The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1937-04-01
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Edited this week by Frank I
Gottry, Pine County Pioneer)

Edited this week by Frank p.
Gottry, Pine County Pioneer)
Time marches on-AS this col
umn is read, there will be less
than three weeks left of the pres
ent session. And now a little pic
ture as to what has been accom-
plished.
At the end of the twelfth Legis-
lative week, the members of the
house have introduced a grand
and staggering total of 1852 bills,
while the more timid senate has
been content with 1899. Of this
bewildering aggregate, but few
have been acted on and made
ready for signing. Three weeks
to 60 and such a lot to do. The
membership might well cry,
Lord Give us Strength" because
Heaven knows, they are going to
need it in full measure if they are
to wade through this conglomera-
ton of legislation, which is both
good and bad.
The past week has been marked
by delay after delay and little has
gone through the hopper. To the
observer the reason seems to be
the insistence of the administra-
ton and administration leaders to
cram a lot of must" legislation
down the Threats of the boys
which even some of the so-called
administration followers cannot
swallow. And this in a house
which was supposed to be liberal
and willing to vote as the head of
the ticket wished.
Bearing out this observation is
the latest and most drastic of the
steps being taken to force some
of the administration tax mea-
sures through the legislature, We
refer in particular to the ''Peo-
pies Pilgrimage" or peoples
Lobby" of which John Bosch is
chairman. This group plans a
march, en- maSSe, on the capitol
April 5 to bring pressure to bear
on some of the boys who are los
ing heart. We quote from their
call pamphlet, ga section of the
house is wavering," and they no
doubt refer to some of their own
members, who cannot go down
the line with the governor on his
program, and whose unstable sta
tus is cumming the works.
And it might be well to look in
to this Peoples Lobby a little to
see who the leaders in the move
ment are. John Bosch, chairman
of the executive committee, holds
a position as manager of the state
mill, and draws salary of about
$3.50 per month. The executive
secretary, one Roman Becker,
with Offices at the Frederic Hotel,
came to Minnesota a few short
years ago from st. Louis and has
been employed on SERA and
WPA administrative jobs since
that time The administration is
resorting to every known method
to force its program through as
drafted at the beginning of the
session, and this is one of the
things they hope may have the
desired result.
The wavering has been done on
such bills as the state liquor dis
pensary bill, the governors civil
service bill, (Which was introdu-
ced over objections of the Feder-
alton of Labor, who had proposed
a genuine civil service bill of
their own) the party designation
for legislative candidates bill, the
Stockwell bill calling for SO mil
lions to put the state in the pow
er business, and others of minor
importance.
Another state employee who is
very much in the headlines these
days is Kenneth Haycraft, head
of the old age assistance board at
so much per, and at present
candidate for the nomination as
mayor of Minneapolis, against an
other Farmer-Laborite, present
Mayor Latimer. Both claim to be
the dyed-in-the-wool representa-
tives of the party. Latimer was
elected by the Farmer-Labor folks
and has played ball with them.
Haycraft seems to have the gov
ernor on his team right now, and
some merry times are to be ex-
pected during the next few
weeks The Minneapolis mayor
atty fracas will no doubt develop
into an open battle between the
CIO-Communistic forces and the
Federation of Labor forces, and
it will be a fracas well worth
watching. Reports are rife about
the capitol that Haycraft will
have the support of the CIO and
the Stalinites along with that of
the governor and the triple threat
boys, Roger Rutchick, secretary to
the governor, Artie Jacobs, secre-
tary to speaker Barker, and Able
Harris, editor of the leader, while
Latimer will be supported in lar
&c measure by the unions affilia-
ted with the American Federation
of Labor.
The Fair Trades Bill
The past week saw passage of
the fair trades bilf>which had the
support of small merchants over
the state, and which passed the
senate some time ago. The mea-
sure is ready for the governors
signature.
Civil Service Legislation
Both bodies have been a little
lax in acting on this civil service
legislation, but we have been in
formed that the senate will act on
the bill sponsored by the fedora
ton of labor the fore part of the
week, and send it to the house for
action. They would have been
smart to have done this sooner,
but. better late than never.