Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1908-09-04
fULLfR'S $4,000 FAKE
An Absurd Charge Made
for Selfish Rea-
sons

MOIFlSOu county issued DO00S Tor
$50, 600. That is true. So did various
other cities and counties in the state
this year and other years, so did the
city of Little Falls few years ago.
And for the same reason. To take up
a floating debt, the accretions of the
years when the needs of the county
we're greater than it's income. It was
cheaper to get four per cent bonds
than to pay per cent on the floating
debt. It is charged that this debt is
the result of extravaganza, but where
in this extravaganza consists is not
shown. Bond issues at any time can
be avoided if people are willing to pay
pretty high taxes. If the city Of
Little Falls, instead of selling bridge
bonds, had asked the citizens each to
contribute his proport1onate share of
the amount necessary, there would
have been general roar. The larger
population and increased wealth of
the future can pay for the bonds easier
than we, who are developing and
preparing the way. That's argument
heard. Morrison county's needs are
growing faster than its income
Extraordinary and unlocked expenses,
such as murder trials, increase the
burdens. The withholding OF tax pay
ments by large property owners, limit
the income. If the people had been
taxed to the utte1most, there would
have been no bonds, but the taxpayers
object to such proposition. Everyone
wants his taxes as light as possible.
We will show that taxes for county
purposes have been low. Fairness is
needed in considering this matter.
The mere charge of extravaganza, and
especially coming from the source it
does, will convince nobody.
The county board is the governing
body OF the county. 1t passes on all
bills For two years its legal adviser
has been democrat. For six years
previous to to that republican, F. A.
Llndbergh, was county attorney. For
four years previous to Mr. Lind
bergh's time, F. W. Lyon, now one Of
the republican candidates for county
attorney, was county attorney. The
salarled offers receive compensations
fixed by law. There is no charge that
they receive more. The officers who
receive fees receive what is fixed by
law. The fee officer who has most
and the largest bills for services paid
for by the county is the sheriff. The
nature OF his duties makes it SO.
There have been some increases in
salary and clerk hire, because laws
enacted by republican legislatures SO
provide. The whole question of ex-
penditures narrows down to those
officers who can create Or control ex-
penditures, and who pass on them.
Most Of the county officers have
nothing to do with expenditures.
They receive a salary or fee for
certain duties prescribed by law. It
would be as reasonable to charge these
officers with responsibility for in
creased county expenses, as it would
be to charge the state treasurer OF
secretary OF state for what the legisla-
ture does The legislature make the
appropriations and controls expendi-
lures. The county board does for the
county in smaller and much more
limited way, what the legislature does
for the state. The real reason behind
the cry OF extravaganza, a charge
which we shall show is baseless, is {
desire to get control Of the county
board and incidentally, as a remote
possibility, get some other Offices
One OF the leading republicans Of thi
county says he considers the charg,
OF extravaganza in county affairs TO-
campaign Issue as silly as there is n,
evidence to show that republican
members Of the board ever vote(
against their colleagues or raised thel
voices against alleged extravagances
The measure Of taxation, so far a.
the county is concerned, is the count,
tax rate. School rate, township rates
city rates, vary according to locality
Some school districts have very higl
rate, such as District 40, whose rat
of school tax in 1907 was 35. mills
while the county rate was 8.36 mills
and the total rate ST. mills. Th'
county tax is about one seventh Of tn,
whole. In District No. 3, the Littl
Falls district, the school rate in 1870
was 1875 mills, while the total rat
was 45. 8 mills, and the county rat,
was about one sixth of the whole /,
District No. Is the school rate was
mills, and the total e.. mills whil
the county rate was a little over
third of the whole In 1896, the yea
after the republicans, owing to dem
the bolting of several party worker
and troubles in the party in the stat
as we'll as county, carried the county
U00 V&eA 40V0 AVA VVuAVy Vu4 pOoC5 wa
9.15 mills, in 1896, 8. IS mills; in 1897
9.W mills; in 1898, 8.87 mills; In 1899
9.S7 mills; in 1900, ST mills; in 1901
8.17 mills; IN 1902, 6.07 mills; in 1903
6.23 mills, in 1904, 6. 80 mills; IN 1906
6.39 mills in 1906, 10 miles, and il
1907, $3.50 mills. The increase In tn
state tax rate caused the raise in 1907
yet even that rate is less than in tn
years when the county was blesse'
with a majority of republican officials
which is the logic of Fuller ant
Jacobson. Although the county
needs are greater than ever, owing t
increasing population and develop
ment. and the opening of previous1,
unsettled regions, the tax rate for th
last seven years, the measure of wha
taxes people pay for county purposes
IS less than in the six years befor
that. Many people may be paying
great deal more taxes than they eve
did, but the increase is not in count
taxes, as the figures show. It will b