The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1939-02-16
LEGISLATIVE
SIDELICHTS
By H. E. SUenneS

The naming of university re-
gents is a thing of the past. Few
take interest in this important
phase of the states part in having
a hand in university affairs but
it was of more than passing signi-
ficance in the eyes of the legisla-
tors and consumed days of bick-
ering and conniving before the
nine were chosen. Messrs. Seifert,
Zwach and Swennes supported A.
j. Olson of Renville as the. sew
enth districts choice. Mr.. Olson
is a prominent agriculturist, past
president of the Minnesota Farm
Bureau, and is fully equipped to
sit on this all-important board.
Charges and counters charges
flew thick at the hearing on the
Small Loan bill that passed the
lower house Tuesday. The bill
which legalizes a maximum of Sc.
per cent interest, passed 108 to TO-,
Four representatives charged ex-g
cessive lobbying and offers of
bribesE immediately the rules
committee offered "a resoluticnsto
make them appear before, the.
house to repeat their assertions
and substantiate them The re-
solution was deferred but it stir
red unusually bitter debate and
the matter may not be thoroughly
cleared up or disposed of for some
days. Offering bride to a legis-
lator is a penitentiary offense. ftT
appears to the writer that brides
were unnecessary when a bill had
such substantial support as this
one had although there was lot
of push" exerted from both sides
the present loan sharks, who
have been charging, in many,
cases, up to 800 per cent and in
one instance 1000 per cent, thru
service charges, and the hackers
of the present bill which puts the;
small loan companies under the
supervision of the banking de-
partment and in every way sup
cruises their business. The bill
had the backing of the American
and state labor bodies and most of
the social and civic bodies of the,
Twin Cities where most of these
high interest boys operate.
Most small town employers areI
interested in the state unemploy-g
ment compensation insurance tax.
A bill to make the state law COM
ply with the national law where
by employers of seven or less are
exempt from this tax is noWl
fighting its way through commit
tees. It has bitter opposition from
labor organizations although most
Of the legislators are for it as are
small town employers. 1t should
pass although every stumbIingt
block known to opposing solonsf
will be put in its path to thei
floor of the legislative assemblies. Il
Twenty EIGHT states now havef
laws complying with this propos-
ed bill; 8 have a law where emu
ployers of four or more are made.
to pay the tax; two with three orr
more and ten with one Or more,s
like the present Minnesota sta /
tute. i
Don't be surprised if you see
the slogan Drink More Milk
Eat More Butter = For Your
Health and Prosperity, embel-
lished on a lot of State of Min
nesota printing in the near future.
A bill to empower the state print
er with the consent of the ,deport-
ment heads to have the slogan
printed on all matter possible /.
passed the house. Naturally the
bill had some opposition. from
other interests that were of the
opinion their particular industry
should be given the same oppor-
tunity. Those interesed in dairy
ing, however, were too plentiful
A national campaign to stimulate
sales and make everyone milk
and butter conscious is in the
making and it is thought it will
have beneficial results.
Representative Roy Dunn. ma
jority leader, flayed the highway
department for spending S26 .O0O.-
600 last year with less than SO
miles of concrete paving construc-
ted Dunn said: eve have been
running that department on
champagne basis with a beer
purse. We cannot go on paying
tens of millions into one depart
ment without a definite program.
we thought we were in the mid
die Of a boom period and cared
nothing for our dollars. We still |
are in a depression-one of the