The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-11-20

ly after January I, 1915. =
Winfield S. Hammond of st. James,
governor-elect of Minnesota, was
guest OF honor at last evenings meet
ing of the Mankato Commercial club
at the Hotel Heinrich. The next
governor was presented by F. f.
Crandall. president of the club.
Nr. Hammond expressed great pleas
IRE at meeting the Mankato CONNER.
,ial club He remarked that Mankato
had always been closely associated
with himself. His affairs had long
cen more or less associated with
those OF many of the prominent bust
ness men of this city. After the first
OF the year the MankatO Commercial
club might feel that 10 had verv
.0irudIy neiEhbpr indeed in the chief
.ufiEr Of the stale Of Minnesota.
Tie speaker remarked that he was
really interested IN the report that
.ru BEEN made by Mr. CuTrier On
.. r..r,f work for the BeEliaus. The
Gan and English governments,
..u4.l Engaged in a death grapple.
r.r 10Th eu-0p,ruIed I'm HE distribu
i'm # relief by America. and this
.cr0. ~ the advance o. civilization
He told how the Belgian minister at
q lsh,ngtnn. when told that America
..s "IN0nO sacks If four to donate
. he Belgian sufferers, was amazed
the generosity OF the American
.nuple. and remarking that he could
It express his thanks In English
% Town.
N.
Mr.. Hammond Observed that he had
..a-1 Secretary Soaring report that
% club at a previous meeting had
endorsed the work of the state econ
ny commission and heartily favored
Q passage of law to put its recon.
- endaticns into practice He was
lad II know that the club was
ally endorse the fundamentals OF
OIL. proposed change. He hoped no
agreement over details would in.
,,rrnre with the successful execution
~ the plan.
The governor-elect went on 10 state
LAT the commission for the re-organi,
alton If the state government had
h.en appointed by the present state
executive. The commissioners. CON-
ilg from various parts Of the state
.ad freely given their time without
Compensation and even paid their
own travelling expenses. TO them
tn. state owed a debt ~ gratitude
for services well performed
Would Appropriate Less Money.
The speaker expressed the opinion
,rat he next legislature would ap-
u-opriate less money for the expenses
nT the state than the last legislature
did. He believed the people IL the
state demanded that some economy
D.. p-actiCed. However. economy
would not he true economy If II re-
-ultcd in Gripping any OF the activi-
les Of the state
lie stated that there vas no doubt
that with all the state boards AND
bureaus that bad been created. there
was much duplication Of work. This
would he remedied under the new
plan by the creation OF departments
10 take care of the executive func-
tious. with a director at the head OF
each department.
Feared Special interest.
There was one great danger In con.
Uection with the whole movement.
This vas the danger that special IN.
terests would prefer to have certain
offices and boards retained and pres.
sure would Ie brought 20 bear upon
The legislature to retain them. He
understood that the state board OF
COutrol was To remain elective and
also the state railroad and warehouse
commission. according IN some plans.
The legislature had the power 10
make both Of these functions ap-
poiutivc. and he believed that bet.
ter service could thus be obtained.
He said there was n danger that this
and that one would want his de.
partment left undisturbed. each being
I'm favor OF reforming everything ex.
cept what he was interested IN hav.
ing LET alone. " the legislature goes
to work in this way, It might as well
stop at once. He declared that the
work of the board of control had not
improved since that body became
elective
The legislature, he said. should 20
to work with two main IDEAS in view
There should he no greater number
NJ offices under the new system than
under the old and the payroll must
be no greater.
Favored Merit System.
The governor-elect declared in "a
vor of a merit system I'm the EN-
ployment of state officials. He did
not believe in life tenure Of Office
He said the federal government was
confronted with the problems OF
what to do with its vast number OF
superannuated employees. There was
many a department head who had on
his hands aged employees. who were
retained. because they would other
wise have tn be turned out on the
street perfectly helpless. The gov
eminent was obliged either to retain
such employees, or turn them out help
less or else pension them
Mr.. Hammond said he favored EN-
pioying state servants for limited
terms of service. say eight or ter
years. At the end OF each term Of
service. they should be re-employed
or not according to their efficiency
This would prevent the state from
getting on fits hands vast number
OF aged employees IN future years
He also stated that there should
be q business-like way of estimating
the expense Of running the state
T