New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1917-04-04
|LEGISLAT ][U[R / Will
soon END SESSION.
APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE
TO OCCUPY BALANCE OF THE
TERM.

WAR, AND DEFICIT IN STATE
SCHOOL AID CALLS FOR
MORE CASH.
The legislature has but two weeks and
q day before the final curtain will be
rung down on the big show which has
been in continuous performance since the
first OF January, and there are few who
vii grieve when the last act has been
staged. Many thousands Of bills have
been presented, some have been killed
that should have passed, while as MANY
more have been made into law which
Should never have seen the light of day.
A lot more are still to be acted upon, but
there is a pretty well grounded opinion
that the general prosperity of the state
would be just as well assured if the law
makers would adjourn today or tomorrow
and go home.
Appropriations Largest in History.
From now until the end of the session,
which will be on Thursday, April 10, the
legislature will be devoted to appro-
priations and financial problems. The
appropriations by the present legislature
will exceed those of the 1915 session and
probably those of any former session
for which the impending war and the
trouble with Mexico are in part re-
.sponsible. AS will be remembered, a
bill was recently introduced in the house.
appropriating 100000 for the benefit
of the Minnesota soldiers who were sent
to the Mexican border. Many of the
legislators did not like this bill, but felt
that by voting against it, the charge
would be made that they are lacking in
patriotism and appreciation of the
sacrifices made by the ''boys'. The bill
in question has not yet passed the senate,
but will in the near future.
Big War Fund Sought. rrna
Senator G. H. Sullivan of Saltwater
has introduced bill appropriating
81 100000 as war emergency fund and
this will undoubtedly pass both houses.
Other state legislatures have already
passed similar bills and the Minnesota
legislature was the first of any state
legislature to pass war appropriation
bill at the outbreak of the civil war.
Then there is the deficit in the state
school aid fund resulting from the
stinginess Of the legislature Of 1915. The
present legislature has been called upon
by the people to make good this deficit
which means an appropriation of over one
million dollars. And in order to insure !
against similar deficit or shortage in !
the state school aid fund during the next
two years it will be necessary fof the
present legislature to appropriate about
$l,5OO,O00 more than did the legislature
of 1915. sIe. sss
And then there is the wolf bounty
deficit which the present legislature had
to make good. The legislature of 1915,
IN its eagerness to make record for
economy, failed to appropriate enough
money to pay to the various counties the
share of the wolf bounties which the
state had agreed to pay and was morally
bound to pay. Then there is the deficit
in the drainage fund of the state
deficit amounting to about 81, 900 600,
on which the state has been paying as
high as six per cent interest. The
legislature of 1915 refused to make good
the states obligations in this respect and
it is up to this legislature or a subsequentI
one to do SO. Delay will merely add to
the states burden
Will Double State Tax.
The state has an income of about
SIS, 100000 from the gross earnings tax,
the inheritance tax and. other sources
than an advalorem tax upon the property
OF its citizens. What it needs above.
this amount it gets from the various
counties by direct tax levy. A one
mill tax produces about $1,5OO, 900.
Last years tax levy amounted to 81
mills. The next will have to be almost /
twice as large, for, as pointed out above,
it will be necessary for the present legis-
lature to appropriate at least S4,l0O, 900
more than did the legislature Of 1915.
The frst Of the big appropriation bills
was introduced in the house Saturday |
by the appropriations committee the
appropriations for the state board Of
control. It calls for $500, 900, which,
it is stated, is about 100000 than the
senate appropriation bill now in the
making will call for. The house finance
committee is regular ct ghtwad.p It
has used the knife without mercy upon
The University and nthar ct oto .i,.,ss+;