Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-04-16
State Capitol News
BY A. l. HARRIS

In 1917 a studious youth worked in
the law office of Butler, Mitchell and
HOke as office boy. Nights he studied
law. His employers called him Ell
mer. His full name was Elmer A.
Benson.
A Republican president was per-
suaded to name Pierce Butler, ST.,
Associate Justice of the u. S. Supreme
court. If he was appointed to per-
petuate the status quo of our ecOnOm-
| ic order he certainly did a good job.
On every economic question deter
mined by the Court, Minnesota's con-
tribution to the highest tribunal in
the land invariably cast his vote Oh
the side of reaction.
But the office boy of the firm also
had career and fate put him in
pOlitics-On the side of those who
preach changes in our order-On the
side of those who contend that a man
should have more than a mere crumt
of bread to sustain life.
Last week the U. S. Senate, in dis
cussing the Capper Stockyards act
amendments, which would put the
packers under more strict federal reg
ulations, ban livestock feeding by
packers and give the government &C
cess to packers books, the question
arose as to the constitutionality OF
the amendment.
Said Senator Elmer A. Benson: 81
firmly believe that the opinions of the
Supreme court are, in many instan
ces, largely influenced by the econom
ic views of the judges of that court
and l do not hesitate to say so here
l refer particularly to recent de-
cisiOn by the justice from my state
Mr.. Pierce Butler. | believe that hi.
opinion in the North Dakota railroad
valuation case was purely an ecOnOm
| ic decision, because prior to the
time he took his seat on the bench
of the Supreme court of the United
States he was in the employ of every
railroad in the United States in the
very matter affecting his decision
and that is railroad valuation
No matter what Justice Butler
might say about his former office
boy, he cannot accuse him of lack o
courage in speaking his mind, ever
in the sanctimOniousf chamber of the
sedate Senate. And it is Whispered
about that Senator Benson is the frs
who has had the temerity to actual!
name a Supreme court justice tt
bring out his point. Minnesota's sena
tor has habit of speaking out frank
ly and the people need never be at I
loss to know just how he stands.
The fight to save the Capper stock
yards control bill was a futile one
This is the measure which sought tt
curb the uncompetitive buying of hog:
by the big packers at so-called con
centration points. These concentra
tion points collect locally produced
hogs direct from the farmers an(
thus, by shipping them to packing
plants, keep them from reaching the
central markets and the competitive
bidding that exists there. The entire
tendency of this direct buying is tt
depress the price of hogs in the cen
trail markets and is, naturally, favored
by the big packing interests. These
interests, together with the large
western and southern cattle produc
ers, succeeded in killing the Cappel
bill as far as the present session oil
the Congress is concerned. All the
liberal Senators voted to retain the
Capper measure.
March payments for old age assis-
lance will approximate 100000 CO.
Kenneth c. Haycraft, director of the
division, estimates that at least o.
600 aged people in Minnesota will
qualify for old age assistance during
the quarter ending June 80 next, and
that payments during this quarter
will reach one and one-half million
dollars.
Letters reaching the division indi-
cate that large number of aged
people who are in need hesitate to
apply for old age assistance because
of feeling that they are seeking