Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-02-05
Minnesota Legislature
Weekly Review by
HJALMAR PETERSEN
Representative From Pine County
January 26 to 81, 1881

message TO the Legislature, GOVeTnOT
FLOYD B. Olson is anxious that a good
and permanent forestry program be
adopted by the state of Minnesota.
Speaking before the RefOrestation
and Public Domain committees of the
Legislature the other day the COVER
nor made it plain that Minnesota is
tagging in a forestry program. He
suggested that farmers now living in
isolated parts of northern Minnesota
be moved on to more productive lands
in other parts of the state. Many of
them could be located ON foreclosed
farms now held by the State Rural
Credit Bureau. The northern counties
from which these farmers would be
moved would be reimbursed by the
state for the subsequent loss of taxes,
to be covered by the state through a
future yield tax, collected from lum-
Der companies cutting the timber.
Forest Diminishing.
Senator George Nordlin of st. Paul,
chairman of the Senate ReforestatiOn
committee, pointed out the reduction
in the forest areas of the state. He
explained that where there once were
38,50O,0OO acres of forest lands, there
are but 21,000,000 acres now. In 1891,
he said there were more than 400
saw mills in the state, against 200 in
1924 Likewise, he said that two bill
lion board feet of lumber was sawed
in the former year, against One-half
billion in 1924.
Representative Emil S. Youngdahl
of Minneapolis, livened up matters
quite little one day by calling
representative r. w. Hitchcock of
Hibbing. Mr.. Hitchcock, who is a
newspaper man and writes a legisla-
tive letter each week, had referred to
Mr.. Youngdahl as a blah blah social
list. Mr.. Youngdahl stated that he
did not mind being called a socialist,
in fact he was proud of that, but he
thought that it was out of order for
a fellow member to be calling him a
blah blah socialist.
Speaks for Barley.
Congressman Melvins Mas of St.
Paul, was in the city one day and
spoke briefly before both houses of
the Legislature. Mr.. Mas stated that
there are grave problems to be set
tied by Legislators today. Public
works will make for temporary relief
of the unemployed but it will not solve
the problems very long for public
works will run out. He added that
Washington and Lincoln brought out
new things in their day and that we
must do likewise today for times are
changing. Being wet he condemned
the 18th amendment and stated that
if beer were manufactured again it
would help much to relieve unemploy-
ment for the farmer could then get
rid of his barley.
Representative Harry L. Wahlstrand
ting down the hours in which ducks
can be shot. During the open season
the hunters are permitted to shoot
ducks from one-half hour before sun
rise until sunset. The change gives
the hunter permission to shoot from
one-half hour before sunrise until
200 p. m. This leaves the afternoon
for feeding and resting and will give
the wild ducks a better chance to
survive.
The Chain Store Bill.
A bill has been introduced to Ii
cense chain stores. This is likely in
the hope of doing something for the
Independent merchant. However, a
license of 500 to a chain store will
be hardly any detriment to it and
if such license money is not to be
paid by other merchants in the same
village or city, it will be just another
talking point for the chain store
that they are legislated against and
others are trying to run them out of
business.
A bill has been passed authorizing
the State Industrial Commission to
make a study of unemployment prob
lens in cooperation with the federal
authorities and Independent thereof
and to accept gifts and contributions
for the purpose of defraying in whole
or in part the cost of such study. This
bill caused considerable discussion,
Representative S. A. Stockwell of Min
neapolis, arguing against gifts from the
Rockefeller Foundation, the Russell
Sage, Spellman and other foundations
because he maintains that they rest
back on some form of special privi-
lege and that the reports on unem-
plOyment, with gifts coming from
these people, is very apt to be in ac-
cord with their wishes. He maint aims
that it is not going to the root of
things but is merely throwing sand
into the eyes of the people.
Greetings from Iceland.
The Honorable Gunnar B. Bjornson
of the Minnesota Tax Commission,
addressed members of the House
Thursday. He was delegated by the
state of Minnesota to attend the 1OOOth
anniversary celebration of the estab-
fishing of government in Iceland last
summer. Mr.. Bjornson brought
r,root;o~, 80, erox,, kI,c <v,xyarnr,onk - T.,