The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1939-03-23
Legislative
Sidelights
By H. E. Soennes

concentrate from now on on legis-
latsve activities, having in mind
the civil service, labor relations
and Reorganization measures that
have been slow in coming before
the houses. He did not mention in
his first weekly talk over the ra-
dio, anything about the unem-
ployment compensation tax bill
that he has been labeled as being
opposed to. This bill would ordin-
arily pass the house as. it did the
senate but a number of leading
Solons are using every resource
to amend the bill SO as to make it
conform more to the governors
ideas and especially to appease
labor. The same will be true of
the labor relations bill. Labor is
not going to be satisfied with a
bill that would appear fair to the
average citizen but will use every
resource at its command to keep
the situation as is. These bills,
flecked with labor issues, have
the governor on the spot because
the legislature does not feel too
kindly toward labor and labor
does not have look-in.
Action of the finance commit
tee of the senate last week in
killing the proposal to repeal the
one-mill road and bridge levy
means the retention of this item
that is so favored in the rural
districts. The Senate liquor COM
mittee also killed the bill to re-
define beer as liquor, putting an
end to this hot controversy. AT
the same time the senate passed
bill to close taverns selling beer
at the same hour on-sale liquor
establishments are closed in any
municipality. The measure is de-
signed to tighten regulations and
control beer sales. Another liquor
measure will prohibit the issu-
ance of 80 beer licenses to per-
sons holding federal permits to
sell hard liquor unless such per-
sons also hold state hard liquor
licenses. A number of places sell
ing beer take out a federal license
and sell hard liquor on the side.
State enforcement agencies have
not been able to cope with en-
forcement problems of this kind
that is especially apparent in
northern Minnesota.
Bitter Fight on Gas Tax
Retention of the Accent tax on
gasoline is another measure asked
for by the rural districts and bit
terly fought by the Twin Cities
and scattering of rural legisla-
ors. THOSE favorable to retaining
thd present tax say that tass tax
rs, an easy and just one and Sthat
the highway department is serely
in need of this revenue, and also
the counties where a third of it
is pro-rated. The opposition
points to the recent expose of
wasteful spending of money in the
department, a flimsy excuse in
view of the fact that new COM
missioner is in charge. This
measure should be disposed of in
the house by the time this is in
print.
Most of northern Minnesota
(iron range cities) have been in
vading the capitol of late in oppo-
sition to the Weber-Carley bill
proposing a reduction in per-cap-
tia taxes for range cities. The bill
has a good chance of passage be-
cause the revenue taken from the
range cities would go to the state
revenue fund. While admitting
range cities are in a poor financ-
ial condition, and that relief con-
ditions are worse than bad, pro-
ponents of the bill point to the
waste of public funds apparent
there for a number of years. Poll
tics is the chief business in iron
ore cities and everyone seems to
have his hand in the pot that has
always been so full. This bill can
really be classed as one Of the
headliners in any arena.
States Greatest Need
An interim legislative commit
tee that has been laboring for two
years to find out what is most
needed in this state has made its
report and urges legislation that
would make possible:
Increased purchasing power.
especially as a means of aiding
the farmer to obtain cost of pro-
duction.
Investigation Of agricultural
monopoIies.
Restoration of MinnesOta's
natural resources, especially
timber, water, iron ore and the
soil.
UTILIZATION OF iOng-range plan
ming.
The committees 23-page report
to the Legislature said that 'pan-
aceas will only delay recovery"
$3.50 for Royalty
Crown Prince Olav and Crown
Princess Martha of Norway have
already received state recogni-