Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1925-03-12
SPONSORS new
DEPARTMENT BILL
Representative SpindIer Favors
Plan Differing From Interim
Committee Measure.


a plan 10 set up system Of finan-
cial control that would be under the
joint supervision OF all the constitu.
tionally elected officers. instead OF
the governor alone.
Representative Henry Spindler OF
Buffalo, a member OF the house In.
term committee which studied state
reorganization during the last two
years. is author OF the new bill. Mr..
Spindler did not acquiesce to the In.
term committees reorganization bib
which was introduced in both houses
OF the legislature some weeks ago
Instead. he submitted at that time a
minority report enumerating his DIFF.
fereDces with the viewpoint OF his
colleagues.
Differs In Financial Control Features.
In many respects. Mr.. Spindier's
bill accepts details OF the plan pre-
pared by the majority OF the interim
committee. but In the methtd OF at
tanning financial control ofer state
funds Mr.. Spindler's measure reveals
a sharp deviation from the majority
bill.
The majority bill establishes a de.
partment or administration and
finance headed by three commission.
ers appointed by the governor and
responsible directly and solely to him,
The commissioners are separately as.
signed to duties OF preparing the bud.
get, pre-auditing expenditures OF all
state departments, purchasing all sup
plies and exercising supervision over
the personnel OF the state govern.
ment. The majority bill also creates
an executive council. composed OF Ave
OF the elected offlcers--governor at.
torney general. auditor. secretary Of
state and treasurer--which would per.
form the duties now vested In mum.
bre OF ex-offlcio boards whose mem,
berships vary, but are composed large
ly OF these officials.
Mr.. Spindler's bill does away with
separate department OF administers
tion and finance appointed by the gov
ernor and places tho duties which the
majority bill assigns to this proposed
department under the supervision OF
the executive council. The governor
would be chairman OF the executive
council.
Henceforth the Minnesota highway
department would be forced TO adopt
a policy OF abandoning all new con
struction and permit some OF the I'm.
proved roads on the 1000 mile trunk
highway system to deteriorate II the
legislature falls 10 adopt the refinanc
Ing program. II the proposed gasoline
tax Is attacked In the courts and II
only slight reduction is made In the
motor vehicle tax schedule. according
TO figures compiled by c. NJ. Babcock
state highway commissioner.
These figures show that the entire
structure OF improved highways Is In
jeopardy through proposals of some
Legislators who are fighting the ref.
nanclng program. These Legislators
propose to:
Reject the rennancing plan which
would refund s22. 10000 OF the ssS..
100000 county reimbursement bonds.
Enact ? cent gasoline tax. which.
however. probably would be attacked
In the courts and. n the history OF
other states Is repeated In Minnesota,
the funds available would be tied up
for two years
Reduce the motor vehicle tax SEIZED.
ule on the ground that automobile
owners In the state expected such
reduction when they voted for tho
gasoline tax amendment.
Figures complied and in the hands
OF motor vehicles committees OF the
two houses. show that to reduce the
minimum schedule on passenger cars
weighing less than 1000 pounds from
$i2 to $40 and cars weighing more
than 1900 from SIS 10 SIS would mean
loss of s675,0oo In revenue for the
state highway fund, Bills introduc.
ed In the legislature call for far
greater reductions. and some OF them
disturb the ~ per cent value basis.
Even the slightest reduction now con.
sidered. therefore. would prove dis.
astrous in the absence OF the ref,
hohNihk Rtau anu kaSoilne TAX
which could be readily colleetable.
Governor TO Appoint Senator.
Minnesota's law defining a method
OF hlling a vacancy In the Office Of
United States senator. which has been
on the statute books for ~ years, Is
about 10 be superseded by new law
which will remove all doubt about
whether the governor actually has the
authority to make an interim appoint
ment In an emergency. The senate
unanimously passed the new sena.
toriai succession bill The house al
ready has passed II and now Il goes
10 Governor christianson for his sig.
nature. When the bill formally be-
comes a law Il will put an end TO
curious legal tangle over which there
has existed considerable difference OF
opinion.
Governor Theodore Chrlstianson re
turned a bill to the legislature without
his approval. which would have ad.
mitted TO the Minnesota Soldiers
Home any Civil war veteran OF Min.
nesota regiment. regardless OF his
financial ca. acity. The governor held
the bill discriminatory.
with three dissenting votes. the sen
ate passed the bill introduced by Sen.