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

that without our schools the loyalty OF
today to our state and to American in
stitufions would be impossible. There
are those who may believe 1t desirable
to change the amounts Of the money
appropriated to particular departments
or branches of our educational system.
giving more to some and less TO others.
There are citizens who. on account or
the situation in some portions of the
state, wisely advocate the establish
ment of more night schools for the
purpose of giving adults, especially
those of foreign descent, an opportu-
nifty to acquire at least an elementary
education, to learn more OF American
institutions, and thus become more ia
miliar with the purposes and ideals OF
American citizenship.
Appropriations for Administrative De-
parfments.
The State of Minnesota is a growing
state. More and more is expected or
it's officials No business Institution
would handle its business affairs in the
manner in which public institution,
such as Minnesota, has handled hers
In some departments, on account or IN
sufficient help, the work of the officials
is necessarily delayed. There are some
boards and offices that ought to be
abolished, but there are others, such
as the investment board, handling mill
lions of dollars in securities without
proper facilities and help for so doing,
| that are in need of greater appropria-
tions to transact their business as 1t
ought to be transacted. In litigation
| involving enormous amounts the stats
meets the opposition of men receiving
high salaries with expert knowledge of
| the particular subjects of which they
have made a speciality. If 1t pays pri-
vate corporations to be in a position to
acquire the service of such men the
! Attorney Generals Office should be
! provided with sufficient funds so as to
| be able to acquire such additional as
| sistance that may be needed from time
| to time. If the public examiners office,
| is to conduct efficiently all the eXami-
| nations demanded of that department,
| larger appropriations for It's work are
| necessary. The timber board has not
| sufficient authority or funds to proper
| ~ safeguard the particular state re-
| sources, of which it has the manage
| ment. 1t would be a very easy matter
| for the state, because of insufficient
| help in certain departments, to lose
| hundreds of thousands of dollars in
| the management of its trust funds and
| In the care of Its resources. 1t there
| fore appears that, If the properties of
| Minnesota are to be properly handled
| and protected. although expenditures
| can be reduced In some departments, IL
|
| pendttures Of all the departments.
| which amount. as aforesaid, to nearly
| $500, 900. AS this sum is less than
| one fifth of the total annual Legislative
| appropriations 1t Is clear that even II
| a reduction in the cost OF running the
| executive departments were made, such
| q reduction would scarcely have any
| effect on the tax rate, but il, on the
| other hand, the Legislature should not
| appropriate sufficient funds to secure
| efficient management, through the
| proper equipment OF its boards with
qualified men and enough money with
| which to do the work demanded of
| them 1T would be possible in the long
| run for the state to sustain under such
| conditions enormous losses. Through
| the proposed reorganization of state
| departments II cannot be expected that
| you can lower to any considerable ex-
tent the direct cost of government,
but the possibility of saving immense
sums for the state indirectly through
| the adequate safeguarding of its re-
| sources and through the business-like
| conduct OF It's affairs by the right kind
| of cooperation and coordination Of
it's various boards and Offices is so EVIL
dent as to show, most clearly, the i'm
| perative need of legislation which will
| provide for such a Encouragement OF
| our civil administration.
budget system.
On or prior to the first day of next
| month, I am required, under our pres
| ent law, to submit to you the estimates
| for the next biennial period. You Will
| then be in a position to know how
much higher or lower than this year s
| expenditures, the estimated eXpendi-
| lures for next year will be. This pro-
cedure has been made possible by rea-
| son of the enactment by the last Lsgis-
| lature of what is known as the budget
| system In appropriations. Under said
| law the Governor Is required to pre-
| pare forms to be sent to all the differ
| ent departments and to the different
| state officials with the request that the
blanks therein be filed in for the pur-
pose of getting information as to the
exact amount Of the appropriation that
| each department believes 1t Will be
necessary for Ii to have during the next
| biennial period and for what the
amounts asked for shall be used. The
Legislature will, therefore, on Febru-
airy first OF this year, be in possession
of facts pertaining to these appropria-
tions that Ii Is now impossible for me
to communicate to you and thereafter
when the different departments and Of
ficials of the different state institu-
tons have been heard upon the pro-
posed budget to the extent that you
may permit. 1t is for you to determine
how much of reduction IL any should
be made therein. No one would deny
that it is the duty OF us all to keep
down the legislative appropriations
| during this session to the lowest pos
| sible point but to reduce the proposed
| budget to such an extent as to cripple
our institutions or to destroy their eff
fectiveness for good would be neither
| efficiency nor economy.