The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-08-23

ments for the same fiscal year were
SIG, 320,O65.41. Based on the popu-
lation of Minnesota according to the
census of 1910, the total per capita
expenses of the state would, there
fore, be $39S, according to the re-
port of the state treasurer, instead
of more than $6.OS, as Mr.. Lee as
serts.
Cost of State Government.
However, in the above statement
of revenue expenses are included two
items, one for $4,000 reducing the
Indebtedness on the new state cap
ital, and another for $1.551 900, as
special aid to public schools. Deduct.
ing these items there would be &c.
10,532.54 for all other expenses,
making the actual cost of the state
government for the fiscal year end
ing July 81, 1912, 1913 per capita.
1t is true. that the state is col
Letting and disbursing much larger
sums now than it did ten years ago.
Within that period of time, Mime
sofa has established departments and
institutions which have placed her
among the most progressive states
in the Union. Mr.. Lee claims to be
progressive. Yet he would restrict
expenditures so as to retrace every
progressive step taken during the
last ten years.
The Disbursements Listed.
Among the disbursements listed
| by Mr.. Lee as expense" are the
following items: $2,O28,457.35 loaned
by the state to school districts,
townships, villages, cities and coun-
ties, as an investment; $2,O22,416.26
apportioned to the public schools of
the state from the one mill state
tax levy; $1,O1O,437.55 material and
labor for the operation of the prison
twine plant, which earns net rev.
enue of more than 100000 annu-
ally for the state, while binder
twine as we'll as other items of a
similar nature. These disbursements
have not the remotest connection
with the cost of the state govern
ment, but are properly listed as
disbursements because these funds
are disbursed by the state officers
Jas all other funds, and must be SINH
larly accounted for.
| Growth of the State.
The total payments from the rev.
enue fund for 1902, ten years ago,
was only $3,94O, 4OSS7. These pay
ments have increased to $S,276,532.54
in 1912. If Mr.. Lee wishes to sub
NIT to the voters of this state the
question as to whether or not there
shall be a ten year retrogression in
| the state, he should state specifically
what departments, activities or insti-
buttons, established during the last
past ten years, he would abolish.
! That they cannot be maintained
without revenue is self evident. The
] following. have all been established
within that period: The tax com
mission, the bureau of immigration,
the state highway commission, the
state fire marshal, the superintend.
ent of banks, the livestock sanitary
board, the oil inspection department,
the new capitol maintenance, the
sanitorium for consumptives, the
hospital for crippled and deformed
children, the Industrial school for
girls at Sank Center, the agricul.
tural school at Morris, the univer.
sity campus extension, the Indian
war pensions, the State Art society,
the board of visitors for state insti.
buttons, the state hospital for inebri.
ates, the additional land for the
new capitol, the weights and meas.
ures department and the hotel in
spector.
Must Be Maintained.
The establishment and mainte.
nance of these departments aggre.
gate large sums of money annually.
In order to reduce the expenses
of the state to what they were ten
years ago it would be necessary not
only to abolish these departments
but also to reduce the scope of
every other department, especially
the dairy and food commission, the
game and fish commission, the rail
road and warehouse commission, the
bureau of labor and the department
of education, the activities of which
have been extended largely during
the last ten years.
!. Cost of Executive Department.
The cost of the executive depart
ment has increased from $12,2S7.43
in 1902 to $19,055.35 in 1912, which
surly cannot be considered extrava.
CANT. This does not include the
!! contingent fund of the governor,
which was intended, and has always
been used, for such purposes as it
is used today.
! Under the present system of collect
ling and disbursing school funds in
this state, Mr.. Lee will find the
greatest increase of expense" II
this system shall be abolishd, as Ii
! necessarily must to reduce state ex-
penditures, then the people must
know what the results will be. Hen.
nepin, Ramsey and ST. Louis coun.
/ ties. paid into the state treasury
\ during the fiscal year ending July
81, 1912, the total sum of $2,14O,.