The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-09-20
GOVERNORS PRO.
GRAM HITS SNAG
INJUNCTION ASKED TO PRE-.
VENT ILLEGAL PAYMENT
OF SCHOOL FUNDS
TAXPAYERS CANNOT FORGET
STATE FAIR ORGANIZATION /
VERY CLOSE CORPORATION
CAPITOL NOTES.

st. Paul, Sept. 17-Patrons of the
humble Little Red School House" and
its more affluent neighbors, the high
and graded schools, will be much in
terested in a school suit filed this
week at St. Paul in the Ramsey Coun-
ty District Court. Every school dis
trict in the state is concerned.
The suit in question was instituted
by ]. F. Nutshell, tax payer Of Foley,
Benton County, through Harris Rich
.ardson, prominent attorney of St.
Paul, and is for the purpose of deter
mining the right of the state high
school board to use state moneys for
purposes other than that intended by
the legislature. Incidentally the veto
of his excellency the governor which
reduced available state school moneys
to the extent of nearly 100000 is
involved. In addition to the state
high school board C. G. Schulz, state
superintendent of education, State
Auditor j. A. o. Preus, and Henry
Rines, state treasurer, custodians of
the state school funds, are made de-
PENDANTS.
To explain briefly, the court is ask
ed by Mr.. Nutshell in his application
for restraining order to pass on the
right of the high school board, which
is answerable only to the governor, to
pay out of current school funds avail
able for the next two years deficit
of nearly $2,OOO,OOO covering the past
two school years. 1t was the legisla-
tive appropriation for the deficit NAM
ed that the0governor vetoed, he ex-
planning that the times demanded re-
trenchment and that the next legisla-
ture, if it saw fit, could provide for
the needed money.
Under pressure from the governor
the state high school board, with the
exception of two of it's members, c. G..
Schulz and Eli Torrance of Minneap-
oils, decided that any past indebted
ness confronting the high and graded
districts could be met from the cur
rent school funds and it is at this ac-
ton that the suit instituted by Mr..
Nutshell is directed. Where the Little
Red School House" and the debts con-
fronting it stands, however, is still
a matter of controversy, but it is suf-
ficient to say that the school moneys
coming to it will not be impaired if
Supt. Schulz has his way. Court ac-
ton only, he says, will not sway him
from his determination to see that
such are provided for as he believes
the legislature intended.
The present mixed condition of the
legislative appropriation in aid OF
high, graded and rural schools. which
was in excess of $6,250,OO0 harkens
back to the last session OF the two
Legislative bodies when the lawmak-
ers and the governor clashed on a
number of matters. Chief among them
was the creation If department of
public domain which his excellency
,e,y much desi cd and which was de-
MED and moneys in aid of the several
school divisions. To the latter he gave
evidence of early hostility N the
shape of a marked reduction in the
school budget, as submitted for his
approval, and the former he supple
mented with legislative message to
the effect that executive displeasure
in the shape of his veto would follow
Noncompliance with his demands.
How he made good much scratched
appropriation act testified. Included
was goodly chunk of the legislative
aid for state schools, and which is
now in measure the basis of the suit
begun this week in St. Paul.
Prior to 1913 state aid for the
schools of the state was met through
the medium of standing appropria-
lions. With the adoption of the bud
get system, however, standing APP
priations became thing of the past
and it was. in accordance with such
that the last legislature specified in
detail the amounts to be expended. In
setting aside $1,O70, 1913 to cover de-
felt for the past two years, which the
governor vetoed however, specific use
,of the amount was not stated and this
fact features the controversy now on.
Attorney Richardson, acting for Mr..
Nutshell, insists that while specific di-
rection as to the use of the amount in
question is absent, the intent is there
just the same and his opinion is shar-
ed by Supt. Schulz and State Auditor
Preus.
To many the settlement of the con-
troversy is of much interest but this
fact does not help out the districts
who have issued warrants covering
their indebtedness and which are now
drawing interest at the rate of six
per cent. The governors veto has
put them in hole and no matter what
the outcome they are bound to suf-
fer. If their Indebtedness is paid
out of current funds their school mon
eys for the next two years will be
impaired and if the next legislature
fails to make good they will be in
worse hole than ever. The same might
be said of all other school districts
which have state aid coming.
Speaking of the State Fair time |