Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-02-03
By Martin w. Odland.

lature or a part of it, and the state
administration? Is Senator A. J.
Rockne of Zumbrota, powerful senate
leader, buckling on his armor and
preparing for a charge against the
big Three?"
The occasion for these questions
is the introduction by the senator
from Goodhue of a resolution calling
upon State Auditor Ray P. Chase for
an explanation of his delay in pre-
senting his biennial report to the le-
| gislature. That report was due at the
opening of the session, but has as
yet failed to make its appearance,
although four weeks of law-making
has slipped by. Soon after the Rock
ne resolution was temporarily sup
pressed by notice of debate from Sem
ator w. B. Anderson of Minneapolis,
Mr.. Chase explained in a letter to
the senator from Goodhue that he
submitted his report to the big
Three" last July, but that the said
triumvirate have been tinkering with
it to such an extent that if presented
in its present form, it would not be
] satisfactory to the legislature. AS
one of the city dailies puts it, Rockne
is evidently striking at the big
Three" over the head of the state
auditor, and it would seem that by
his prompt explanation the auditor
is not averse to a row between the
state board of finance and the finance
committee of the senate, of which
Rockne is the chairman and dominat-
ing spirit.
AS will be remembered, the biggest
battle of the 1925 session of the legis-
| lature was the clash between Rockne
and the state administration over GER
tain features in the reorganization act
Rockne put in an amendment reserv-
| ing of the state board of control their
| Old-time powers with respect to the
state institutions under their super
vision. The battle lasted for days
and ended in draw Rockne winning
on the senate floor, but losing in the
| conference committee of house and
| senate. 1t is no secret that the re-
| doubtable senator from Goodhue re-
CARDS the reorganization act with dis
favor,-that he questions the wisdom
of encroaching upon the constitution
al rights and duties of the elective
state officers and of centering author
| ity in the hands of the big Three"
| who hold office by grace of the gov
ernor and are subject to instant re-
moval by him.
The significance of the Rockne re-
solution may have been over-estimated
| by reporters and political observers,
who are anXiously waiting for row
in the state house that will be worth
seeing and who feel that so far the
| legislative session has been altogether
too tame.
Legislation to regulate the small
| loan companies and break the teeth
| of the loan sharks has become a real
issue in both house and senate. Peo-
pie in the rural sections of Minnesota
are strangers to the loan sharks, but
in the three big cities thousands of
poor people are torn every year by
the sharp teeth of these merciless
"critters'' Every issue of the city
dailies contain tempting ads offering
| loans to the needy. The needy are
| Iured by these ads into the dens of
the loan sharks, and, after pledging
their furniture or wages or both as
security for the notes they sign, are
granted loans of various amounts.
The legal rate of interest today is
eight per cent and legitimate banks
do not, and dare not, charge more
l.than that, but by various cunning
devices the loan sharks get around
the law and their victims pay in some
interest and, when once caught in the
! teeth of the sharks, seem never able
| to free themselves.
A number of states have enacted
the so-called uniform small loan
law, which legalizes a rate of three
and half per cent per month, COM
pels the companies to take out a
license, subjects them to inspection
the same as banks and defines very
sharply the manner in which they
must carry on their business.
1t is claimed by the champions of
this legislation that by such proce-
dure the ruthless loan shark is put
out of business and that, while the
needy borrower has to pay very high
interest rates, he will not have to pay
such outrageously high rates as he
pays now and that he will profit by
| the new system
Similar bills have been before for
mer sessions of the legislature, but
have been defeated, as majority OF
the legislators revolt at the thought
of AZ per cent per year, no matter
! what the excuse or preteXt. Both the
house and, senate committees, to
which this small loan bill was re-
ferred, have recommended it to pass,
but the opposition will fight it to the
bitter end.
Senator G. H. Sullivan of Saltwater
has introduced bill extending the
time for paying the auto license tax
for 1927 from February Is to April 1
A similar bill has made its appear