The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-01-29
HIGHWAY PATROL
INCREASE FAVORED
Legislature Pleased With Re-
suits Obtained in Two
Years, May Add IS
HIGHWAY BONDS UP
Farmer-LabOr Senators Direct
Lieut.-GOv. Henry Arens
for Pie Counter

BY r. w. Hitchcock, Publisher
of the Hibbing Daily Tribune and
member Of the legislature.
st. Paul, Jan. 26-Two things
never fail in any legislature. Early
in every session some member is
sure to declare that this is the
most important legislative session
in the history of the state. He's
right, of course. It's the session
which confronts us now, and that
is more important to all of us right
now than any other.
Sooner or later, also, some men,
Der will rise to object that he has
not sufficient information to en-
able him to vote intelligently upon.
pending issue. Years ago Repre-
sentative Tom Girling would be
lying in wait for this very remark.
Tom would rise and impressively
declare that he had searched the
constitutions of nation and state
as we'll as all the host Of laws made
in conformity thereto, and yet he
had never been able to discover
any law which required a member
OF the legislature to vote intelli-
gently.
We shall not declare that this
Is the most important legislature,
but it Is evident to all that weigh
ty matters Of grave import" are
calling for solution at the hands
Of the forty-seventh legislature Of
Minnesota. Problems of taxation,
in these stressful times Of economic
blues, are more acute than for
many years; the state is confront
ed with the painful and difficult
necessity Of operating to reduce its
representation in congress-; the
clamor for more and better high
ways rises even above the roar Of
increasing traffic. Representative
government, the rock upon which
this country Is founded, Is steadily
giving ground to pure democracy;
the vital principle of local self gov
eminent Is more and more en-
croached upon by Brooks Coleman
and per capita tax laws, and by
uplift laws for education and hui
man welfare. Over all issues hangs
the black cloud Of unemployment.
From a half dozen different angles
the forty-seventh legislature of
Minnesota must deal with matters
which may make or break pros
perity, which may even help to
make or break this whole human
undertaking which we call Amer
lea.
The Highway Patrol
Before it this week the legislature
has In the shape of committee bills
in each house the proposal to in
crease the new highway patrol
from 35 members to 100. Senti-
ment Is running strong for 1t.
A lot Of us who voted against the
organization Of the highway patrol
with 35 patrolmen on the highways
are going to vote enthusiastically
for 100 patrolmen this year. Earle
Brown, he Of the Elk River bank
robber incident; Earle Brown whom
pretty much everybody has heard
Of and whom everybody would do
well to know; Earle Brown is the
nan who has faced US to the right.
about.
Mr.. Brown is head Of the high
way patrol. And how! Want to be
a highway patrolman with a shiny
big motor cycle and a spiffy slick
uniform? Don't hurry. Investigate
| first, then think 1t over, think
hard. If you deliver yourself into
the hand Of Earle Brown, things
are going to happen to you. We
can only hint at what things, but
they are something like this. Mr..
Brown has farm and on that
farm he has big barn. When
Highway Commissioner Charles NJ.
Babcock called upon Earle Brown
to head the new highway patrol,
Mr.. Brown picked out the forty
most physically fit young men he
could find, marched them out to
that barn, locked them in for 90
days, and put them through a
course Of sprouts the like of which
they had never dreamed. For seven
days, ten hours day, they dug
ditch, pounded rock, shoveIed snow
until they were sore in spirit and
every nerve and muscle cried aloud.
Then from. dawn to dark they went
to school, every hour Of the day
parceled out to military drill, auto
mechanics, Red Cross methods,
manners, law, and what not. They
left that barn, they got plenty to
eat and eight hours to sleep, bur
during the other sixteen hours Of
the day Mr.. Brown kept them
stepping. At the end Of 90 days he
put the best 35 of those 40 young
men on motor cycles and they're
the young fellows for whom you
have a real liking and a real re-
spect that you thought you never
could have for a cop. Sixty-five
more cops like that on the public
highways wouldn't hurt bit, not
a single bit.
Bonds Bob Up Again
Other highway proposals con-
front the legislature. To bond or
not to bond Is again the question.
Public sentiment throughout the
state appears to be against bond
ing, but In our opinion, public SEN
timent Is OF on the wrong foot.
Public sentiment Is against high
way bonds because Of mistaken