The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1927-01-27

4 =
ing at the governor to make an in.
vestigation of the state securities
bureau, because Of recent disclos-
ures relative to the financial oper-
ations of Clarence Cochran, pro-
fessional promoter, who has had
some dealings with that bureau in
connection with promoting two or
three "hard stone brick" con-
Germs.
1t would seem that Gov. Ted.
has already made such investiga-
ton as necessary. The evidence
of this lies in the fact that he did
not reappoirft A. E. Nelson as
securities commissioner, but named
former Sen. Gillian, of Window.
Commissioners Nelson did, it is
known, prevail upon the other two
members of the department of
commerce, "A. J. Veigel, commits
sioner of banks, and George W..
Wells, Jr., insurance commission
er, to vote with him in granting Ii
censes to sell stock to hard stone
brick companies formed in Duluth
and Little Falls. But other states
had previously issued licenses to
similar companies, the particular
manufacturing process being ap-
parently alright and successful.
! However, when Cochran's con-
nection with these companies be-
came known and his past manipu-
lations inquired into, these licenses
were suspended on demand of
Veigel and Wells.
Yet the fact that Mr.. Nelson,
while securities commission, sold
the st. Paul "Stats Tidning," a
Swedish paper which he owned, to
Cochran for $50, 000-reported
to have been an exorbitant price
certainly does not put the COM
missioner in too favorable a light,
although the transaction was a
private one and perfectly legiti-
mate, as he claims.
Bills have been introduced in
both branches for a referendum on
the "wet and dry" issue, and re-
ferred to the respective temper
| ance committees.
Two St. Paul representatives
fathered the house bill-Dilley and
McDonough-while the senate bill
was introduced by. Sen. Arnes,
Jordan, and Sen. Steen, Winona.
Several other senators, including
Nordin and Hausler, St. Paul, will
be added as co-authorities, it is
reported.
There is a strong probability
that the senate bill, at least, will
be reported out with a favorable
report by the committee.
Referendum" has always been
advocated by the men upholding
the principles of the Farmer-La-
Dor party, and I believe they will
stand by their guns. 1t is also re-
ported there are at least four of
the IL members of the senate
temperance committee who may be
classed as unequivocally "wet."
There's no chance of any extern
sions or additions to the. trunk
highway system being made at
this session of the legislature.
The constitution provides that
no additions may be made until
the present system is at least rs
per cent permanently improved"
and l haye it on authority of
Charley Babcock, highway COM
missioner, that he does not hope to
reach this state of affairs for an
other two years.
"And not even then,' he tells
me, eff my plants are interfered
with or any considerable portion
of the trunk highway fund divert
ed to county and town roads, as
has been proposed.
However, the plan to divert one
third of the gasoline tax from the
trunk highway fund can not be
carried out, except by passage of
a constitutional amendment, and
this can't be submitted to vote be-
fore the 1928 general election.
1t has been suggested that the
states economy program might be
better carried out if the pardon
and parole boards had not been
so influenced by hysterical public
clamor in the last year or so.
Had these boards released as
many prisoners as was customary
in former years, there might not
now be need to appropriate several
hundreds of thousands of dollars
for new cell units at the state
prison and reformatory, it is
pointed out. This suggestion prob
ably didn't originate with anyone
really friendly to Gov. Ted or the
Big Three. 1t may have come from
INA" Ferguson down in Texas.