Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-01-22

| tianson to place one or more OF his
men at the head of departments in
Governor Olson's administration as it
would have been for President Wilson
to name one or more cabinet officers
in the administration of his success
sor, Warren G. Harding.
Republican Senators Name Committee.
That the old guard senators had
something else in view than that OF
organizing the rules committee has
now become apparent. 1t was the talk
of the sreactionary senators that they
did not object to Lieutenant Governor
Arens making the committee assign
ments in general, but that the rules
committee which determines the rules
of the senate was too important a
! matter to be left to the presiding Of
ficer, even though it was fact that
this power had always been exercised
by Mr.. Arens' predecessors.
A few days ago, the same rules
committee, or rather the conservative
members of the committee, brought
in report to the senate providing for
full committee assignments.
The committee report was adopted
by vote of approximately two to one
showing that several Farmer-Labor
members had yielded to the tempta-
tion to get fairly satisfactory COM
mittee assignments.
The big jobs, however, went to the
Mot only fbaf huf u
| important committees such as the
committee on Taxes and Tax Laws;
General Legislation and Finance, are
almost entirely composed of conserva-
tives.
Mackenzie, ROckne, Sullivan, Chair.
men.
On the committee on general legis-
lation there are Is members in all,
3 of whom are Farmer-Laborites.
Claude Mackenzie, the handy-man Aof
E. w. Backus, is chairman. On the
committee on finance there are 81
members, 3 of whom are Farmer-La-
borites, A. G. Rockne, veteran wheel
horse for the Republican party and
big business, is chairman.
On the committee on Taxes and Tax
Laws there is almost solid repre-
sentation of reactionaries. George
Sullivan is chairman of the COM
mittee. This committee will undoubt-
eddy have charge of all bills having
to do with modification of our tax
laws. Inasmuch as Senator Sullivan
has been loyal servant to big bust
ness interests during the time he has
served in the senate, it is to be pre-
sumed that these interests found it
advisable that the committee assign
ments be not made by Lieutenant Gov
ernor Henry Arens, Farmer-Labor,
but rather be made by committee of
which George Sullivan himself was
the dominant influence.
Water Power Bill Introduced:
Senators Hausler and Regnier, both
Farmer-Labor, have introduced in the
senate a bill for constitutional
amendment permitting the state of
Minnesota "to engage in the acquisi-
ton, development, and operation Of
water power resources within the
state and on the boundaries thereof"
Similar measures were introduced
at several previous sessions, in the
house, by Representative S. A. Stock
well of Minneapolis. The reaction
aries have succeeded in defeating the
plan as the power interests in Mime
sofa, as elsewhere, are tremendously
powerful in legislative work. The
power crowd does not propose to per-
nit this or any other state to become
a competitor in supplying electric cur
rent to the people. Rates and profits
| would fall.
Senator George H. Lommen, CO.
author with former Senator Michael
Boylan of the so-called newspaper gag
law, has introduced bill in the SEN
ate for the laws repeal
40 3 a.