The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1900-10-24
n1UUnD VI FAILURE
What the s Reform State Admin
istration Has Done in the
Past Two Years.
All Executive Departments Show
Woeful Incapacity and
Mismanagement.
political PULP the Only Qualifi-
cation for a Position Under
Governor Lind.

by their fruits shall ye 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 ad-
ministration, and for any incompe-
tence. scandal mismanagement or mis-
takes in their conduct, the governor is
equally responsible; he must stand OF
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 employees, irrespective
of their political affiliations; that his
only aim was the best service.
And he carried out this reform
with a vengeance. Immediately after
tary, Rosing. commenced to WELD the
official ak, Unfortunately, and in ev-
cry department the former ofice-hold-
ers were replaced by active Lind par
tisans He has built up gigantic po-
ltical machine. such as the state has
never seen before, the with one sole OBJ
ject in view-to hold their jobs. Every
thing has been sacrificed to this end;
1t is the alpha and omega of their pol
dtics. Every off1ceholder, every APP
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 a 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
ments is greater than it was before?
Is it not to be expected that every de
partment, run as 1t 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. M. D. Kenyon;
on Irvine plant was run in the interests
re thn twin Hn vSiSN nta1 hot
the farmers were being robbed by the
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 ineff1ciency
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. or rejected, actually
that was graded as No. l. No wonder
that it is necessary to employ 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-
Iitical friends. Who pays for it? The
farmer and taxpayer.
Under Republican management, pol
itics was absolutely kept out Of this
In employing an inspect
or, he was never asked what his po-
Utica! faith was; he was engaged for
his f1tre<s and capacity for the work.
Immedia tely Gov. Lind undertook to
reform the department, there was
wholesale discharge Of competent and
honest men, and their places were
more places created-by
lot Of ward-heelers and politicians,
whose only qualification consisted in
their ability to carry precinct eau
Gus.
It is an actual fact, and a matter
that can be verified, that two Of these
employees were transferred from the
to the inspection department
Of the service simply because they
were unable to figure out the number
Of bushels of wheat In q car, from the
weight Of the contents-they were un-
able to divide the number Of pounds
by co.
Minnesota wheat has always hereto
fore sold at q premium in the Eastern
markets, and by this premium the
farmers have profited directly. It meant
from to 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
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 rum
ming into Chicago. are shipping their
brain there In preference Of to Mime
apolis. The reason for this is self-evi-
dent. They are assured uniform