Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, December 21, 1908, Page 1

TR THE BE VOLUME 6. NUMBER 210. BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 21, 1908. MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SUCIETY ILY PIONEER. FORTY CENTS PER MONTH THE TAX COMMISSION MAY BE DECLARED ILLEGAL If Supreme Court Decides That The Wide Open Amend- ment of Two Years Ago Did Not Carry, It May Also Rule Out the New Board. St. Paul, Minn.,, Dec. 21.—That the state tax commission may be declared to be illegal if the surpreme court decides that the wide open tax amendment of two years ago did not carry, is the opinion of a number of leading attorneys who have given the case in question study. With- out the wide open amendment, there is serious question as to whether or not the legislature exceeded the powers granted it in the constitution by creating and empowering, as it did, a tax commission. In the event that the decision does rule out the tax commission, it would mean the re-establishment of the old state board of equalization which has now become a matter of past state history. That the existence of the tax commission is actually in the balance, is a new phrase of this all- important pending case, but one of the possible most far-reaching results of the decision. Rumor is to the effect that the justices of the supreme court intend to devote their time at once to this tax case, brushing aside other pend- ing litigation till this is decided. possible, to file the decision before Jan. 1, that the legislature may be informed of “where it is at” on the subject of tax legislation, and its existing powers. If the court sus- tains the tax amendment of two years ago, then there is abso- lutely no limit to the tax laws the Jegislature may enact. In other words, it practically will put the legislature in a position to go ahead and enact anything it wants on the subject of taxation the same as if the subject were never mentioned in the constitution. But if the wide open amendment is declared to have been lost, then the legislature will be limited to the old restrictions of the constitution on taxation legislation. The case at bar is considered by state officials and attorneys to be one of the most importent ever put up to the state supreme court. It is certainly of vital interest to northeastern Minne- sota, as the promoters of the wide open tax amendment admittedly has especially in view the widening of the legislative powers in order to grant it unlimited leaway on the subject It is said to be their purpose, if of iron ore property taxation. Your Christmas Gift You want it to be something Make your selection from the Jewelry line. good and something appropriate. I will help you select a good article, and I know enough about different people’s likes and dislikes to assure you as to its appropriateness, hollow I have Filled 20 Clocks Black Enamel Wood Clocks, 8 day, hour and half hour strike, $6.00, $6 50 Silverware Knives and Forks, 12 pwt, wtd,$5.25-$5.50 Teaspoons Dessert Spoons. . Table Spoons.. Berry Spoon, (Gold Bowl) Pie Kaife Butter Knife and Sugar Shell Child’s Set—Knife, Fork and Spoon $2 25-$2.50 ..$3,50 $3.75 .$2.25 $2 25 handle, best quality Watches everything in Watches—Gold and 25 year and solid gold, $2.25 and everything from a plain 7-jewel to a 21-jewel Railroad watch. THE LITTLE WATCH FACTORY Post Office Corner CHAS. L. CUMMER ‘Our Purposel It is our purpese to handle any business entrusted to us in such a fair and liberal manner as to make the customer’s re- lation bank with this satisfastory and profitable. Aside from the excellent facilities afforded, this bank has the advantage of a large (apital and Surplus. The First National Bank of Bemidji i ARrrrATIAIC DA educational center of the northe than two years? city. Will you attend? Do you know that the location of the sixth N prestige than any other state building or institution? - Do you know that two or three live towns are trying to secure the location of this school for themselves and that definite action MUST BE TAKEN AT ONCE if Bemidji hopes to land this prize? . A mass meeting of the citizens of the City of Bemidji is called for Tuesday evening, Deec. 22, at 8:30 o’clock at the City Hall, and it is necessary that every merchant, every professional man, every banker, in fact every business man attend this meeting. . Set aside all other engagements and devote two hours Tuesday evening to the welfare of your To the Citizens of Bemidji: Do you want to see a Normal School located at Bemidji? Do you know that the location of a Normal’School will establish the fact that Bemidji is the ra part of the state? i BEMIDJI Mass Meeting Tuesday Evening. Do you know that the establishment of this school will add 1,000 souls to our population in less ormal School in this eity will give Bemidji more The proposed bond issue for further developments of our city schools will also be discussed. COMMERCIAL CLUB. To the readers of the Pioneer and Citizens of Independent School Dis- trict of Bemidji: I have been requested by several patrons of our city schools to write an article relative to the coming school election, which will be held in the Central building next Wednes- day from 4 to 8 o’clock p. m. for the purpose of voting upon the ques- tion of issuing the bonds of the dis- trict to be used in the erection of a high school and graded school building upon the sight selected by the citizens of Bemidji last spring for that purpose. I do notthink that any one need argue the ques- tion of the needs of more school room. All one has to do is to go and visit our seven school rooms scattered over town and our high school quar- ters including the basement, office and in some cases the halls, to be thoroughly convinced that some- thing must be done. I would imagine that there must be some misunderstanding, judging from Mr. Gould’s article in the Saturday’s issue of the Pioneer, regarding the actual conditions of our schools as well as to the pur- pose to which the proposed bonds are to be applied, should they carry, also the method of bringing a bond- ing proposition before the peoble. It is true that we have a few children attending the Nymore schools also the Nymore district has a few, from Mill Park, attending here. Under the conditions we thought that was the best arrange- meht that could be made. To my mind, the school situation in the eastern part of our dis- trict will not- be solved uutil the Nymore schools and those of Bemidji are brought under one jurisdiction. The grade rooms are not the only ones that are suffering for the lack of proper accommodations. I think I am safe in saying that there is not another high school in the state of Minnesota whose high school ac- commodations are so inadequate as those of Bemidji. There is nota room in the entire building where the high school pupils can all be |assembled, and next year no two rooms will hold them. There is not a proper recitation room in the building; there is not a room in the building that can be used for a chemical laboratory with safety to to the building or without injury to the pupil’s health from the inhaling of poisonous gases from their experi- ments. In short the building is not a high school building at all and The industrial phase of the edu- in both the grades and high school never was built for such. It makes a fair grade building. The object of the bond issue, as stated in the notige of election. is not solely tor the erection of a high school building but a high and graded school combined. The first floor to be used for grade pur- poses, the second floor for high school quarters, and the basement for toilets and industrial work, cational system has been neglected because we have had no available room. The moving of the seventh and eighth grades from ihe Cen- tral building, with the high school will vacate six rooms there which can be used to accommodate the grades now scattered over town, there will also be other grade rooms on the hirst floor to accommo- date the small pugils living south of the new site.” "With this’ ar- rangement I know of no primary pupils who would have more than one half of a mile to walk to school except those in Mill Park and across the lake. I think the people of Bemidji should understand however, thata $35,000 building will not supply the needs of the city long, as before stated, seven rooms are now located in undesirable rooms. A word in regard to the site. One would naturally think that this part was settled last spring when it was carried by about two-thirds majority vote and was again almost unanimously indorsed at the last annual election when more money was asked for to complete the pur- chase. Regarding the method of calling meetings for the purpose of raising money will say there is no provision in the law granting to the school board the right to do so. They must be called upon petition of at least five freeholders of the district, Why don’t those opposed to the proposition instead of waiting till a meeting is called propose some other proposition and have it submitted to the voters. A prososition to spend $15,000 in erecting a ward building was voted down overwhelm- ingly last spring when it was sub- mitted. Every voter in this district should acquaint himself or herself with the needs and facts and then go to the polls and vote accordingly. Respecttully yours, —A. P. Ritchie. To the Editor of the Pioneer;— To the stranger, Bemidji appears WILL RESUME PRAGTIGE OF LAW IN THIS GITY Judge C. W. Stanton Will Make His Permanent Home Here.—B. F. Wright Writes Reply. In response to his letter of congra- tulation to B. F. Wright,the success- ful republican candidate for Judge of the Fifteenth Judicial district, Judge C. W. Stanton of this city has received the following letter from Mr. Wright: “Park Rapids, ch. 19. “Hon. C. W. Stanton, Bemidji,Minn. My dear judge:—I1 beg to ac- knowledge the receipt of your very ) 1 assure you of my highest apprecia- tion of the kindly feeling and in- terest therein expressed and most sincerely desire that you regard them entirely reciprocated. “It was indeed a most wonderfully close contest, one, the result of which could only be determined by the final canvass, I shall certainly take the pleasure of calling on you at the earliest possible opportunity, and should you, at any time, be in Park Rapids, do not fail to come and see me. 5 ; “Very truly yours, “B. F. Wright.” Communications on ‘the School Proposition. not only as the most progressive and hustling little city in this section of the country, butalso as the city en- dowed by nature with the most beauti- ful surroundings. Strikingly out of accord with these two features of the town, however, are the public buildings, and none more so than the system—or rather lack of system—of school buildings. The present cen- tral building, never beautiful, has been patched up and added to until it presents an ugly appearance un- worthy of the natural beauties of the place. It is also out of keeping with the enterprises of the city, being out-of-date and entirely inade- quate to the needs of the situation. The fact that some of the younger children have to be quartered in a church and some in a private resi- dence is much to be regretted and to be remedied as soon as possible. In all this everyone will agree with Mr. Gould. But we disagree with him as to the method. He may be right in saying that the town NEEDS two new ward schools. In fact, we would go farther and say that the town NEEDS an entire new system of school buildings, and that if Bemidji grows as it is bound to do, thousands of dollars must be ex- pended in buildings alone during the next five or six years. But first of all the city NEEDS the proposed new high school building. It would be the proper initial step in the in- auguration of the needed system; it would for a year or two relieve the congested condition of our school buildings; it would be a credit to the town from the standpoint of architec- tural beauty; it would place the hizh school students in the proper sur- roundings whereas now they are on little better footing than the grade pupils, and though Mr. Gould may education, the more varied and ex- pensive is the equipment necessary to advancement. For some time, we understand, the people of Bemidji have been swallowing the camel of inadequate school accommodations, while this or that section of the city has been straining over the gnat of location, The location for a high school building is already secured and vacated. The question of taxes should scarcely be considered when education is involved. The recent taxes, etc. expression of hostility to the new illogical and inopportune. . —Pual E. Shannon. — keeping with the personal character of each. Judge Stanton Saturday that he would not contest would accept the' verdict that the successful candidate was elected by fifty-seven votes. stated that he would not return to International Falls, but would resume the practice of law. Judge Stanton further stated today that it is his. intention to make his permanent home in Bemidji, and 'that soon after-his retirement from the bench in January, he would open | offices in this city for the practice of The friendly spirit exhibited be- tween the gentlemen who were the principals in ¢ ici his profession. not see it, the higher one gets in | project simply to oppose the school | B board seems to the observer most|H announced on | g Judge-elect Wright’s _ election and |§ The judge also|§ “BIG BEMIDG” The Local Team Was Handic “Big Bemidg” won the basketball game played at the Coliseum Satur- day evening; by a score of 18 to 15, the contest being a very close one, the deciding scores not being secured by the locals until within the last few moments of play, in the second half. The “Big Bemidg” team went in- to the game with two of the best members of the squad absent from the linve-np, Brown not being able to play, on account of business duties, and Biddinger, the fast guard, sitting on the side lines, nursing some injur- ies which kept him from yplaying. This necessitated a shaking up in positions, Heffron took Brown’s place as center, and Gill went as guard in place of -Biddinger. The changes seemed to make the team work ragged, and the locals did not although the individual playing was strong, Gill doing very good work as guard. play as good a game as usua];‘ DEFEATED ADA IN THE SECOND GAME apped by the Absence of Two of the Best Men of the Regular Line-Up---Score of the Game Was 18 to 15. The members of the Ada team worked together nicely and they forced the Bemidji champions to work their hardest, the end of the first half leaving the scorea tie, 11 to 11 scores for each. In the second half, the visitors started out like “winners, and the game was theirs for a few moments. The locals took a brace, however, toward the end of the game and | threw baskets rapidly, making 7 | points to 4 for Ada. The playing of Markham was very good, at forward, and the other members of the team did very well. The result of the two games with Ada gives “Big Bemidg” a clean slate, as far as games with north- ern Minnesota teams go, the locals having won all games played with Deer River, Floodwood and Ada, and placing the team in line to play the Duluth Y. M. C. A. team Ifor the final champiouship. GREAT AGTIVITY IR ALL LOGAL BUSINESS HOUSES Christmas Trade Is Brisk and Stores Are Well Supplied With Splen- did Stocks. The greatest activity exists at the present time in the retail business of the city and there is no doubt "but that it will be on the increase from now until Christmas Day arrives. While the season has been backward, vet it is expected to make up in in- tensity for what it lacks in lenght, although Bemidji people have heeded in a considerable measure, the advise to do early Christmas shopping and trade at the Jocal stores has been fair for the past two weeks. There is no doubt but that this season the retail houses of the city are carrying the most expensive and best stocks that have ever been carrried in the past. The merchants have provided for the wants and desires of all classes and the result is that the different establishments present a most attrac- tive appearance. In addition to the immensity of the stock carried this year, another feature of the holiday business is that it is much more economical than heretofore. An authority on merchandise prices stated to the Pioneer today that he has made a visit to most of the retail stores in the city and he was surprised to find prices pre- vailing that could not be duplicated in the larger commercial centers. He was very enthusiastic in his praise of the business men who had sufficient interest in their customers to be satisfied with the usual profits during the holidays. Pythian Sisters Meet Tomorrow. The Pythian Sisters will meet at the Masonic hall tomorrow after- noon at 2:30 o’clock. There will be initiation. All members are requested to be present. —MTrs. A. E. Harris, M. of R. C. Christmas Excursions East. Via the South Shore to Eastern Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Tickets on sale Decem- [ABERCR ! Boos, Books at Christm :=. Books for the wee tots, old. Gift Books, put up in Christmas Sets, inc Albums in leather Testaments, for young Tally Cards, Dinner 216 BELTRAMI AVE. STATIONERY, There is always satisfaction in giving or receiving [ We carry all the late books and g receive them as soon as published. . The Lumberjack Sky Pilot, by Thos. Whittles and Frank Higgins, just received, only $1.00. Booklets and Leaflets. We carry a complete line of Bibles, Books, Cruifixes, Rosaries, New and Old A cordial invitation to visit out store is OMBIE’S CONFECTIONERY girls and hoys, young and anicz box, 75c and $1. Limp and Burnt Leather, by the best § authors, $1.50 and $2.00. ases, for the wee tots, $1.50 f Henry Hutt’s and Christy’s Picture Books, for the hest girl in the world, $3.50, $4. Postal Card Albums, Kodak Picture and burnt leather bindings. Prayer and old. The most complete assortment of Writing Paper, Note Paper, Invitations, Cards, Score Cards, Favors, etc., can be seen in our sales room. .Xmas Candy Just Received Johnston’ Celebrated Milwaukee Candy only at our store. Dainty-Boxes from 1-4 pound to 10 pounds.