Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-02-21
DEBATE AUTO
LICENSE BILL
Senate Committee Recon-
mendS Continuation of
Reduced Tag Fee.
Liquor Control Department
and Others Are Being
PrObed.
BY Hjalmar Petersen, Lieutenant Gov
ernor of Minnesota.
Week of Feb 10 to Feb 16l

week of Feb. 10 to Feb. 16.)
Minnesota's Legislature mourns the
death of one of it's outstanding vet
Grams. Senator George H. Sullivan
of Washington county, the oldest
member of the upper house in point
Of continuous service, died suddenly
Friday morning at his home at NAH
tOmedi, White Bear Lake.
Senator Sullivan, who was born in
Saltwater on Dec. 20, 1867, entered
the Senate in 1907. He had been one
of the Senate's foremost debaters. He
was a very stern man, even gruff out
wardly, but personally admired and
respected because he was a man of
his word
Debate License Fees.
The states Legislators are engaged
in lively controversy over the ques-
tion of whether the reduced auto Ii
cense fees voted by the 1888 Legisla-
ture as a temporary measure shall
be continued. Under the action of
the lawmakers two years ago mini
mum fees were cut from SO and
$3.50 to SIS and $3.50. The Legisla-
ture also lowered the base rate. These
rate reductions expired the first of
this year.
A prolonged debate in the Senate
Motor Vehicles committee found
three conservative members voting
with two liberals against the pro-
posal to make the license fee reduc-
lions permanent. They were Sena-
tor Charles E. Adams of Duluth,
veteran of the upper house, Donald o.
| Wright of Minneapolis, and Frank J.
Sell of Adrian. Liberals voting
against continuance of the reduction
we're Senators Charles A. Hausler of
st. Paul, and Herman Schmechel of
Fairfax
U. s. Aid Endangered.
Highway department officials have
told the legislators that if the Ii
cense fee cuts are retained Minnesota
will be unable to match federal aid
road funds and that failure of the
will deprive Minnesota of $7,OOO,OOO
in federal aid highway funds in the
next two years. Senator Wright ar
gued that the loss of this aid would
throw between 5000 and $500 men
out of work.
The committee, however, recon-
mended passage of the bill, intro
duced by Senator William L. Roepke
of Faribault. The vote was to 5.
Wait on U. s. Verdict.
! The course of the Legislature with
regard to the passage of relief ap-
preparations still hinges on the final
action of federal authorities concern
ing the special $1,0OO,0OO drouth re-
lief bill. The joint conference COM
mittee of the House and Senate rec
commended that two members of each
| House be chosen by the presiding Of
ficer of each body to go to Washing
ton and outline the drouth relief stu
alton to Harry Hopkins, national Fed
eral Emergency Relief administrator,
in an effort to persuade the relief au-
thorities to modify federal regulations
on drouth relief.
AS the rules stand at present, pas
sage Of the separate s1,0O0,OO0 bill
for drouth relief alone will not give
farmers in the stricken areas Of the
state any additional aid. The amount
of money provided for this purpose
by the state will be deducted from
the total Of any federal drouth re-
lief funds given to Minnesota.
New Senate Probes.
The Senate continues to be in an
investigative mood. Having chosen a
committee to investigate virtually all
state departmental activities, which
committee has already taken part In
the relief investigation in conjunc-
ton with the House committee, the
Senate has two more investigations
under way.
One Of these is the special probe Of
the liquor commission launched on
the motion Of Senator A. J. Rockne Of
Zumbrota. veteran conservative lead
er. He insists that the financial af-
fairs OF that department must be
delved into, in order that the Iegis-
spent in the past and how much 1t
expects to collect in the future. An
estimate Of anticipated revenues Is
particularly vital, he contends, mas
much az the main relief bill provides
for the raising Of s10,000.000 the next
biennium by taking over the liquor
tax revenues through 1899.
| Sewage Project Inquiry.
Another investigation, which has
caused considerable comment In the
Twin Cities, Is that Of probing the
f(AnffnueA On Pare n