The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1929-01-24
About 200 Bills Dumped Into
Law-Making Hopper First
Week of the Session
FEW ARE IMPORTANT
Extensive Forestry Program
Fight Over Plans to De-
velop Highway System
By Martin w. Odland
Author of the 'Life of Knute
Nelson"

the cats away the mice will play.
The cat isn't away just now, but
the mice will play anywhere, 1t
seems. At any rate, the Minneso-
ia legislature-both branches of
it-adjourned from Thursday to
Monday night at o'clock, when it
was in session for only short
time. Very likely, it would have
adjourned till this morning
Tuesday-but for the state con-
stitution, which provides that the
lawmakers can't skip more than
two days, exclusive of legal hol-
day.
AS a result of this dilly-dallying
the legislators will have to work
overtime, under high pressure, dur
ing the closing days of the session
which means that bills will be
voted up or down without adequate
consideration; that ill-digested laws
will be put on the statute books,
and many things left undone that
should have been done.
Every legislature acts this way.
1t seems to be habit that can't
be broken, in spite of good resolu-
lions adopted when the sessions
draw near the end.
About 200 bills have already
been introduced in the two houses.
Over half of these are so-called
i1ocal bills" and curative acts, "
of no interest to the people at
large. Perhaps the most import
ant measures so far presented are
12 bills prepared by the interim
commission of senators and repre-
sentatives appointed two years ago
to study the question of reforesta-
lion in Northern Minnesota. These
bills set out very comprehensive
program and are worthy of the
most serious consideration of the
Legislature. One of them provides
for a thorough survey of the forest
area and for recommendations as
to the best use to be made of state
owned lands in that region. An
other provides for refunding drain
age bonds in the sum of $3,000,-
900, while a third imposes a spec
ial tax for financing a plan of re-
forestation.
Some of these bills will doubtless
be amended, but it is safe to as
sumo that most, if not all, of them
will pass, backed as they are by
most of the legislative leaders and
the governor. / shall discuss them
more fully later when they are de-
bated on the floor of the house and
the senate.
Talking about the governor, let
me say here that he has undoubt-
eddy won his fight against the pro-
posed $20,000,000 highway bond
issue. The highway construction
plan he presented in his message
seems to meet with this approval
of almost the entire membership
of the legislature, regardless OF
the past attitude of the members
toward the governor personally
and the opinions they may have ex.
pressed on the highway question.
Our old friend, the Loan Shark
Bill, is back again.. At every ses-
sion for about ten years he has
demanded place on our statute
books. but has been given the colo
shoulder. The Russell Sage Foun.
dalton is behind the bill, which has
been enacted into law in several
states. 1t seeks to put out of bus.
mess the "loan sharks" who ad
vance money to persons that are
hard up, in small amounts and al
exorbitant interest rateS-runnine
UP to 400 per cent, in a few in
stances. 1t legalizes an interest
rate of three and a half per cent
per month and provides for severe
penalties in case higher rate i!
charged. Loans under $500 are
the only ones affected. Countr!
members view the bill with suspic
ion, fearing that to legalize an in
terest rate of AZ per cent per an
mum is risky business.
Another old friend is missing
however. That's the "Cornfielt
Philosopher" of Spicer, Mimi, wht
has covered the last five session
for Farmer-Labor weeklies in tn,
state. Excluded from the report
ers' table, he sat hour after hou,
IN the house and senate gallerie
watching the deeds and misdeed
of the Solons and writing down hi
observations" in clear, pointe,
language. For over fifty years h
has watched lawmakers in this stat
and elsewhere. Now he is too oil,
to be here and / guess he found
harder and harder to make end
meet. He is a unique characte
and will not soon be forgotten.
Both branches are now fully or
ganized, with the same, old member
at the head of the most importan
committees. In the senate A.
Rockne of Zumbrota heads the fl
nance committee; j. d. Sullivan, o
st. Cloud, general legislation; Gee
Turnham, of Long Lake, gam
and fish; F. H. Putnam, of Blu
Earth, the judiciary; C. Rosen
meier, of Little Falls, rules; H. II
boutwell,, of Hutchinson, market
and marketing; C. E. Adams, o
Duluth, public highways; G. H. Sui
livan, taxes and tax laws; L. F
johnson, of Ivanhoe, elections; F
c.. Ahrens, Of Jordan, dairy pro
ducts and livestock. In the house
Frank III. Hitchcock, of Virgins
heads the appropriations commi
tee; o. K. Dahle, of Spring Grove
civil administration; Guy Oily, o
st. Paul, general legislation; w.