Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-01-12
LEGISLATURE
IN SESSION
Rep. Hjalmar Petersen Tells
About Opening Week of
Law Body.
Gives a Review of Governor
OlSon'S Address of LegiS-
latiVe Recommendations.

The 4Sth session of the Minnesota
Legislature got under way at noon or
Tuesday, January 3, 1888. There are
131 members in the House and 81
in the Senate.
After formal opening by Secretary
of State Mike Holm and oath of office
given by him to the House members
the election of speaker was taken up
1t was a spirited fight ever since the
election of representatives on Novem-
Der 8th, as to who was to be the
speaker of the House in the 48th ses.
sion. The final vote gave "A to Chas
Mum of Osseo, and Sc to Andrew
Finstuen of Kenyon, so Mr.. Mum was
duly declared speaker of the House
and with few appropriate words &C.
cepted the office and the gavel giver
over to him by Secretary of State
Holm.
Mr.. Mum, who is a tiller of the
soil and resides with his family or
the farm upon which he was born
has served three sessions in the lower
House of the Minnesota Legislature
and is now in his fourth session.
The Rules committee of the Senate
headed by Senator Orr of st. Paul
took over the organization In that
body by a vote of 80 to q. That
committee decided on committee
chairmanships and all of the commit.
tee assignments. The progressives
it appears, did not cooperate as well
in the Senate as they did in the House
and, therefore. were unable to affect
organization with progressives in
leading positions.
who presides over the Senate was a
former member of that body some
years ago. He comes from Clarified
and is an able debator. but will have
little opportunity to do any talking as
president in this session. The same
holds true of Chief Clerk Frank T.
Starkey of St. Paul. He is also an
able debator and was leader on the
floor of the House during the past
several sessions. Being very fam
iliar with legislation and the manner
in which it is carried through. he will
be of much value and assistance to
new members especially.
Governor Leads the Way.
On the second day a joint session
of the Senate and House was held
in the House chamber, when Cover
nor Floyd B. Olson gave his message
to the Legislature. The galleries
were filled to capacity and every word
uttered from the lips of the able and
courageous state chief was eagerly
usurped by the large gathering. The
governor recommended to the Legis.
lature that laws be enacted for either
initiation, or partial cancellation OF
farm mortgage debts under the de-
partment of the State Rural Credits
Bureau. Fully conversant with the
present plight of agriculture in this
economic stress he also advocated the
adjustment of rural credit loans and
deferring foreclosures for two years;
protecting delinquent ~ orig gors
against eviction by mortgage holders
on payment OF fair and reasonable
rental. His agricultural recommen-
dations also included abatement OF
delinquent tax penalties as a hard
time measure, such as was passed by
the Legislature of 1881. He is also
in favor of a state tax on oleomar-
garine.
The governor proposes use of Game
and Fish funds for forestry and other
conservation work and proper land
utilization to concentrate settlement
on desirable land, thereby reducing
taxes through less road building in
more compact settlements.
In conformity with the times, Gov
ernor Olson advocated reduction in
state expenditures and as to salaries
he was stronger for reductions on
state payrolls in the higher brackets
with payless vacations for all en-
ployees, in order to reduce expendi-
lures.
The governor came out very def
mite for statutory income tax in
order that more tax money may be
collected from those who have the
earnings and are we'll able to pay,
thus, further reducing the taxes on
general property.
Asks Chain Store Tax.
To further offset tax delinquencies
on general property, to reduce the
taxes to farmers and home owners
and in general those who are hard
pressed to pay taxes, the chief ex-
ecutive advocated increased gross
earnings taxes on public utilities and
a graduated tax on chain stores. He
Also advocated increased license
taxes on commercial trucks and
buses. He is for maintaining the
one mill statewide road tax, which
for the past twenty years or more
las helped build state aid roads in
rural counties out over the state and
has been of much benefit to the more