The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-10-19
What the reform" State Admin
istration Has Done in the
Past Two Years.
All Executive Departments Show
Woeful Incapacity and
Mismanagement.
"Political Pull" the Only Qualifi-
cation for a Position Under
Governor Lind.

"By their fruits shall ys know
them"
Gov. Lind's administration can best
be judged by the results of the various
departments under executive control.
Their successful management would
necessarily reflect credit upon the adj
ministration, and for any incompe-
tence, scandal, Encouragement or mis-
takes in their conduct, the governor Is
equally responsible; he must stand or
fall by the record of these appointees'
for whom he is personally responsible.
During his campaign, two years ago.
Mr.. Lind frequently stated that If
elected, he meant to reform the diff
ferent departments, that he would in
troduce a sort of civil service, retain
ing all efficient employ, 20 irrespective
Of their political affiliations; that his
only aim was the best service.
And he carried out this reform"
with a vengeance. Immediately after
taking office, he and his private secre-
tary, Rosing, commenced to WELD the
official ak, Unfortunately, and in eV-
cry department the former offics-hold-
srs were replaced by active Lind par
tisans He has built up a gigantic po-
ltical machine. such as the state has
never seen before, the with one sole op-
tect in view-to old their jobs. Every
thing has been sacrificed to this end;
Il is the alpha and omega Of their pol
atics Every officeholder, every ap-
pointee, even down to the janitors, the
grain inspectors and deputy game
wardens, including men who are draw
ing only $40 a month wages, have
been called upon to contribute part
Of their monthly salary for the cam
paign purposes and the machine"
Is it to be wondered at that in every
department. an increased appropria''
ton of money from the state was
asked for? Is it remarkable that the
cost Of maintaining the various depart
nents is greater than 1t was before?
Is it not to be expected that every de
partment, run as it is by men whose
only qualification is their political
pull" should be poorly managed or
mismanaged?
In his campaign, two years ago, Mr.
Lind attacked the character Of the
then public examiner, NJ. D. Kenyon;
he openly charged that the state pris-
on Irvine plant was run in the interests
Of the Irvine trust; he insinuated that
the farmers were being robbed by the
existing wheat inspection-and it was
necessary to elect him to reform them.
These charges were subsequently prov
en- to be absolutely false, and were
made for the sole purpose Of influence
Ing votes. AND THIS IS HOW LIND
REFORMED THE VARIOUS DE-
PAYMENTS:
Couldn't Divide by 60.
The incompetency and ineficiency
Of the reform" wheat inspection bu-
reau has become a by-word. With
men who don't know wheat from po-
tatoes appointed as inspectors, it is not
to be wondered at that in the open
market in Minneapolis, wheat that has
graded as No. 8 or rejected, actually
sold for more, by sample, than wheat
that was graded as No. 1. No wonder
that 1t is necessary to employ a great
er number of men in this department,
even in a short crop year. to do the
work. And besides, it was deemed
necessary to provide fat jobs for po-
btical friends. Who pays for it? The
farmer and taxpayer.
Under Republican management, pol
ttics was absolutely kept out of this
department. In employing an inspect
or, he was never asked what his po>
htical faith was; he was engaged for
his fitness and capacity for the work.
Immediately Gov. Lind undertook to
reform" the department, there was a
wholesale discharge of competent and
honest men, and their places were
filled-and more places created-by a
lot of ward-heelers and politicians,
whose only qualification consisted in
their ability to carry a precinct eau
Gus.
1t is an actual fact, and a matter
that can be verified, that two of these
employees were transferred from the
Weighing to the inspection department
of the service simply because they
were unable to figure out the number
of bushels of wheat in a car, from the
weight of the contents-they were un-
able to divide the number of pounds
by 60.
Minnesota wheat has always hereto
fore sold at a premium in the Eastern
markets, and by this premium the
farmers have profited directly. 1t meant
from 1 to 8 cents more per bushel for
their wheat. Under present inspection
the gradings given by the inspectors
have been ignored by the buyers, and
the wheat sold by the sample. What
does this mean? Why the buyers lost
confidence in the correctness of the
grading, by Lind's political grain in
spectors, and the remarkable discrep-
ancies between their gradings and the
actual selling standards Of the wheat
have fully justified this suspicion.
Those grain shippers, whose elevat-
ors are adjacent to railroad lines run
ming into Chicago, are shipping their
grain there in preference of to Mime
Ipolis. The reason for this is self-evi-
dent They are assured a uniform
and just inspection with less dock
age" than is being given under our
reform" administration.
How Game Is protected"
During the past few years Minnesota
has spent $25, 900 annually for the pro-
lection of her game and game fish.
Under Lind's administration it may
well be said that this $25, 900 has been
Toba CRYSTAL hoe bod n oboyfor oe