The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-03-29

pense incurred in such an organiZa-
ton, because the clerical work is al
ready done in some departments and
ISthe additional expense would be COM
paratively small so that in abolish
ing unnecessary boards and also
officials doing political duty, there
would be direct saving to the state,
in addition to giving the state more
efficient administration.
Claims One Idea is Erroneous.
1.-THE idea that Minnesota is spend
ing too much money for admfnistra-
ton Of it's affairs is entirely erron-
eous. The cost of administration Of
state affairs in Minnesota is less
than in Wisconsin and Michigan and
about the same as in Iowa. Mime
sOta's total cost of administration is
$501,3S3 or "a cents per capita; Iowa
$514,132 or 90 cents per capita; Wis
cOnsin, $749, 500 or 80 cents per CAPT
ia; Michigan $S24,94S or 80 cents per
capita.
when it is borne in mind that
Minnesota transactS three times as
much business as the state Of Iowa,
at cost of only one cent per capita
more than Iowa, Minnesota today
i'spends less money for the admins
tration of state affairs than any
ether: state in the union similarly
situated.
In discussing the various depart
: For
which require special mention. We
will first consider the land depart
ment. At present all the land and
mineral business of the state is trans
acted by the state, auditor. The
state owns 100000 acres of land
and mineral property valued at be-
tween, $1O0,OO0,OOO and $15O,O0O,0O0.
The auditor is the checking officer
of the state and his duty is to see
| that every voucher audited is proper
and in accordance with the laws, that
any person who is checking officer
and who checks every other depart
ment should transact the land bust
ness as well as the mineral business
| of hesitate, is unquestionably wrong
on principal.
r.. State Land Sales.
at is true that in the past the
state has not suffered; but in spite
of that fact, the principle is wrong.
This has been concurred in by the
present state auditor in at least two
previous reports. The land depart
ment of the state is an important de-
partment and the handling OF the
state lands in the past year has
been far better than in previous
times. In 1909, we sold $4,000 acres
of state land at $6.57 and acre; in
1910 $4,000 acres at $6.4S per acre;
but in 1911, we sold approximately
100000 acres of land at an average
price of $685. per acre. This land
was sold to about 1900 pur-
/ chasers and on an average, each
purchaser secured lis acres which
demonstrates that this land was
| sold to actual settlers in small guam
i titles and at a better price than
ever before, because the price in the
last number of years has not eX-
ceeded Sc per acre.
"If, however, the land department
would be placed under separate
commissioner, this commissioner could
devote more time towards investigat-
ing the quality of the land and he
should be authorized to sell land al
any time after a proper valuation
has been made.
Sales Made Every Month.
1.-THE last legislature changed, the
laws so that sales are now made
every month and the favorable re
suits secured last year are results
of that change. No private individual