The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1937-01-07

With repeal Of prohibition, we were
promised by our President. by Con-
gress, and by the state Legislature
that the soloon would never return
Leaders Of civic, religious, business
and other groups were unanimous
In their opposition to a return OF
this demoralizing institution. But
no one who has been following the
daily press can escape the conclus-
ion that conditions are now worse
than they were under the old sys-
tenn when we had the saloon. It is
quite obvious that liquor traffic in
private hands cannot be controlled
The state Is interested in the
question primarily as matter of
temperance and social control. The
matter of revenue Is of secondary
Importance.
Publicly-owned liquor stores Of
fer the most effective method of
meeting the problem. You should
give most careful consideration to
the proposal Of a state dispensary
system.
Consideration also should be CIV
en- to the proposal for state-own-
ed cement plant. There is no COM
petition in the cement business; 1t
is trust-controlled, and no matter
from whom the state purchase this
material, the price does not vary
one iota.
I recommend passage of loan
shark bill with teeth in 1t so that
its provisions can be enforced. I'm.
der various subterfuges, loan
sharks shamefully exact an exces.
sive rate Of interest. These compan-
les should not be permitted to
charge more than the lawful con-
tract interest rate and should be
placed under the supervision of the
state Banking Department.
The legal rate of interest should
be lowered from six to four pei
cent. This will have a tendency to
lower all interest rates which are
oppressive.
The non-partisan method OF
electing legislators has proven con
fusing and inefficient. It eliminates
party responsibility and confuses
the voter. I therefore recommend
legislation which will again place
the Legislature on partisan basis
Farm Legislation
The Farmer-Labor party Is man.
dated to make special effort in
the direction of constructive legis.
lation pertaining to the welfare OF
the farmer and the worker. The
Republican and Democratic par
ties also are inundated by their
platforms towards efforts to lift
the economic standard Of farmers
and workers. Although this is es-
sentially national problem, there
are certain things we can do
through state action.
I recommend that you extend the
mortgage moratorium law for a
period of two years. Unless the law
is continued in effect we again will
witness a great increase in the
number of mortgage foreclosures
and consequent loss Of homes and
farms to their rightful owners.
The law pertaining to deficiency
judgments should be repealed.
This law is not only oppressive;
it is down right immoral, violating
every rule of ethics and of equity,
Even though the general public is
invited to bid on a mortgage fore
closure sale, as a practical matter
it is only the mortgage who usual
ly bids-and this bid is frequently
less than the amount of the debt
itself.
I strongly recommend for your
consideration a graduated tax on
the business Of carrying on farming
by chain farms. The ownership OF
farms by those who work them
makes for a sounder and more sta
BILE citizenship. We are rapidly
building up an absentee land own
ership. In some counties as high as
sixty-two percent of the farmers
are operating as tenants.
We must do something to count
eract that tendency.
AS farm aid measures, I recon-
mend a law requiring the use of a
certain amount of barley in the
manufacture Of beer instead of
only rice; an adequate and effective
license tax on oleomargarine and
other butter substitutes; authorize
ton of the Department of Agricul-
ture to carry on soil conservation
activities and cooperate with the
federal government and county and
local agencies in promoting soil
erosion control; a change in our
law pertaining to butter standards
so that we will have a single stan
dard similar to the federal law.
In order to eliminate duplication
and overlapping Of activities, an
agency should be created within
the state Department of Agriculture
wherein center activities Of the
county agent system, the All clubs,
the Livestock Improvement Asso-
citation, the Poultry Improvement
Association, and similar activities.
I suggest also creation Of a Con-
sumers Research Bureau within
the Department of Agriculture. In
other states such bureaus have
functioned in the interest Of the
general public and have done much
to protect consumer and producer
alike.
CO0peratives
The state should facilitate the
development of cooperative enter
prises Of every description. The CO.
operative and public ownership en-
terprises Of Sweden and other
Scandinavian countries were large
ly responsible for the fact that the
depression was felt there less than
In those countries where business
- L. - Al