The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1936-02-20
Political Dope
FARMER-LABOR
BY A. I. Harris

A report of the Division Of Wo-
men and children, Industrial Com
mission, for the month ending
February 1, indicates that during
this period nine firms were prose-
cuted for violations Of various la
Dor laws relating to the employ
ment of women and children. The
prosecutions occurred in Minnea-
polls, Duluth and Albert Lea. In
classification Of the violations.
six relate to illegal employment
of minors in night clubs in Min
neapolis, while three were for en-
ployment of women in excess Of 81
hours per week.
A decision handed down by As
sociate Justice Royal A. Stone, of
the Minnesota Supreme Court, in
the absence Of Chief Justice De-
vaney strikes severe blow to the
security Of school teachers in this
state. The judge interpreted the
law which says that no school
board may discharge teacher ex-
cept for cause to mean that the in
depreciation Of cause" was entire
ly up to the school board. THE
board must determine the question
Of cause" the judge said, leaving
the door open for capricious and
arbitrary actions on the part of in
tolerant members.
The first Of the so-called farm
market roads has been started by
the Minnesota State Highway De-
partment in the grading Of 4.3 miles
of County Road No. IS in Ottertail
county.
Senator Elmer A. Benson, who
served with the boys over seas, de-
clares that he will use the $500
which he has coming on his bonus
to buy farm. Not bad idea with
land as cheap as 1t will ever be. :,
BERTHE Mccormick, who was born
as pampered darling Of the old
Cars court in Russia, and who has
since run the Chicago Tribune in
city that is world notorious for
its gangsters and hoodlums, re-
ceived a rebuff from the Minneapo-
lis Journal the other day. He was
told in polite language that it is
bad form for pot to call the ket-
tie black, and that people should
clean off their own doorsteps.
BERTHE is now engaged in a jour-
nalistic effort to blacken the name
Of Minneapolis, but 1t Is not Mime
apolis nor its crime problems as
such that interests him. He Is af-
ter Governor Olson, and he sees in
the Minnesota situation a chance
to injure a liberal political move
ment which he fears will sweep the
country eventually-and sweep out
Of power those who are merely pup
pets Of Big Business control.
Knowing that mobsters in his own
city will bump off" a person for
$40 or up, one would indeed have to
be very unsophisticated to believe
that BERTHE Is really shocked by
what Mill City gangsters do. He Is
playing politics according to his
own light in accordance with
the only rules that he knows.
Good Government Week, such as
tried out in Minneapolis, must have
a wholesome effect when the var
ious participating groups are sin
cere and have no political axes to
grind. Unquestionably, some good
will result to Minneapolis. Although
some individuals and groups inter-
ested in Good Government Week
were concerned more with politics
than in efficient law enforcement,
the great majority had the good of
the community at heart.
But when it comes to crime, we
seem afraid to go to it's cause .
and this fact impairs seriously the
effectiveness of any campaign aim
ed at curbing lawlessness.
For example, there would be no
houses of i'll fame if the owners
of property, many of whom take
active part in Good Government
movements, would refuse to rent
their property to be used for that
purpose. The claim of ignorance
on the part of property owners as
to the purposes their property is
being put to can hardly be accept
ed. Likewise, there would be no
gambling If the bankers would re-
fuse loans on property used as
gambling houses. There would be
no cutting plants" no violation
of closing hours, no young hostess
es in beer parlors if it were not that
the upper lords" would make a
profit on it. The underworld gets
its example from the overworld of
bankers and buccaneering finan-
ciers.
Good Government cannot be OBJ
tanned until we have good living
conditions for the majority of our
citizens. If they have economic Sc
curity and freedom from want the
problem of good government solves
itself. If one third of our popula-
ton are dependent on public char
ity, we will always have crime
waves, houses of prostitution,
gambling and crime in high and
low places.