The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-07-02
new DEPARTMENTS
NOW GOVERN STATE
MINNESOTA'S REORGANIZATION
ACT BECAME OPERATIVE
JULY FIRST
WILL REDUCE PAYROLL
SPONSORS OF PLAN CLAIM 1T
WILL BE BIG SAVING TO
TAXPAYERS
wednesdays st. Paul
Pioneer Press

1893
Four important state departments
were without official heads after
midnight Tuesday as the result of
the delay on the part of Governor
Christianson in making state APP
pointments.
Four other state officials whose
terms expired January l still were
without knowledge today of their
fate as to removal from office or re-
appointment at the hands of the Gov
ernor.
When the Capitol is opened at $3.50
"A. M today, the state will be oper-
ating under a state government re-
organization act, passed by the Leg
islature which finished its labors
April %. But the following depart
ments will lack executives:
Commissioner of Insurance of
which George W. Kells, Jr., is
the present head.
Commissioner of Drainage and
Waters, a position now held by
E. V. Willard.
Dairy and Food Department,
now headed by Chris Heen.
The four others whose appoint
ment or removal has not been an
nounced by the Governor are Odin
Halden, member of the State Tax
commission: Adjutant General Wal
ter F. Rhinow of the Minnesota Ma
tional Guard; Henry McColl, indus
trial commissioner, and j. H.
Shoemaker, custodian of the states
property.
Unofficially it was said at the Cap
itol Tuesday that George w. Wells,
Jr., will be renamed as insurance
commissioner but unless his appoint
ment and that of a commissioner OF
banks are announced early today the
new Department of Commerce, which
is composed of the insurance and
bank commissioners and commits
sioner of securities, will be without
quorum on the day on which the state
reorganization takes place.
Moreover, the authority of the
superintendent of banks ceased at
midnight Tuesday since the new law
abolishes the office of superintendent
of banks and creates new office of
commissioner of banks. Authority of
A. J. Velgel to function as head OF
the banking department ends today
unless his place is filled at once.
1t was said Tuesday night that the
Governor expects to make the eight
appointments today.
First in Importance in the reorgani-
cation scheme is the financial control
of the states affairs, vested in a new
Department of Administration and
Finance, headed by Henry Rines as
comptroller and with the other two
members, Henry w. Austin of St.
Paul, as commissioner of purchases,
and A. J. Peterson of Dawson as
commissioner of the budget. These
three were named by the Governor
and are removable by him at will.
Rines resigned Tuesday night as
State Treasurer and was succeeded
by Judge Edward w. Stark of Center
City, who is expected to make no
changes in the personnel of the
treasurer's office force.
Garfield w. Brown of Glencoe, pub
lie examiner under the old regime,
will be Rines' assistant and will re-
tain his title of public examiner al
though the duties of that office legal
ly must be assumed by Rines.
The Department of Administration
and Finance will begin to function to-
day with offices on the third floor of
the Capitol with Rines, Austin and
Peterson on the job.
Sponsors of the reorganization
scheme do not assert that they will
be able to make any great reduction
in state taxes but they do plan, they
say, to effect a saving in state
expense through biennial budget to
be presented to the Legislature and
a quarterly pre-audit system to be
enforced on each department of the
state. Another considerable saving
is expected through Capitalization of
the states purchasing in one depart
ment.
Coordination of. effort, interchange
of employees and reduction of office
forces in some departments may re-
suit after the reorganization plan has
had a fair trial.
.Rines really became first assistant
governor today, assuming the office
of comptroller and head of the finance
department. Obviously the Governor
leans on Rines to make success Of
the reorganization plan. Rines re-
signed an elective position to accept
an appointive one against the advice
of his political friends, all of whom
agree, however, that he was the log
ical choice for the position.
Governor Christianson, in discus
sing the new order of events, said
that the Legislature did not go far
enough in co-ordinating the states ac-
tivities, but that the reorganization
plan is step in the right direction.
To-day marks the beginning, not
the completion, of the reorganization
of state departments to determine
their operation. The consultations
provided for in the reorganization
law will inevitably be paper consoli-8
dations, until the Department of Adj