davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
would CONSOLIDATE
SOME DEPARTMENTS

Perhaps the only remnant of the
theory that purely political considera.
tons are sufficient for reward at pub
lie expense is the present fee office.
There is no possible defense for the
existence Of this Office today. Fees
collected do not belong to the officer,
but to the state, and the state owes
the officer sufficient compensation
for his work, including necessary ex-
penses, and no more. No state officer
should be dependent for his support
upon the amount of fees collected. II
these fees aggregate larger amount
than necessary to amply compensate
him for his work and necessary eX-
penses, he is appropriating money that
belongs *to the state, and if they are
insufficient for that purpose, he is
rendering services to the state with
out proper compensation. Perhaps no
Offices in this state can illustrate this
! more fOrcibly than those connected
with the oil and boiler inspection, and
surveying of logs and lumber. The in.
spectiOn Of illuminating oils could be
turned over to the dairy and food de-
partment with practically no add
tional expense, which would result in
saving the state in fees disbursed for
the inspection of oil approximately
! $4,000 annually, the total amount OF
fees collected during the fiscal year
ending july 81, 1910, being $53,560.60
The dairy and food inspectors should
test the Oil in making their inspection
| trips throughout the state. This
would make the inspection more rigid
and effective as the inspectors would
be free from local influence and indie
| pendent of the amount of fees collect
/ ed, all of which should go into the
| state treasury. With reference to the
boiler inspection the same argumen
can be used.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
WOULD ABOLISH OIL
INSPECTION DEPARTMENT..

In the case of oil inspection, this de-
partment should be entirely abolished
and its work performed by the dairy
and food department. In the case of
boiler inspection, this work should be
performed by expert inspectors in the
labor department, who should be
amply compensated for their work
and who should travel throughout the
state in the performance OF their du.
ties, devotlng all their time thereto
The fees collected should be based on
boiler capacity and paid into the state
treasury. With reference to the in
spectiOn OF logs and lumber, this
could be performed by inspectors I'm.
der the forestry commissioner, and the
fees collected therefor turned over tc
the state as i'll other cases.
According to conservative est
mate not less than 100000 now pad
for inspection service in the three de
partnlents mentioned should be useI
by the state for much better purposes
and it is safe to say that the same in
specJlOn could h llade with natte:
results for less than half of the pres
ent cost. 1t sho'|a be distinctly I'm
derstood that this is not reflection up
on the men in charge of this work
They are uniformly good men and dis
charge the duties OF their respective
offices as lar as the law permits The
inherent defect is in the system itself
! For the purpose Of bringing this
scheme of reorganization definitely be
fore the legislature I shall discuss tht
contemplated changes in the admins
trative affairs OF the state with refer
ence to four great subdivisions or bu
| reaus, those OF public domain, publ,
! health and safety, education. and reve
! nue. and accounting
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
burses over 100000 annually. If a
private business institution transacted

UuTSS6 OVeT $A,UUV,UOV duuuduJ. IL
private business institution transacted
it's business by similar methods it
could not long exist in the present
field of active competition. Our state
has been exceptionally fortunate in
securing honest and intelligent offic
and the fact that the state has made
such great progress with so few
charges Of mismanagement or graft is
a great credit to the ne1 in charge.
tut positively 10 argument in favor Of
the system and cannot possibly con
vey any assurance for the future.
Bearing in mind the two essential Gle
ments Of successful business admins
tration, fixed "5:D1 ! cibility and active
cooperation there are several depart
ments OF state that can be clteG as
models. The dairy a-5 food insur-
ance, banking and nuhlic examiners
departments are all properly organ
lied with & responsible lead IN charge
of each and deputies as we'll as in
spectors especially skilled in their
work and hevoting all Of their time
thereto. In the board OF control and
tax commission every member is espe-
cially skilled in the performance of
the duties Of his Office, devotes all his
time thereto and the business of each
board is organized ami transacted
along lines of efficiency and merit. In
! all these ca:es there is nc question as
! to responsibility and if all the bust
ness of the state we're transacted
. along similar lines the results would
unQuestionably be far greater.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
OF AGRICUL-
TURE AND IMMIGRATION

MluuSoOtd poaStSSes tue greatest az
ricultural resources Of any state in the
Union and yet it is one OF the few
states which have no centrally organ.
lied department Of agriculture. OF
her 45,000,0oo acres OF agricultural
lands less than 50 per cent are under
cultivation and this 30 per cent should
yield, under proper methods of admin
istration, from so to 100 per cent
greater returns than are now realized
The general government gives to
agriculture one of it's best equipped
federal departments. Mississippi val.
ley states, such as Iowa. Wisconsin,
North and South Dakota, Missouri, IL.
linois, Indiana and Ohio, all have state
departments of agriculture. The same
is true, not only of the Pacific coast
states, but of such Atlantic coast
states as Massachusetts, Connecticut.
New York, New Jersey and Pennsyl.
vania, which are noted chiefly for
their manufacturing resources and in.
terests, rather than agriculture.
The state of Minnesota has done
much to encourage scientific agricul-
ture; what we now need is to make
cooperative and effective, under a
we'll directed central organization, the
many lines of agricultural activity now
in progress in the several directions.
We have one of the greatest agricul-
tural colleges and farm schools in the
country, with three fairly we'll equip
ped experiment stations, and a farm
ers institute or travelling lecture
course. We have built up the greatest
state agricultural fair in the United
States. We have a successful and ef-
ficient state dairy and food depart
ment live stock sanitary board, an
immigration board, forestry depart
ment, highway commission, drainage
commission, and among. it's associate
agricultural organizations Minnesota
. has one of the greatest horticultural
i; societies in the world, the most sue
, cessful butter and cheesemakers' as
ISOLATION, and progressive associations
, of live stock breeders. fruit growers,
bee and poultry raisers. These sew
eral institutions, commissions, DEPART
ments and associations, each in it's
! own line, have performed a vast serv.
ice in our educational and industrial
development, but the greatest eff.
cheney and economy of energy have
not been realized because of lack of
! cooperative organization.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
THE STATE DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY.

The original forest area of Mime
Sofa is estimated at over One-half of
the total land surface of the state, or
approximately 2S,O00,000 acres, of
which perhaps 100000 represented
pine and evergreens. About one-half
OF the original forest area yet remains,
though materially depleted by fires
and cuttings. Part of this is hard
wood, though the greater portion is
pine and pulpwood, chiefly located On
the northern wooded plateau of the
state, where it is of inestimable sery-
Ice in protecting the sources of our
streams.
It would seem as though the neces-
; s1ty Of placing the public forest under
scientific and businesslike administra-
ton We're SO plain to the general pub
lie and to the members of this legis-
lature that argument should be un-
necessary. The state has just expert
enced another chapter of horrors in
| connection with the Rainy River val
! ley forest fires. which should be sutHl-
cient to demonstrate the necessity of
improved forest administration. But
! the Hinckley, Chisholm and Baudette
fires, with their losses aggre eating
millions Of dollars worth of property
| and many human lives, tell only a part
| Of the sad story. To this we must
! add losses by trespass and lepreda-
! ton and loss by neglect Of growing
! forests, as well as loss of opportuni-
! ties for reforestation: It is estimated
! that the aggregate forest resources of
! Minnesota are worth 10000, 0OO
I which is the strongest possible argu-
| ment for adequate methods Of protec.
ton, development and administration
The forest problems OF our state
| have been sadly neglected. For pro
| lection against forest fires Minnesota
| spends less than one-fourth Of what i;
required for effective results and in
the way Of practical forest admins
tration conducts only a few scattered
experiments. with nothing like a com
prehensiye, scientific and businesslike
system of forestry.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
QUESTION OF lMMI.
GRAFTON IMPORTANT,

Lands, forests, mines, waterpowers,
waterways and highways are of no
avail, except as they serve the people.
Conservation and development are
without purpose unless there are men,
women and children to be blessed
thereby. Natural resources receive
value in proportion TO the population
served. It = the function Of the do
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
STATE DEPARTMENT
OF PUBLIC HEALTH.

No question coming before the leg
1slature at this session deserves more
earnest consideration than that of
public health. We have saved several
millions of dollars annually by guard
ing against plant and animal diseases
and are now beginning to realize how
untold millions are wasted annually
through our neglect of preventable
and durable human diseases, lack of
sanitation in cities, homes and
schools. lack of safeguards against
railway, mine and factory accidents,
food adulteration, impure milk and
water supply, all of which come prop
erly within the scope and jurisdiction
of the department of public health.
The great problem to be solved is
one of prevention rather than cure and
consists largely in the enforcement OF
sanitation laws in our cities, schools
and homes. But this department can
accomplish little when handicapped
by such lack Of support as in the past
The Importance Of the department
warrants larger appropriations and I
therefore recommend for your most
careful consideration the needs of this
department.
One of the most effective depart
ments in the state service today is the
dairy and food department.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06

feet above the point where it leaves
the southern boundary of the state.
The Red River of the North has fall
of 100 feet within the state, the Rainy
river 600 feet, and the Minnesota and
st. Croix about 800 feet each. In ad-
d1tion to these we'll known streams
great water powers exist on the St.
Louis and score of rivers which
flow from our northern watered pla-
teau into the Great Lakes and Hudson
bay system. 1t is estimated that the
aggregate power of known available
falls and rapids in Minnesota is about
100000 horsepower, of which consid-
erably less than one-half is now
utilized for industrial purposes In
other words, the available waterpower
OF the state, as at present surveyed, is
equivalent to over 100000 tons of
coal per annum, developed into indus
trial power. Minnesota has. no coal
mines, but its WaterpOWer, which is
never consumed, and should be as
great one hundred years from now as
today, if properly conserved and de-
veloped, is approximately equal, in
amount of available horsepower, to
the average coal product per state of
the twenty-eight coal producing states.
RESOURCES WORTHY
OF DEVELOPMENT.
The water resources of Minnesota
therefore, comprise big chapter in
our scheme Of conservation and de-
velopnlent. WaJerpovers, waterways,
drainage and artesian supply are
source Of wealth, income, life and de-
velopment worthy of high recognition
on the part of the state and give am
pie field for the organization and &C.
tivity of the best scientific and bust
ness talent. 1t goes without saying
that department in charge of at least
one commissioner. devoted to the con
servation and development of our wa
ter resources, will earn its cost mani
fold. The revenue resulting from a
single waterpOwer or the commercial
advantage of a single waterway may
warrant the support of such a depart
ment for a decade. Among the lines
of work which this department should
at once undertake are the following:
A complete survey of the nayigable
, streams of the state, including the
gauging of the currents: a census of
the DEVELOPED Waterpowers; survey
and estimate of undeveloped water
powers; survey of the entire drain
i age area of the state and Of the sec
: tions which need drainase: complete
! map of Minnesota lakes and streams
/ showing elevations and topography
; and indicating the location Of water
! powers and navigabie channels; a
! rainfall map. showing the distribution
! of rainfall; an crtesian supply map,
! giving the location and capacity of
| deep wells; plan for the co-opera-
| ton of the state with the federal gov.
eminent in connection with water
| ways, waterpowers. and drainage; an
investigation of the laws and admin
! iStratiOn OF various states and coun
| tries with relation to water resources
and the submission Of a proposed re
vision of Minnesota laws governing
this subject
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
PRESENT SYSTEM OF
STATE UNWEIlpY.

The governor is the chief admins
trative officer of the state and is right
1y held responsible by the people for
efficient administration of the business
affairs of the state. Under our pres
ent laws the governor is by law con-
stituted an active member Of not less
than sixteen boards, some of which
administer business affairs during the
year running into the millions. Any
one can readily see that it is absolute
ly a physical impossibility for the gov
ernor to be advised with reference to
the details of such enormous business
transactions that he may act intelli-
gently and for the best interests of
the people of the state. AS prominent
examples ! would mention the drain
age and timber boards. The state Of
Minnesota spends large sums of mon
ey every year for drainage, and | have
every reason to believe that the ex-
penditure Of this money by the drain.
age board of this state has brought
the best results, but a. a member of
edge assure the people of the state
that the best results have in all cases
been obtaiEed.
In the second place under the pres
ent system Of organization, with a
large number of nominal and per.
functory boards in charge of the at
fairs of state, there is no way of Sc
curing such cooperation as is essen
tial in efficient business administra
ton. The boards are uniformly too
large. The members reside in every
portion of the state, and even if they
could be as y Died at any one time
and place ii would be extremely diff.
fcult to agree on any single PROPOSE
ton and to secure uniform support in
the execution thereof.
RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD
BE PLACED DIRECT.
According to the report of the state
auditor the state collects and di1
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
ment of banks and a department Of

ment of banks and a department Of
insurance.
It is not essential that the various
herein suggested, or that the depart
ments Hereunder should be so de-
nominated, nor it is essential that the
officer in charge should be known as a
commissioner These are only means OF
designation and other terms can be used
as conveniently and effectively, but the
classification herein suggested is only
one of the many that might be ar.
ranged, and one that would seem to
be the most logical. The working out
of such scheme is one for the legis.
lature, and my only purpose in sub
hitting this plan is to secure greater
administrative efficiency by fixing re.
sponsibility and securing cooperation.
TIE STATE BUREAU OF
PUBLIC DOMAIN.
In the organic act establishing our
state boundaries the general govern
ment assigned to Minnesota 54,196,+2 so
acres of the national domain. The
government survey describes 2,447 $50
acres of this as water surface, leaving
a land surface of 81 ,149.120 acres. Tn
der the homestead, timber culture and
timber and stone acts actual settler
have received from the general gov
eminent about As per cent of Mime
sofas total domain, or approximately
23,4O0, 900 acres. Grants to railroads
including both state and congressional
grants, aggregate something over 49,
100000 acres. which is fraction more
than 3 per cent Of the total land area
About 5000 900 acres have been solo
or otherwise transferred to lumber
and mining companies, Spectators
soldiers and settlers by cash sales 0,
various kinds of scrip and the remain
der represents public land belonging
to the general government and to the
state of Minnesota.
The amount of unappropriated lands
belonging to the general government
open to settlement in Minnesota, a.
shown by the land office report 0
1909, is 1850, 955 acres. OF which lS1,
! 900 acres are unsuryeyed In nationa
forest reserve Minnesota has approEi
mately 1,204,4S6 acres The total IN
! surveyed acreage of the general GOV
eminent in Minnesota, including land
in reservations, is estimated at >
! 100000 acres, which, with 1,2eOo0
| acres surveyed and onen to settle
| ment, bring the total Minnesota ho1l
ings of the general government mp t
| $3.50 900 ceres.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
STATE DEPARTMENT
OF WATERWAYS.

One-ffteenth- of MinnesOta's surface
consists of lakes and streams. Our
water area approximates 100000
acres The elevation of this water
area ranges from 700 to 1900 feet
above the sea, the average altitude of
our lake and stream reservoirs being
about 1900 feet above sea level. We
have about $500 meandered lakes,
most of them future sources OF power
and transportation facilities. The
source OF the Mississippi lines 500
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
DEPARTMENT OF
GEOLOGY AND MINES

After mining and shipping to the
furnaces 54,00O00O tons OF iron ore,
the worlds record of production, Min
nesota has now definitely located
body of ore, amounting to 1,347 $4,000
tons, which is oDe-third of the avail
able and merchantable ore Of the Unit
ed States and upon which taxes are
paid into the state treasury. And yet
Minnesota has no state department of
mines, and not even, in operation at
this time, the usual geological survey
found in most of the states of the
Union
Our educational institutions, notably
the public schools, university and agri-
cultural college, lead the world in
wealth anu income from these mines.
It has long been apparent that mineral
resources which promise our schools
and university future income of
more than 500 100000 require detailed
expert administration. Other North
western and Mississippi Valley states,
such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois,
Iowa and Missouri, which together
possess and control for educational
purposes but a small portion Of our
wealth, all conduct permanent geologi-
cal surveys and some of these states,
as well as many Eastern and Western
states, have separate departments of
mines and Minnesota should do the
same. The expense of such admins
tration will be returned in revenue to
! the state many fold.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
IMPORTANCE OF EFF.
GENT ADMINISTRATION

No state in the Union emphasizes
the importance of efficient administra-
ton in a greater degree than Mime
sofa. When the constitution was
adopted more than fifty years ago no
enc could have anticipated the phe
nomenal growth of the state and the
tremendous resources contained with
in it's domain. In order to keep pace
with the rapid development various
time and the administration of state
affairs has been the subject of a vast
amount of ineffective and unsys-
tematic legislation. There has been
q tendency to create a large number
of boards or commissions through
which the business of the state is
largely transacted. The purpose Of
the legislature in creating these
boards or commissions has been to
keep pace with the rapid development
of the state without apparently in
creasing the cost Of administration.
In many instances the result has been
the further complication of the admin
1SLldlEt iI!NfuiIoIt WITHOUT duuluS "
its efficiency. AS an instance it might
be cited that there are today not less
than seven educational boards, aggre-
eating forty-nine members. scattered
all over the state Of Minnesota and
any question involving all the educa-
tional interests OF the state would ne
cessitate the converting of these sew.
eral boards. which is not only difficult
and expensive but impracticable.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06
STATE DEPARTMENT OF
GAME AND FISH

Nature has richly endowed the state
of Minnesota with game and fish. 1t
is one of our natural resources, in the
conservation of which the state has
been most fortunate.
The total disbursements of the de-
partment for the year 1910 amount to
s95,407.17. Out of 504 prosecutions
there have been only thirty-two &C.
Quittals and the sum total of fines for
the year 1910 amounts to $S,624.45.
A suggestion is made in the report
of the commission which l believe
worthy of particular consideration,
namely, that some method be institut-
ed whereby it may determine the
amount of game killed in the state
from year to year in order that it may
determine with greater accuracy what
ought to be done to preserve the game
in the future.
Minnesota has larger number and
also larger area of inland lakes than
any other state in the Union and fish,
ing both as a sport and an industry is
constantly increasing. The fame Of
our summer resorts and beautiful
lakes attracts thousands of visitors
from distant states annually.
One of the best investments made
by the state is the improvement of our
fish hatcheries SO as to increase the
supply of fish The total distribution
of fish fry for the years 1909 and 1910
amounts to 199,SS6,967, which is an in
crease of 1OO.5O5, 667 over the years
1907 and 1908
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-06

laws can be carried into legislative
effect however. it appears wise and
apparently legally necessary to sub
NIT the proposition to the people in
the form of constitutional amend
ment.