Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1930-07-24

be necessary therefor, but the aggre-
gate amount thereof, issued and out
standing at one time, shall never ex-
coed fifty millions of dollars"
Do Mr.. Brandes and his father
in-law take the position that the
people of Minnesota have not the
right to vote this provision into their
Constitution if they want to? In my
judgment, such a provision in our
Constitution would be powerful
weapon in the hands of the people to
force down the extortionate rates that
they are now compelled to pay.
So far as the Journal of the House
is concerned, it is usually a correct
record of the routine proceedings of
the House, but it does not give an
accurate record of the conduct of a
member of the House. AS stated in
previous letter, | have known men,
bers to do everything humanity pos
sible. including corrupt methods, to
defeat a bill, and failing, have in the
end voted for the bill in order that
the record might be used to deceive
the members constituents. Mr..
Brandes' father-in-law knows this to
| be true.
Mr.. Brandes states, "Mr. Stockwell
feels that backward counties need in
formation. He is right about this.
1t is a very regretable fact that there
is too little attention paid to the kind
of men sent to the legislature. Among
the backward counties, l would in
clude Hennepin.
As to the Farm Bureau and the
American Federation of Labor. l
have no doubt that the farm bureau Of
Minnesota, under the leadership of
Mr. Olson, is endeavoring to relieve
the farmers of their unjust burdens
But | also remember that Mr.. Chester
Gray is the representative of the
Farm Bureau in Washington, D. c.
and that he is reported to have sup
ported the Hawley-Smoot bill, which
is. in my judgment, the most iniquit-
Gus piece of legislation passed by the
congress in my life time. Mr.. Gray's
connection with the effort to deliver
Muscle Shoals to the power trust is
most reprehensible, and SO long as
the American Federation of Labor has
such men as Matthew Wall, who also
supported the Hawley-Smoot bill, as
one of its LEADERS, | shall not make
any apologies for being very watchful
of their activities.
| know that the powerful, privileged
interests of this country are using all
| nrts of m n
crease their privileges and to shift
the burden of taxation from privilege
to the already overwhelmed shoulders
of the producers. through sales tax
and similar devises. | would warn
Mr.. Olson to be careful of the COM
pany which he keeps when he visits
Chicago.
Now a closing word as to House
Files number 21i and number 215.
Mr.. Brandes' father-in-law was CO.
author of these two bills. l have
never before known of man in the
legislature, being co-author of bills
that he was so violently opposed to,
as Mr. Brandes says his father-in-laW
was TO these bills.
Committee on Taxes and Tax Laws
in the last session of the legislature,
and | have very deSnite information
as to the manner in which these bills
were handled before the committee.
They were before the committee near
ly all winter and at no time did l OBJ
serve any activity on the part of Mr..
| foth 70 XII 10 -
bills in committee.
Those of US who were opposed to
the bills, wanted 20 recommend them
cut for indefinite postponement, with
out delay. but we could not get the
necessary votes.
Representative ScallCn who was
very much interested. in securing the
passage of these bills, kept requesting
more time and it was not until the
closing days of the session that the
bills were finally recommended out
of the Committee without recon-
mendation." Mr. Brandes' father-in-
law supported Mr.. Scallon in his pro-
gram.
In the matter of the inter-city
busses, may l inquire, whether Mr..
Brandes' father-in-law was working
in the interests of the taxpayers of
the state. when he moved the Pre-
vious Question" on the bill to re-
lieve the busses of taxation, thus shut
ting off debate. forcing the bill to a
vote with only the briefest discussion
, and consideration
!. The passage of this bill relieved the
Twin City Rapid Transit Company Of
about $4,000 this year and it will
probably be much more than that in
the future, as the number of these
buses will increase with the growth
of the Twin Cities.
s. A. STOCKWELL
Minneapolis. July 10, 1880.