Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1915-01-01
THE STATE BOARD OF ooN1Ro1

THE STATE BOARD OF OON1Os
Level.headed members Of the legis-
lature will do considerable thinking
before they vote to abolish tho board
of control.-Princeton Union.
True enough, and, while they will
think the board Of control has done
well, they may believe the efficiency
commission plan will do better. Don t
stand in the pathway Of reform, sena-
tor.-St. Cloud Times.
If it can be demonstrated that the
plan proposed by the efficiency COM
mission is better, then, by all means,
let us have that system. But the city
of St. Paul has tried, on a small scale
to be sure, the bureaucratic form OF
and the result is that for
the year 1915 that city will have the
largest budget in its history-almost
81 100000. The current expenses OF
the city have been constantly increas-
ING ever since the new system went
into operation there.
But "you can't judge a system by
it's results,' seems to be the slogan
under which the moving spirits behind
the efficiency propaganda are exerting
their utmost efforts to bring the state
departments under the commission
form of government. Believing in this
slogan, its advocates have quite logi-
cally i gnored the basis upon which the
present state departments are being op-
Grated, and have shut their eyes to all
showing Of facts and figures going to
prove that system can only be safely
and fairly judged by it's results. This
is more significantly true with refer
ence to the board of control system
than perhaps of any other department
of administration; hence the necessity,
on the part Of the advocates Of tho
commission scheme, Of breaking down
this particular department.. For if the
efficiency promoters were to recognize
the strength Of the three-man plan as
developed in the board of control
as they do, in fact, recognize it in con-
nection with the three-man railroad
and warehouse commission and the
three-man tax cOmmissiOn-there
would be very little left for them to
recognize. Therefore, campaign OF
prejudice, inuendo and deliberate mis-
has been inaugurated by
the bureau promoting the efficiency
scheme, growing more and more vigor-
Gus, not to say virulent, as the assem-
bling of the legislature becomes more
and more imminent.
And, therefore, it becomes necessary
for those who understand the idea I'M
DERIVING the inception OF the board Of
control plan, who believe in the spirit
all its operations, and who
are familiar with it's steadily growing
place in the regard of the people of
the state and its steadily increasing
hold on the confidence of the legisla-
ture, to come out in the open in its
behalf.
It cannot be successful gainsaid that
during the thirteen years of its exist
ence the board Of control, as system,
and with a personnel changed in part
every two years during that period,
has not only never deviated from the
purpose Of it's legislative creators and
founders, but it has so
firmly and consistently adhered to this
purpose that it's work has been as con-
sistent, well-balanced and uniform as
if carried out by commission created
for life and subject to no. MATERIAL
personal or political Influences
Princeton Union.
st. Peter Free Press: In advocating
the passage of the economy commission
bill without amendments it is urged
that the legislature cannot possibly
give the necessary attention to the de-
tails of over two thousand items con-
tanned in the proposed law and that
therefore it would be wise policy and
good common sense to accept the judg-
90 on1 tho
bill in it's present shape, without vast
inc time in trying to improve meas
ure so complicated that it would take
expert knowledge of the matter to oe
considered, in order to gain the ends
sought.
It is just this mysterious something
that invites close investigation. If
the proposed bill is so complicated
that it requires expert knowledge to
get at it's meaning and it's effects there
IS every reason that it should not be
passed until every member on the
floor is fully informed as to the con-
sequence of his vote. The mere rec
Of few dozen promi-
nent politicians is no good reason why
a member should support a bill without
understanding its contents, and if the
time is too short to gain this informal
ton in one session why not lay it over
the next session? The proposed bill
means revolution in our present sys-
tenn and should be thoroughly under
stood before it is adopted.
WHY ADVERTISING REDUCES THE
COST OF GOODS TO THE CON-
SUMER
The following is taken from the cur
rent issue of Farm and Fireside, the
national farm paper published at
Springfield, Ohio:
"Who pays the cost of advertising?
'Five years ago a certain automo-
bile manufacturer output was few
thousand cars which he sold for about
one thousand dollars each.
"During the present season he is
building more than two hundred thou
sand cars which are vastly better than
the former output, and his price tor