The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-05-08
Advance Of Is to 40 Per Cent
in Many Instances.
GOVERNOR ISSUES WARNING
extravaganza Must Be Curbed or
State Tax Rate Will Increase
Tremendously.
Especial Correspondence.)

ing educationally mad? 1t looks that
Way-at any rate Governor Eberhart
is SO convinced. You could hardly get
him to indulge in the language I have
used in calling attention to the fact,
but When he says this is too much"
in calling attention to the principal
burden of taxation this year, which is
state aid to schools, you can bet your
last dollar he has not made the state
ment without proper Investigation of
the facts. Governor Eberhart never
shoots unless he knows his target and
in this particular matter pull on the
trigger means bulls eye every time.
There is no chance of missing Three
whole days last week his excellency
gave over to a consideration of the
four appropriation bills offered for
his signature and his conclusion was
this: "The present legislature has
increased the state aid for schools in
many instances from Is to 40 per
cent and if the present rate of in
crease shall continue year after year
tremendous increase in state taxes
must necessarily result. I am heart
and soul for the advancement of edu-
cation in the state, but this is too
much Continuing, his excellency
dwelt at length on the increase in the
tax rate, deplored his inability to
shave down the various items and in
dulged in the hope that succeeding
legislatures would see their way clear
to curb the growing tendency toward
extravaganza.
:. :. :.
Of course it should stop, but it
won't until some one big enough to
handle the situation takes the bit in
his teeth and cries halt. Quoting a
friend of the governor, had he taken
the bit and drove a carriage and four
through the omnibus bill instead Of
looping off a paltry $21S,000 from to-
tai appropriation of $21,000,000 he
would be the biggest man in the state
today Of course there would be sore
spots-even the S218,000 he Topped off
has brought him enemies-but the
great mass of taxpayers would have
been with him. Few appreciate the
tremendous power the educational
trust Yields in Minnesota, and I use
the word trust advisedly, for that is
what that large body engaged in
teaching the young idea has grown
to be- The university is it's chief
stamping ground. When it is not on
the job the annual meeting of the
State Educational association supplies
the necessary ammunition. Between
the two it is state aid for this line of
endeavor, state aid for the proper
baking of doughnuts, or perhaps some
line of domestic science that has ex-
listed since the time of Adam, but
which experts are confident is not
properly taught at home. And so on
down the line it goes.
But if it stopped at the baking of
doughnuts, the teaching of lacemaking
or the hundred and one things that
experts looking for job succeed in
foisting on the legislature, one might
not kick. But it does not. Many dis
tricts, seeing this state aid pour
into their Golfers, have found in it
way to cut down local support for
their home schools and they are now
pushing the thing for all it is worth.
Let the population centers pay the
BILL is the cry; but, gentlemen, the
population centers may rebel some
day and then look out. This coming
year the people will vote on an
amendment to the constitution pro-
viding for the initiative and referen-
dunn and unless I miss my guess there
will be trouble if the amendment
passes and the voters in. the popula-
ton centers wise up to it's curves. It
is a two-edged sword and Governor
Eberhart had it in mind when he ad-
vised the lawmakers have care.
]. !. !.
The old saw about penny wise and
pound foolish" has examplifcation in
the heavy cattle shipments to South
st. Paul and other packing points. AS
a result Of the deluge which packers
say is because of the desire of the
cattle owners to get away from the
assessor, who started on his rounds
May 1, the price of cattle has been
forced down many points. Had the
cattle been in the farmers pens on
May they would have been as
sessed as personal belongings. Be-
cause of the heavy shipments it will
take weeks for the market to recover
and in the meantime not only will the
farmer be out Of pocket but likewise
the state.
!. \ .=s
We are sure funny lot of NUTS.
Now the interested are finding out
what the late legislature put over
them in the way of laws and the howl
that has gone up in some quarters
because of this and that infliction is
something frightful. And yet for
three months this same bunch of in.