Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1913-04-04

Mayor Keller and, the entire Keller adj
ministration has dealt a body blow to
the local machine as well as stimulat-
ing the vital question. Will Governor
Eberhart retain Charles Keller in his
official family. OF course Charles Kel-
Ter denies it all, but the wise .ones
know something is at the bottom OF it
all. This last scandal is somewhat
worse than the Shetek embroglio and
is only intensifying the "fshy" odor
attaching to the present Keller ad-
ministration.
"The management of the new state
capitol is top heavy" This in brief
is the result Of an investigation into
the custodian's office by the house
committee on public accounts and ex-
penditures. If it were only top heavy,
the tax payers might not object so
much, but the committee discovered
that the building was extravagantly
handled. Fred Englis, Duluth con-
tractor, political friend Of this ad-
ministration, secured the job Of re-
storing the frescoes in the corridors Of
the new capital. Mr.. Englis is also an
officer in the state naval militia Of
which Mr.. Easton, state oil inspector,
is the commanding officer. When it
looked as though the agreement upon
which Mr.. Englis was engaged with
out competition would exhaust the
state maintenance fund, some tax pay
ers got busy and called the attention
of State Auditor Iverson to the raid.
He vetoed the vouchers and MIR.
Englis after several conferences with
Ralph Wheelock and others was forced
to reduce his price. Workmen were re-
ceiving from seventy five cents an
hour up to more than $3.50 an hour.
Eb Corliss, the custodian, told these
things and more. There was stormy
time among the politicians because
"Eb' told so much. Ralph Wheelock
was decidedly peeved. But this is not
all.
The committee discovered an item
of $1,000 which was paid David Wall
blom, Jr., for carpets without COM
petitive bidding. "Dave,' as he Is
popularity known, is political bed
fellow Of Eberhart's In fact "Dave'
is like the postmaster who boosted that
emo administration could change
quicker than he could" But that is an
other story. Dave got the contract to
furnish the carpets. They say the car
pets were good, but the tax payers as
rule like competitive system Of bid.
ding. "Eb" told this also not to the
liking of Governor Eberhart upon
whose official staff "Dave" is one Of
the most imposing members.
Lieut. Governor j. A. Burnquist has
incurred the implacable enmity Of the
progressives, progressive republicans
and what democratic friends he has
had by appointing Senators Rockne
and George Sullivan upon the initiative
conference committee. Only the dyed
in the wool, Observation-Disclosures stand
patters seem friendly to Burnquist
now.
Re-apportionment has finally passed
as far as the state legislature is con-
cerned. James 81. Manahan IS friends,
however, through the assistance Of the
Rines organization may be able TO d.,
lay congressional redistricting IN cos.
piance with the recent federal re ap.
portionment.
The movement to inaugurate the
commission plan Of government il t..
ing fathered by Henry Zines. DE is
one of the authors Of the bill which
reduces the elective oifice to govern:
or, lieutenant governor and state au
ditor. Commissioners appointed by The
governor will perform the other fun:t.
ions if the proposed constitutional
amendment is ever submitted to the
people.
It the bill proposing a constitutional
amendment making the office of clerk
Of the supreme court appointive passes
this session and is submitted at the
next general election, candidates for
the clerk will be in a quandary. Put it
down in your note book that one /. A.
Caswen has been thinking all the
time when he brought pressure to bear
upon the Rines organization in the
house to get behind his bill. Who
would want to make the campaign
against the present clerk of the
supreme court with the probability of
that amendment passing and the court
appointing the present incumbent,
whether he won or lost at the election.
Such an exigency seems improbable,
but Mr.. Caswel is some manipulation
and the bill has all the ear marks Of
his political craftsmanship.
The Eberhart administration was
given a covert slap in the report Of
the house committee last week when it
was recommended to abolish the game
and fish commission and put the work
Of that department under the state
forester. The seining Of Lake shetek
especially was attacked and in re-
ferring to this the committee said: cit
was q situation Of which neither the
state nor the officers concerned have
any reason to be proud. "Mayor Her
bert Keller was not referred to by
name, but he was identified as =
prominent attorney"
r Henry Rines and his followers make
the Subtle charge that the brewers
are behind the non-partisan plan in it's
application to members Of the legisla-
ture. Anyone who knows the history
of the state wide primary bill when it
was before the special session, knows
that Mr.. Rines and his followers were
equally emphatic in declaring that the