Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-01-04

terminal points. the Legislature should.
as far as possible, through legislation.
eliminate such unfair conditions. The
marketing Of grain and produce Is be-
coming more and more important. THIS
matter deserves our most serious at
tention and Ii more just and better
ways Of transacting the business can
be devised through legislative enact
ment, the producers Of this state are
undoubtedly entitled to such legisla-
ton from this body. Amy practical bet
terment or Improvement, which can be
suggested In the weighing and inspec-
ton of grain. should be encouraged
and adopted.
Constitutional Amendments.
During recent years certain proposed
constitutional amendments, such as
those pertaining to the prohibition of
| the sale of intoxicating liquors and to
| the granting of the rights OF franchise
| to women, have been discussed in your
| Legislative campaigns and have been
up for consideration in this body. I'm
| der the constitution, you alone have
| the power to determine the question of
| their submission to the people. The
| executive Is given neither the right to
| approve nor the power to veto your
action in this regard. If, under such
| conditions. his opinion should be con-
|
| my past attitude on these questions is
| well known and, since becoming Gov
| ernor, / have made no change in my
| position relative thereto.
| Responsibility for High Taxes.
| To keep the state taxes as low as is
| consistent with state progress Is, of
| course, desirable and to criticize state
| officials for the unjustifable expendi-
| ture of public funds undoubtedly has
| a good effect in keeping down extrava-
CANT expenditures, but I am convinced
| that criticism of the state government
| in this respect Is often based upon a
| misrepresentation of the real facts for
the share of taxes which go to the state
| for state purposes has always been
| very small compared with the taxes
| which go to the localities for local pur-
| poses. or the total tax levy for 1915.
| less than u of the taxes paid or about
| 11.S per cent went to the state. The
| rest OF the levy was for local school
! purposes and expenses in connection
with county, city, village and township
! affairs.
| Division of Taxes.
! The total taxable valuation OF all
property in Minnesota for 1915 was
SLAP 100000. The total tax levy for
! state and local purposes was S., 055,-
1870, of which only s6.17S.0O0 go to the
| state and the balance to localities. The
amount disbursed for the same year by
| the state for local purposes will be
approximately s6,2O0,000. The state.
| therefore, pays back to the counties
| more than it collects from them and If
| school maintenance, which accounts
for such a large portion of the money
paid by the state to localities and road
building, which has with commendable
| foresight been made such an impor-
\ tant part of state development and put
Minnesota In needed and prominent
| sx,. fsn r. sNh oh Lntt zoe
| cede. but advance, were paid for by
! local taxes the state could pay its rum
ming expenses from indirect revenues
| such rs the gross earning tax, the in
| heritance tax and others of like nature
and the state tax levy could be entirely
aboli shed.
| True Economy.
Although only n small share of the
| responsibility for a high tax rate can,
| by reason of the facts heretofore stat
| ed, be placed on the state government,
no state official would on that account
| favor the extravagant expenditure of
public money, We all believe in maxi
ing the tax rate as low as possible. but
at the same time we are more anxious
to have the work of the state well done
and its money wall spent than to have
the taxes unreasonably reduced for we
all agree that too much economy is
apt to result In the greatest extraVa-
gance and that the reasonable expendi-
ture OF money for valid purposes Is
often the truest economy. In state af-
| fairs as in private business the results
| accomplished and the dividends re-
| ceived determine the wisdom of the in =
! vestment.
| Legislative Appropriations.
The last Legislature appropriated
! less money than was appropriated dur
Ing either OF the two previous sessions.
! AS result the recent tax levy for the
state revenue fund was fixed at one
mill and the total state tax levy at
S,65 mills. which lis the lowest since
1910 and this reduction was accom-
plished although the one mill road tax
was added to the levy, which had not
been done up to 1913. The appropria-
ton from the revenue fund for the fis-
cal year from August l. 1915. to July
81, 1917. is sS.45o.000. OF the amount
appropriated ny the last Legislature
for the fiscal year. the sum of s2.S65, OeC
was appropriated for state charitable
and correctional institutions and con
stitutes IS per cent OF the total appro-
priations. The total sum appropriated
from the revenue fund for educational
| purposes was 1885 900 and constitutes
more than IS per cent of the total ap-
propriations for the fiscal year. This
money Is spent for University. Normal
School and agricultural education and
for special aid to High. Graded and
!, | Rural schools. ABOUT 20 per cent oil
. the total appropriations is for the
; Legislative. judicial and Executive de.
i. partments. The legislators salaries
, | amount to the sum of nearly $500. o0t
. and the annual expenditures in ths
! ! judicial department is more than S266,'
. eco. The sum OF sl.4S2.550 is appro-
, priated TO carry ON the work done by
, the state officials and by the many dit.
, ferent state departments. A sum OF
; about 100000 constituting the remain
: ing per cent of the total appropria
, tons. is expended for miscellaneous
r purposes such as the Soldiers Home
the Historical Society and other public
r projects.
r Appropriations for Charitable lnstitu
items.
Q Minnesota takes much interest II
' caring for it's uNfortunates 1t is.
D believe, the only state in the Union ex
. tending aid to its prisoners. II wa:
l the tirst state to establish a hospita
0 Tor crippled children. There are, to
a day, more than l.2G0 dependents in III,
Q | public school at Owatonna. In the in
u | situations for the deaf. the blind ant
- the feeble minded at FaribauH Their
= was during last year an attendanc,
. OF nearly i.aee and in the five stat
o hospitals and aSylums for the insan
4 there was a population of more thar
"a | $500. With the increase in the mum