 per cent of its true
| and full value, but not the farmers
he gets list of exceptions as
long as your arm which are assessed
at only Is per cent and if some
fast friend of the farmer does not
| try to cut it down to per cent
| this year it will be- the first time in
many sessions. Two years ago the
farm bloc fought for two days try
| ing to save each farmer SO on his
Ford. AS fast as we catch criminals
in Minnesota we set them to work
making farm machinery which we
sell to the farmers at cut rate
prices. A proposal to reduce the
size of the legislature of Minnesota
few days ago was frankly fought
on the floor of the house by farmer
members on the ground that it
might result in giving the city dwell
Ter fair and equal representation
with the farmer. Ali men are born
free and equal in America except
! IN Minnesota where he farmer has
an inalienable right to two repre-
! sentatives for every one vouchsafed
the city man.. =
The farmer is not the only one
who is demanding special favors,
| however. Pretty much everybody
is doing it. Some 100000 owners
of motor cars are finding fault with
Mr.. Babcock because he does not
| pave the state faster-and at the
same time demanding reduction in
their automobile license tax. From
every quarter of the state comes a
| demand that the legislature appropri-
ate $1,359,00 as deficiency school
aid and reduce the state tax levy
at the same time. The people of
Madelia appear and argue eloquent
ly for economy but as they leave
these legislative halls they say they
would like $4,000 for a monument
to commemorate the heroic capture
of the Younger brothers fifty years
ago. Women's organizations and
welfare workers write that they are
strongly back of the move for econ
omy but they just have to have
81, 453, 600 for mothers pensions.
The teachers of the state are glad
that the move to keep down taxes
shows such vigor but they are sorry
that the state is SO slow with the
100000 needed to put the teach
er's retirement fund on sound
basis. Southwestern Minnesota and
Northeastern Minnesota are sternly
agreed that appropriations must be
kept down but new state park in
Pipestone and new agricultural
school at Duluth are crying neces-
stiles.
Legislative Notes.
An upstate newspaper says that
| the board of control rushes patients
and inmates into all the state ;nsti-
buttons just before the assembling of
the legislature in order to obtain in
creased appropriations. In-as-tnuch
as it is the local authorities in yari-
Gus parts of the state, and not the
board of control. which commit per-
sons to the state institutions, and in
as-much as the state board of con-
troll has saved 100000 out of its
appropriations the past few years
and is now asking for less money
than was granted it two years ago.
it would appear that the, upstate
journal is being bit rough.
Senator Solberg of Yellow Medi-
cine county is very consistent and
dependable orator. He can be de
pended on to speak on every sub
iect and he is always consistent in
denouncing it. Senator Sweet re-
ferred to him the other day as that
bitter dose of yellow medicine.
DIR. Cullum Of Duluth has 100
per cent record as legislator. sDoc"
is mild Manners and mild spoken
man but he gets there just the
same. If the house does not always
hear what he says in advocating a
measure, it knows just the same
that it must be a 'good bill' and so
votes for it unanimously.
Like a good many of their con-
stituents the members of the house
are srong for economy so long as
4 L IL.