The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-11-07

could be reduced without eliminating
any useful function and thus bring
our government into a position lend
ing itself to an effective. application
of the budget system.
"This work must be done along no
narrow lines nor in the interest of
any Individual or class of individu-
ais" he continued ut is duty
calling for the broadcast vision,' liber-
al, scientific investigation and the
application of practical economy, and
|if we shall acquit ourselves with
credit 1t is the opinion of your chair
man that the people of Minnesota
will recognize what we have done,
as being done in response to their
demands and will be willing to give
it thoughtful consideration and
unprecedented Judgment. Should it
happily come about that we evolve
a splendid program for our state, is
it too much for us to hope that
the Minnesota idea of administra-
ton OF state government may be
one for other states to conjure
with?"
kneeland Sought Information.
Hugh j. Hughes of Minneapolis
made the motion for committee
on organization, urging that todays
discussion be advisory to this COM
mittee.
Representative Thomas Kneeland
Of Minneapolis said the committee
ought to have some information.
"There are commissions in this state
no one knows about They are hid
den in closets spending the states
money" he said.
C. A. Congdon of Duluth said the
commission ought to know first what
it is aiming at and find the method
later. eff l don't know what we
are here for, | haven't the time to
spend here. / for one want to make
it easier for the people of Minnesota
to live in Minnesota. | want to
make the taxes less. The burden of
taxes in this state is ineXcusable."
The plan adopted, he said, must be
one the people will indorse or the
legislature will not pass it," he said.
"We must first determine that we
are not here to help or hurt any
one politically, but that we are here
like board of directors to work for
the best interests of the state and
say what we mean, regardless of
where it hurts" adde Congdon.
Suggests Permanent Commission.
o. ]. Hagen Of Moorhead sug-
gested that because both members
of this commission and legislative
members do not know enough about
state departments, this commission
might be made a permanent legislative
commission to recommend changes
in state departments
Senator j. D. Sullivan of st. Cloud
said that people in modern times
demand a great many things that
cost money, and the commission
must go about its work systematical-
ly to see if the expense cannot be
reduced without taking away any
of the things that are being done
for the people. -
Why Taxes Are High.
Taxes are high because the state
lacks development, said Mr.. Hughes.
Anything that will induce immigra-
ton will lower taxes, he said. AS
sample of inefficiency in the past,
I, hoJ
figured that Minnesota has spent
5000, 100000 for roads in the last
fifty years but the roads existing to-
day are not worth $20,000,000.
Representative III. G. Spooner of
Morris, chairman of the appropria-
lions committee of the house in 1911,
said that the two chief difficulties in
keeping down the tax levy were the
neglect of heads of departments to
fnrnieh estimates at the beginning
of the session and the disposition,
exemplified in the last session, to
use appropriations for political pur-
poses.
A suggestion by Mr.. Spooner that
Tic Oh CACSuIlNC
session brought forth a protest from
Senator John Moonan of Waseca,
who said the commissions business
was the public's business.
Those in Attendance.
The members present today were:
C. P. Craig. Duluth, chairman.
G. A. Congdon, Duluth,
Theodore Void, Minneapolis.
w. w. Smith, Sleepy Eye
Thomas Kneeland, Minneapolis
Elias Jacobson, Montevideo.
Judge ]. F. MCGEE, Minneapolis.
Thomas T. Hudson, Duluth.
George F. Author, Minneapolis
W. B. Parsons, Winona.
Hugh j. Hughes, Minneapolis.
Dean A. F Woods, state agricul-
tural college.
Frank Lycan, Bemidji.
e. G. Hall, Minneapolis, president
State Federation of Labor
Dr. o. J. Hagen, Moorhead.
A. G. Anderson, Fergus Falls
l. G. Spooner, Morris.
John Moonan, Waseca.
J. A. Stoneburg. Cambridge.
]. d. Sullivan, st. Cloud.
----~-------------