The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-12-13
WHAT COMMISSION
. OF PUBLIC SAFETY
MEANS TO PEOPLE
SpIendidIy Organized Body Helps
Make Minnesota Ready
and Efficient.
TO COORDINATE RESOURCES
Board Created by Last Session OF
Legislature, Given Extraordinary
Powers for Good-Has Support
of Loyal Citizens-Saves
STATE Money.


The MinnesotS Commission OF
Public Safety is an organization that
is unique and one that has attracted
the attention and the compliment OF
imitation in nearly every state in the
union.
With the extraordinary powers
given it by the act which created it,
passed at the last session of the Leg
islature, it has been in a position to
undertake a wide range of activity
and at times use its powers IN taking
immediate and effective steps to
hasten the military preparedness OF
cur state, cut waste and extravaganza,
make "profiteering" impossible, and
adjust economic questions for the re-
lief of the people. In fact, the oppor-
tunities of the Commission as force
for the coordination and correlation
OF the moral, material and military re-
sources of our state for the effective
prosecution of the war on the part of
our state and placing it at the fore
front of the sisterhood of states in
national effort to carry out our part
in the war for democracy and the
overthrow of Prussian autocracy, have
been tremendous. They have devel-
oped almost hourly since the creation
of the Commission and every problem
that has presented itself has been
met squarely, handled with patriotic
motives, statesmanlike vision and
without regard to personal or politi'
cal consideration.
An Economical Proposition.
The creation of the Commission
meant that thousands of dollars would
be saved to the people of Minnesota.
Without it, it might have become
necessary to continue the Legislature
in session almost continually in or
der to take up public matters with
respect to the present war conditions
and activities that are constantly pre-
senting themselves for adjustment.
For this purpose body of nearly
two hundred men with widely differ
ing opinions, would have proven un-
wieldly, expensive and slow as to re
suits. With a small organization of
but seven members appointed for the
one great patriotic task of placing
our state in position to do it's full
share in the war, and with this idea
back Of their every official act, taken
after conscientious and broad minded
deliberation, our state has made Won
derful progress in it's war prepare
tons and has excited the envy and
admiration of all other defense bodies
In the nation.
Has Support Of Loyal People.
The Commission of Public Safety
has the patriotic support of all loyal
people who realize that every personal
consideration must be put aside dur
ing the present crisis. They realize
that the Commission is Minnesota's
pledge to the national government
that our state is back of our Presi-
dent and Congress in their war pro-
gram. The Commission is the official
head of our government in Minnesota
and as such, must be given the undi-
vided support of every citizen in the
discharge of the tremendous task it
assumes. It's decisions and orders
have all been taken with uniform
good grace and obeyed in large
sense, with great credit to the patrio-
tic citizenship of our people, regard
less of whatever hardships might en-
sue, by seemingly unwarranted re-
strictions, knowing that the action
would result in the greatest good to
the greatest number in the final
outcome. of this world wide war.
The Organization.
The great task of the Commission
and one of the essential fundamental
ideas back of it's creation was the
mobilization of the sentiment of our
people for the war; the populariza-
ton Of the war idea for the protec-
ton Of national honor, perpetual
world peace and the safeguarding of
democratic forms of government.
This task has been one of the
greatest problems of the Commission
of Public Safety, to which all others
have sub0rdinated themselves. 1t
meant that the mental attitude and
disposition Of large majority with
regard to the war and it's problems
would have to be utterly changed if
victory was to come to our armies.
This was to be accomplished by the
presentation of facts, and causes of
the war through the press, the pulpit,
the platform, literature and every
means of expression that could be
brought to bear.
at the time of the entry of this ma
ton into the war the people of our
state were in anything but warlike
mood. they we've prosperous, happy,
peace loving and had no idea Of the
deadly peril that threatened them at
the hands of the Prussianized auto
| cratic power seemingly so far re-
moved as to make any thought of
danger now or in the future too RI.
diculous to contemplate.
To awake them to their real dan
ssz and to emphasize tbs fact that .