Warren sheaf., 1917-04-18
Educational Budget Before Leg
isIature Nearly Ten Millions.
Uh *s|1y REQUESTS CUT
Mill City Institution Will Secure Al
most $1,3oo,ooo Less Than the
Regents Asked For.

st. Paul-(speciaD- the For
tieth Minnesota legislature fast draw.
ing to close the principal concern
of house and senate members is the
several appropriation bills. Each car
ries some item of interest to every
member and his main interest is in
seeing that his district is not left out.
When this letter was in the making
the house had given its sanction to
the educational budget carrying to-
tai of $9,736,S23, the largest amount
ever set aside for educational pur.
poses in the history of the state. Still
in the balance was the budget for the
state institutions, and third one, car
rying appropriations for the conduct
of the various state departments and
miscellaneous activities, remains to
be heard from. The last named car
ries the greatest interest. Senate and
house are in tangle over the amount
to be set aside for the use of the state
board of control-nearly $3,250, 900
but settlement is in sight. The SEN
ate wants about $600,000 added to this
particular budget and it is understood
that the house will agree. A good
part of the excess is for the school for
the feeble minded at Faribault which.
because of its crowded condition,
needs aid. While the educational bud
get is the largest in the history Of the
state the house was hard pushed to
1,o - n1
and the chances are even that when
the senate is called upon to give it's
approval additions will be made.
While nearly $100O0,000 is the amount
set aside for state educational pur-
poses the figure comes nearer being
100000, as both houses have al
ready approved an appropriation Of
$1,074 900 made some time ago to
cover a deficit in school aid growing
out of the appropriation for such pur
poses two years ago. In agreeing to
the total Of s9.736,S23 for school pur-
poses the state university was cut
nearly S1,3OO,OO0. There will be no
new buildings as a result Aid for
high, graded and rural schools totals
nearly $6,oo0,00o.
!. I. !.
It has been stated that of every dol
lar raised by taxation in Minnesota
over so cents goes for the support Of
the states educational institutions.
cation Of the charge and the chances
are excellent that the figure will con-
tinue to grow with the years if some
thing is not done. State aid for high,
graded and rural schools is now fought
for as eagerly as in the days when the
biennial cutup of the road and bridge
fund was the chief legislative event.
Former Governor Eberhart and former
State Auditor 1versOn were confident
enough five years ago to indulge in the
prophecy that within the next ten
years Minnesota would be state
without tax levy. Extraordinary re-
'ceipts at that time and to come were
supposed to do the trick. Instead Of
. dropping, however, the state tax rate
is climbing and rapidly at that Next
year will see the highest tax rate in
the history of Minnesota. AS chair
man of the house appropriations COM
mittee Representative Theodore Chris
tianson of Dawson has consistently
fought every increase in any item in
the several budgets, but the odds at
times have been overwhelming anti
he has had to give way.
!. !. !.
Relief from the alleged excessive tel
ephone tolls and telephone corporation
abuses will either have to be obtained
from the state railroad commission or
the next legislature The commission
lis in charge of public telephone affairs
in the state and is now engaged in
making physical valuation of tele-
phone properties in the state with a
view of ascertaining whether the rates
now charged are just and proper
Hopes of relief from the present leg
islature went glimmering when the
senate sent to the discard the Glotz
bach bill directing that all telephone
rates in the state be returned to the
figure they were in 1915. 1t was fol
lowing the passage of the telephone
control bill two years ago that the
big companies, anticipating a cut
raised their rates from 331s to SO pei
cent Though there are nearly 25000(
telephone users in the Twin Cities
alone and their annual contribution tc
the big telephone companies runs into
the millions impending telephone leg
dslation did not even receive passing
mention in Twin City papers.
i. j. !.
Minnesota will be fully equipped tt
cope with all war troubles when the
differences growing out of the passage
tof the Sullivan public safety commits
sion bill are adjusted. Because o.
amendments made by the house the
measure went to conference. This bill
in way, puts Minnesota on an imme
diate war footing to the extent of pro
viding commission of five to handle
all interior troubles, enlist and assem-
1,1o <rooro shoy nondod and arra npI