The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1937-02-18
THE GAZETTE'S Editorial. AND FEATURE PAGE

all these agencies combined. In
1885 this goose that lays the gold
en- eggs paid into the Minnesota
treasury $19,268, 667.0O and in
1886, $19,171 $4,000. Put that in
your pipe and smoke it and then
ask yourselves if the mining COM
panies are being undertaxed?
And talking about the mining
companies, your correspondent is
reminded of a little happening in
a house committee the other
morning. Rep. Kelly, of Chisholm,
was talking before the committee
in favor of a civil service bill.
Rep. Widstrand, of Hibbing, also
a Farmer-Laborite, glancing at
the bill said, in words to the same
effect: "Why man, this bill effects
Hibbing. You have a civil service
bill before the legislature design
ed to take state employees out of
politics, and here you have bill
that puts employees on the range
in politics, and sir, you know as
well as I do that the only indus
try we have on the range is poll
tics" Score l for Widstrand, 0 for
Kelly.
This writer introduced bill
Thursday that will be good news
to the farmers of Minnesota,
especially those having mortgages
On their farms which are held by
the Rural Credit department. The
present law provides that the rate
of interest shall be not less than
one-half of one per cent nor more
than three-fourths of one per cent
above the average interest rate
paid by the state for money Dor
roWed, and in another section that
interest on defaulted payment on
taxes, liens, judgments, assess
mentS or insurance shall be seven
per cent. S.F.622, the bill re-
ferred to, would reduce the inter-
est rate to three per cent and five
per cent respectively. With the
state loaning money to municipal
tiles and counties at three per
cent and with the bonds of many
counties selling as low as pa per
cent, it would seem that the farm
er has been the forgotten man, if
not the financial goat. If anybody
is entitled to a reduction in inter-
est rates it is the farmer, for
thing it is pretty well agreed that
no farmer can continue in bust
ness at the present exorbitant
rates he is paying. Just to keep
the records straight its a liberal
bill by a conservative senator.
House File No. 5 is causing stir
ring debates in the house COM
mittee and loud voices resound
through the corridors when the
bill is up for consideration. The
bill purports to coordinate, con-
Solidate, and in some respects
amend an existing law covering
the subject of acquisition, owner
ship and operation of various
public utilities and certain addi-
tlonal lines of business which the
law does not now authorize the
utilities to enage in. The previous
act which authorized municipali-
ties to extend electric service 80
miles beyond their corporate
limits, by majority vote of the
electors, except in villages where
a five-eighth vote is required,
covers the whole subject of the
ownership, leasing
and operation. The new bill is
another one of the RECOMMENDATION
bills, since it seeks to advance the
philosophy and practice of gov
eminent ownership. 1t is the
most drastic measure one could
hope for since it provides that the
Judgment Of condemnation shall
fix and determine the amount to
be paid and shall vest in the city
all the right, title and estate of
the parties to the action, in and to
all the property taken. The most
drastic provision is that the city
may Immediately enter upon and
take the property. Thus in one
sWoop the fundamental rights of
a property owner are destroyed.
And still worse, the voter has no
say in the matter. The law is
amended so that a majority of
the city council may place the
plan in effect. 1t appears that the
taxpayer will never have a day in
court, for the council could spend
an unlimited amount of money on
such a utility.
The sixth week of the legiSla-
ture ends, with adjournment taken
until Monday, that due respect
might be paid that man of men
Abraham Lincoln. Would that he
were here today to remind us that
IF there is anything that is the
duty of the whole people to never
entrust to hands but their own,
that thing is the preservation and
perpetuity of their our liberties
and institutions.