The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1911-12-08
POLITICAL GOSSIP
The County Chairman" Gives Miner Readers
Entertaining State Capitol Gossip Touching
The Great and Near-Great.

707.48. These several amounts, dear
reader, Is what State Treasurer Wal.
| ter ]. Smith drew his check for dur
ing the year ending last July and he
figures on paying out a like amount
the next twelve months. Last year
his predecessor distributed of the peo-
Piles money a trife over $13,000,000
and the year before that something
like $12, 100000 Every cent of it went
to pay the running expenses of the
state and it was all legally authorized,
| too. So much for this department,
so much for that department, and so
on reads the ponderous ledgers in
State Auditor VERSIONS department,
| and Mr.. Smith and his predecessors
| drew their checks as the approved
| vouchers and warrants came to them.
All the above information, and then
some, is contained in the annual state
ment OF State Treasurer Smith, just
out, and which is being distributed
over the state. The book, cold and
formal looking volume, could hardly
be counted among the best sellers,
but it contains much that is interest
ing to the taxpayers of the state at
least and when tackled by the mathe-
matician offers considerable in the
way of surprises. For instance, the
running expenses of the state have in
creased 100000 in the last two
years and in nine years the total in
crease has been close to $8,000,000.
The average increase for each year of
that period has been about $1,200,000.
Last year the state spent nearly $780,
900 more than 1t took in, but this ex-
cess was taken care of by handsome
balance from the year previous.
4 i. 4
Third gubernatorial candidate talk
has cast the spotlight on State Auditor
Iverson and there Is uneasiness in the
ranks of the others in consequence.
As I once pointed out in this column
Mr.. Iverson, bar none, has the best po-
ntical organization in the state and
the man that ever has him for a COM
petitor will have to go some. And it
is not pap controlled either. It is the
work of over fifteen years of active
Official life and it responds when
called upon. That Mr. Iverson, how
ever, Is going to pass up his present
berth for an uncertainty is doubtful,
and more so in light of the fact that
he smiles when it is mentioned. That
the Fillmore county man will have to
be reckoned with some of these days
is admitted.
Time brings many changes and one
Of the most prominent is the vacation
of the North Dakota political contin-
gent of the Merchants hotel in ST.
Paul and it's new residence at the
West hotel in Minneapolis. Alex Nc
Kenzie dropped his grip in the latter
city several months ago and ever
since the West has been North Da-
kota headquarters. In days gone by
no one aspired to Office in North Da-
kota without first visiting the big fell
lows who held forth at the Merchants
hotel. There they held forth, and it
was there that much of North Dako-
ta's early political history was written.
i. i. 4
Governor Eberhart may incorporate
into his next message to the legisla-
ture a demand for law that will give
the state control of get-rich-quick cor
porations. The only way of reaching
them now is when fraud is shown,
and even then conviction is often i'm
possible. In the past three years his
exceEency has been appealed to on
more than one occasion for relief from
these concerns, but has been unable
to do anything. Minneapolis is a hot
bed of these corporations and they
extend from mining schemes to co.
operative farming
/. + +
Representative s. N Lee of Rollag
Is one of those who sides with the
governor In his stand on the much dis
cussed extra session of the legislature
and he has written the executive con-
graduating him on the position taken.
The governors ideas regarding an in
crease in the railroad gross earnings
tax also appeal to him, for as far as his
observation goes, he says, the demand
comes only from demagogues and
bread and butter politicians. It was
the late Joel Heatwole, believe, who
said, Never write, see your man."
And it is of note that Joel did not
often put his thoughts on paper.
1. + i.
To the wise ones it looks pretty
much as if county option and and
few of the other ismss that have graced
the platforms of either one or the
other parties for the past five years
would be among the missing next
year. 1t Is never heard of down here
and Democracy especially looks upon
1t as one of the things to be forgotten.
Sam Gordon's brewery owned saloon
slogan threatens to take its place, but
how far it will get is not known at
this time. It has many, and some in
fiuential hackers, however.
!. i. !. :.
Governor Eberhart is travelling east
with the governors special this week
and the state capitol will not see him
for some days. He is extolling the
beauties of Minnesota and dwelling on
its wealth of farming and manufac-
turing resources. For inspiration he
has as company portion of a car