The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-01-29
TO GOVERN STATE
WITH TEN BUREAUS
INTERIM REPORT SUGGESTS
RADICAL CHANGES IN OPER-
ATING STATE
CENTRAL POWER IS AIM
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL is TAKEN
FROM CABINET IDEA OF
GOVERNING

of authority, ten major state depart
ments, steps toward economy through
abolition of obsolete boards and CO.
ordination of others, in other words
complete change of the present sys-
tenn of state government in Mime
sot, were recommended today to the
Minnesota House of Representatives
in the report of interim committee
of that body.
Final details of the legislative act
that is to accompany the report were
being worked out Monday night by
Representative Willis L. Norton, sec
rotary of the committee; Governor
Theodore Christensen; Lieutenant
Governor w. | Nolan, chairman of
the committee, and Assistant Attor-
ney General James E. Markham.
In the report radical changes are
urged. These will be submitted to
the committees on civil administra-
ton in the Senate and House. In the
Senate, the chairman of this commit
tee is Senator c.. H. Mackenzie of
Gaylord; in the House, Representa-
tive o. K. DAZZLE of Spring Grove.
The biggest battle of the present leg
islative session will develop over the
report.
The ten state departments pro-
posed by the interim committee are as
follows, much like those created in
Illinois by former Governor Frank O.
Lowden of that state.
Executive council, Department of
Administration and Finance, Depart
ment Of Agriculture, Department of
Highways, Department of Education,
Department of Commerce, Depart
ment of Labor and Industry, Depart
ment of Conservation, Department of
Welfare.
This is an adoption of the cab
met form of government without 60
ing to that extreme. 1t does, how
ever, vest more authority in the ex-
ecutive.
| Executive Council
Under the executive council would
be the Governor as chairman, the
state auditor as vice chairman, the
secretary of state as ex-officio secre-
tary, the state treasurer and the at
torney general.
Powers of the following boards
would be delegated to the executive
council: Boards of audit, land COM
mission, relief board, state timber
board, board of deposits. The execu-
tive secretary of the council would
act also as secretary of the board of
parole and as secretary of the board
of investment.
This executive council would
amount to cabinet of the governor
except that the members would be
elected by the people and not appoint
ed by the executive as in the case of
the President of the United States
They could, however, meet in cabinet
session to better coordinate state
activities.
| Financial Department
/ Creation of the Department of FL
nance as proposed in the report of
the committee is in keeping with the
desire of Governor Christensen to
keep regulatory hand on the ex-
penditure of the states money.
This new department would be I'M
der the direct supervision of the Gov
ernor, since he would appoint it's
members, could remove them at viii
with or without cause. Members of
the department would be a budget
commissioner, a comptroller and a
tax commissioner. Each would re-
ceive $4,000 year. Their terms
would be overlapping.
The board heading the department
would then name director of pur-
chases and Director of personnel.
The director of purchases would cor
respond to the purchasing agent of
a city and director of personnel
would supervise the hiring of en-
ployes and their distribution among
the different departments. Salary of
these two officials would be fixed by
the board and they would be remov-
able at the will Of the board.
Powers of this department would
be many and important some of
which may be listed as follows:
First: General control and SUI
| pervision over all financial oper-
atoms of the state.
Second: Supervision of all con-
tracts involving any financial OBJ
legation on the part of the state.
Third: Control of all property
of the state, its acquisition and
use.
Fourth: Authority tomake any
Investigations in the interest of
economy and to make survey Of
the various state departments to
obtain greater efficiency or more
economy.
Executive functions of the Depart
ment of Administration and Finance
would be assigned about as follows,
under the committee plan:
The comptroller would have charge
of setting up proper systems of ac-
counting and would prescribe the
forms of accounts.
The budget commissioner would
have charge of making up the states