The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-11-08
TEACHERS CONDEMN 1
SCHOOL FUND VETO.
BURNQUISTS FRIENDS AND APP
POINTEES FAIL TO CONTROL
EDUCATIONAL MEETING.
HIS POLITICAL Finish Near
c. E. ELMQUIST RESIGNS A.
RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
STATE FISH MARKET.

lining factor in the coming fight 1ol
administrative control of Minnesota is
not among the impossibilities. In fact
it is very much in evidence now. A
decided victory a month ago in a
suit brought to prevent diversion of
state fund rightfully belonging to it
this humble unit in public school life
in Minnesota again scored knock
out this week, when, at the opening
meeting of the Minnesota Educational
Association held in Minneapolis at
tempts to make it and the state pub
lie schools generally political foot
ball were roundly scored. Adding hi:
voice to the general protest was nc
less a parsonage than the Hon. Theo-
dore Christianson of Dawson, chair
man of the appropriations commit
tee of the last house, who, following &
valiant fight for the geenrous appro-
priation for the schools of the STA
had to admit partial defeat in an e.
ecutive veto wiping out better than
$1,OOO,OOO of the grand total for edu'
cational work in the state Th'
amount stricken out was for paying E
deficit accumulated in 1915 and the
hardship it's loss has caused is b'
told in the monthly interest tolls tina
several thousand school districts II
the state are now contributing. Ma
turally his excellency had defenders
present at the meeting, among then
John Munroe of Faribault, and the
governors member on the state high
school board, but though they battled
valiantly in his behalf they could not
break down the feeling that an IN
Justice had been done the "Little RI
School Houue" and other public
schools of the state. "Unethlcal ane
a reputation of the states obligation
to it's schools" was the characterize
ton given the governors veto by one
we'll known educator, H. E. Wolfe
Superintendent of public schools OF
Fairmont, which summing up OF tn
situation found expression in vigorou
applause from the four or five hunq
red educators present. That the
whole thing was mistake found gen
eral expression and no one was NOR
frank in admitting so that DR.. Burton
president of the state university, ar
a member of the state high &C
board. Though voting with the eS
ecutive majority on the board to pa
oast debts out of curtailed c''''
school funds, a step since enJolnc
w the courts, he was not entlro'
rlre that the action taken was
proper one.
On the authority Of those versed II
tax matters, better than fifty cents OF
every dollar raised oy taxation II
Minnesota goes for educational pur
noses. It is a burden more keenly felt
bv the rural districts than any other
community and any relief is always
welcomed. No one perhaps has bet
ter knowledge of this fact than the
average house member and sucf
largely featured the school approp-
riations, and what he thinks Of the
use of the public schools of the state
as a political pawn is best told in his
own language: "My amendment, at
first adopted by the House. was re-
iected by the Senate, and as result
the state repudiated almost thirt!
per cent of it's just obligations to the
rural, graded and high schools. In
The 1917 session, as chairman of the
House Appropriations Committee, }
lad a small part in securing passage
in the House of bill carrying an ap-
rropriation of S1,07O,OOO to redeem
the credit of the state. Fearing that
the Governor in pursuance Of his an
nounced policy Of mistaken and short
sighted economy would veto a def
cheney aid appropriation, I counsellec
passage of this appropriation as 2
separate bill many weeks before tho
end of the session; l knew that the
friends of state aid had votes enough
in both houses to pass the bill over
the Governors veto. However, tire
Senate. hold-over body, not wish
to reverse too openly its attitude q"
the previous session, pigeonholed the
bill, and instead insisted on carrying
the item in the general educational
appropriation bill, which was passed
on the last night of the Session. The
rest is familiar history to every school
man in the state. The deficiency ap-
preparation was 'spurlos versenkt'
when the Governor adopted his 'un-
restricted submarine policy II is
worthy of note that enc educator was
very active during the Legislative SEES
sion in urging the legislature TO
make the deficiency appropriation, by
writing letters and by urging school
men and board members to write let '
tiers to the members of the House anc
Senate. Since the session he ha'
basked in the sunshine of executive
favor, and has been just as active !
defending the Governors veto OF the
deficiency aid item as he formerl:
was in urging the passage of the bi.
carrying that item. All of which
nonstrates that in politics a ro"'
never sure of awaking in the morning
with the bedfellow of the ne
fore. State school aid must be put
lo,,orJ +ha rou,oy IF those who would