The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-02-13

veto of the special session, is strihngly
Characteristic of the administration of
the state during the last years.
The governor failed to sign, and SO
vetoed, the bill to prevent the trustees
of the Minneapolis-St. Paul sanitary
district from giving their chief engineer,
c. c. Wilbur, ST 900 per year increase
in salary. This veto is particularly de-
plorable for two reasons: Cd some doubt
has been cast by the federal government
upon Mr.. Wilbur's efficiency, and 60 the
increase of salary from $500 per year
to $500 was voted by the trustees OF
the sanitary district two days after the
officials of Minneapolis and st. Paul had
gathered at the capitol to plead with
the legislature concerning a relief stu
alton which they declared was critical.
The St. Paul trustees did not vote
for the salary increase. 1t was auth
orized by Mayor Latimer and other
| trustees of Minneapolis and the COVER
nor's appointee from Duluth.
Some months ago there was diSmay In
| the twin cities because of the fact that
the federal government, after an in
vestigation, sharply called the trustees
| to account on the ground that the
sanitary sewer work was not progressing
properly by reason of lack Of engineer
| ing supervision. The federal govern
ment then appointed its own supervising
engineer who is still on the job. In the
face of this condition the farmer-labor
members of the sanitary district board
raised the local engineers salary from
ST 500 to $500.
With city officials solemnly declaring
that large numbers of their people in
the midst of winter were in danger 7f
starving, the sanitary district trustees
raise the salary of their engineer who
is still under a cloud from the very
comfortable figure of $500 to the still
more comfortable, not to say luxurious
salary of $500 and the governor OF
the state upholds them in this action
and makes the increase certain by his
Veto
Who was it said something about
playing politics with human miserv?'
|
ATTORNEY General Harry Peterson
seems to have tangled himself up in .
snarl of unfortunate procedure and de-
cisions In addition to putting on 4
dog in the manger act by nonfeaSancf
in the matter of acting as counsel foI
the state auditor as to questionable Dur-
chases of land by the highway depart
ment and at the same time refusing tt
allow the state auditor to hire othei
counsel, the attorney general has beer
smartly slapped on the wrist in two re-
cent decisions by the state supreme
court.
One of these is the complete defeat Of
the attorney general in attempting IL
overturn the jury verdict in district
court for attorneys fees in the sis
famous highway suits of 1882. The su-
preme court set Mr.. Peterson down hare
by upholding the verdict.
Almost in the same breath the SUI.
preme court told the attorney genera
that he was all wrong in his refusal tt
Iintercede for the Town of Stuntz CHib.
bing) in ST. Louis county or to permit i
to start proceedings against the City O.
Chisholm for its rape of 35 40-Acrc
tracts from Stuntz when the City Of
lChisholm was organized. The genIa
Harry saw his opportunity to strut the
political stage, loudly declaiming thai
''the steel trust" was behind Stuntz II
it's efforts to save it's quarter sections
and mineral valuation from Chisholm
hungry grab. THAT argument" sale
the supreme court, in smacking the at
torney general down and awarding Uhz
Town of Stuntz right of action, "nve,
if founded on fact, is one that shoulc
not even have been suggested. 1t zoe:
not flatter judicial auditors to be ST
approached" In ether words, thu
people may fall for it but don't try !
on the court.
incidentally, Attorney General Harry
helped himself to hunk of grief wher
he told the Town of Stuntz mostly mad.
up of farmer Labor faithful, that theil
companies. The farmer-labor faithful
came right back at Attorney Genera
Harry with a resolution two column:
long in which they declared that hi
charges were false malicious, ground
less and without any foundation what.
soever," and that he himself is IS
Ilibeler and slanderer of the character
Iof numerous individuals tried and trut
in the farmer-labor ranks. 1t is said
Also that they muttered under tnel
breath, "Just let him run for anything
just let him try!" Between 5000 Stunt:
voters and the supreme court HAIR!
Peterson is having his trouble.
i It's a long road that has no ending
Highway suits started in 1892 were
drought to an end January "a, 1896 with
la decision of the supreme court com
pletely upholding the district court il
an award of fees and expenses in sui
which saved the state an actual $500 00t
| AIM AMS1Ag
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An open foe may prove curse. but
a pretended friend is worse"
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