Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-01-17
CONSERVATIVE
GROUP WINS
johnson is House Speaker;
Orr Heads Senate Rules
Committee.
The Tax Situation Will OC-
cupy A Good Portion of
Attention.
By Hjalmar Petersen, Lieutenant Gov
ernOr of Minnesota.
Week of jan 8 to 12)

By Hjalmar Petersen, Lieutenant Gov
ernor of Minnesota.
week of jan 8 to 12)
The opening of the FortyNinth ses-
sion OF the Minnesota Legislature saw
the conservatives take control of both
houses, though not by sufficient ma
jorities to override the Governors
veto.
In the House, in the big test Of
strength on the organization of that
body, George w. Johnson, Duluth job
printer, the conservatives choice for
speaker, received 80 votes to 40 for
Harold Barker, Elbow Lake publisher,
the candidate Of the liberal forces.
Mr.. Johnson was placed in nomination
by Representative A ]. Powers Of
Mahnomen, while Mr.. Barker was
nominated by Representative Charles
T. Wangensteen of Chisholm.
In the Senate the first test came
in the vote on the slate for the power
full rules committee presented by the
conservative faction, led by Senator
Charles N. Orr of st. Paul. The vote
was 43 for the conservative slate,
with % liberals voting in opposition.
Senator Fay Cravens. Milaca editor.
one of the liberal group, was confined
to his apartment in ST. Paul by illness
and thus was unable to vote.
Senator Victor E. Lawson, Willmar
publisher, sounded the battle cry Of
the liberal forces in opposition to the
rules committee slate with this chal-
lenge: Some day the progressives
are going to organize this Senate. &.
I'VE ask and expect that a fair
working majority will be allotted to
us upon the important committees of
the Senate, and for this right,
if necessary, we are prepared to battle
with every ounce of strength we can
muster"
Olson Urges Social Reforms.
A program of sweeping social legis-
lation was advocated by Governor
Floyd B. Olson in his biennial mes
sage before a joint meeting of the
Senate and the House on the second
day of the session. The governor
asked for S1O,OOO,000 in relief funds.
tax exemption for homesteads up to
$4,000, or the taxable valuation re-
duced to 10 per cent, fixed minimum
prices for farm products, and higher
income, inheritance. gross earnings
and chain store taxes. He advocated
legislation to enable the state to
carry out its part in the federal pro-
gram of rural electrification and ur-
ban and rural housing projects, and
asked that municipalities owning cleo
trio power plants be given authority
to extend lines beyond their boun-
DIARIES without mileage restrictions.
Two important surprises were con-
tanned in the governors message: he
advocated that the one-hOuse legisla-
tive system be adopted in Minnesota
and recommended that, in view of
certain criticism of the Conservation
department, an investigation be made
of that department. He suggested
that the Legislature appoint an in
vestigating committee comprising the
head Of the Minnesota Division of the
Izaak Walton League, the president of
the Minnesota G anne Protective
League, and the head of the forestry
department of the University Of Min
nesota-
With regard to agriculture, the gov
ernor asked that the Mortgage Mora
forum Act "be so amended as to pro-
vide that whenever the owner-Occu
pant Of a farm seeking court relief
from mortgage foreclosure, or eviction
:. offers to turn over to the owner
of the mortgage upon such farm. one
fourth of the crop production of such
farm for the calendar year as a pay
merit to apply upon existing indebted
ness to such mortgage, it shall be-
came mandatory upon the court to
restrain any attempted foreclosure or
eviction.
Crop Payments Advocated.
81 also recommend that the Rural
Credit bureau be authorized to sell
farms owned by the state upon a crop
payment plan comparable to the pres
ent and customary leasing process.
in my opinion the foregoing pro-
posals for payment by the farmer OF
his obligations in kind instead Of cash
will not only give him adequate Sc
curity for the retention Of his home.
but will give him other economic adj
vantages in that his creditors will
have to share with the farm debtor all
the uncertainties of production, price
and markets. Consequently many
groups now opposed indirectly to the
demands of agriculture will lend more
assistance toward remedying the in
equalities from which agriculture is
now suffering"
Governor Olson proposed that the
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