The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-05-08
HALTING TAX BOOSTS
BIG NEED OF TODAY
DECLARES THEODORE CHRIST.
HANSON, REPUBLICAN CAM
DIDATE IN ADDRESS
TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT
STATE GOVERNMENT MUST BE
GOTTEN BACK TO ITS FIRST
PRINCIPLES Is
Rock County Herald, May 2, 1924

Rock County Herald, May z, 1924.
Getting government back to first
principles is the biggest political task
of the present generation" declared
Theodore Christensen, candidate for
the Republican nomination for COVER
nor in an address before the Kiwanis
Club Monday noon.
'The demand for hating of the
increase in taxation and public in
debtedness is making itself felt, not
only in Minnesota, but throughout the
nation. The general cause of too
much taxation is too much govern
ment, the extension of the field of
government into activities that it was
never contemplated government
should enter. One of the reasons
government succeeds so indifferently
in protecting life, property and lib
erty is that it is dissipating its ener-
gies in superfuous regulation. :. 1t is
true that in modern society men are
interdependent to greater extent
than they were a generation ago, and
this greater interdependence makes
a greater measure of regulation nee
essary. But Jefferson's adage still
holds true, that that government
governs best which governs least
"Not only has there been a marked
tendency toward too much govern
ment, but to an undue enlargement of
the personnel of government. We
have in this country today 2,700, 900
public officials, servants and employees.
In addition we have 100000 public
pensioners total of 100000 peo-
pie deriving income from the various
subdivisions of government in the
United States. The total public pay
roll is more than one-half of the ma
TONS tax bill of $500, 100000. 1t
is more than forty per cent of the
combined pay rolls of all the factor
les in America with an annual output
of $4,000 year or more. 1t is SOL
per year for every person in America
over sixteen years of age engaged in
gainful occupation.
appropriations have been increas-
ing in Minnesota-increasing at a
rapid rate during the last ten years.
They have been increasing in spite of
efforts that have been put forth in
the legislature to keep them down. At
the last legislative session alone $751;
100000 in demanded appropriations
We're refused 1000 for every
working day of the session. Some ap-
preparations were made that should
have been denied, and some were
made larger than they should have
been. There was enough public de-
mand back of them to put them over,
for in legislative body votes count,
and votes are Forthcoming when
there is public demand. These votes
do not all represent majority opinion ).
but the combined votes of many min.
critics control legislative action.
"The real solvent for the tax prob
lem is public opinion. So long as
there are more people demanding
more lavish public expenditures than
there are people demanding tax-re-
duction there will be no tax re-
duction. When there are more peo-
pie demanding tax reduction than
there are demanding governmental
expenditures, we are going to see tax
es come down, especially if the tax
savers become more insistent and bet
ter organized than the tax-spenders.
minnesota should adopt and de-
finitely pursue policy of pay as you
CO. There are, of course, times when
extraordinary expenditures. must be
made which can be met by bond is
sues only. When these situations
arise, bond issues are justifable; but
there should be legislation making
any bond issue null and void which
did not carry with it tax levy run
ming over the period of the bonds
which at the expiration of that period