The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-03-18
OVER 1000 BILLS HAVE BEEN
INTRODUCED IN LEGISLATURE

the educational appropriations were
more than one-half of the total ap-
preparations of the state and this year
they threaten to reach 60 per cent.
Fight on the Governor.
Those who have taken note of the,
battle raging over the state aid for
schools should not make the mistake
of thinking that the aid is in danger.
No n has proposed to reduce the
total amount of school aid. : Even
Governor Chr~istianson, in his econ
omy announcements, has specifically
stated that he does not favor reduc-
ing the state aid to schools, but he
does argue against its material in
crease. The dispute as to school aid
lies entirely in the proposed increases
amounting to nearly $2,500,000 and
in the so-called deficiencies, amount
ing to 81, 1858, 436.00 for 1924 and to
$912,507.40 for 1925-26.
In the senate a strong faction is
much displeased with the reorganiza-
ton of government plan put through
by the legislature of 1925. 1t will be
remembered that this plan, so ~stoutly
advocated by Governor Ch~ristianson,
got through the senate two years ago
by an exceedingly narrow majority.
This opposition to the new depart
ment of administration and finance to
the new budget commission and to
Governor Christianson's plan of keep
ing appropriations down to SAC,
900 at the present session is partly
responsible for all the excitement
that has prevailed as to state school
Ill If ell aHota eahaol oil inorancno
and deficiencies are paid it will be
impossible to hold the budget to $780,
900, 000. Rumor has it that the SEN
ate opponents OF Governor Chris
tianson propose to pay school aid
increases and deficiencies and to lump
them with all other school aid as one
item, thus putting the governor in a
hole. If he vetoes the item, it will
be necessary to call an extra ses-
sion to pay the regular school aid.
A Queer Session.
The present session of the legis-
~lature, members say, is ga queer ses-
sion." Issues of major Importance
have been slow in coming to the front
and members have not evinced the
usual anxiety to get local bills passed.
The grist of bills appears to be about
the same in volume but less concern
than usual is manifest about them.
In the house for more than two weeks
almost no work was attempted on
general orders. With but four full
weeks remaining for the passage Of
bills not a single special order has
been proposed in the house, and the
special order route is the usual meth
cd of passing important bills. If this
condition of apathy is not speedily
broken up the forty-ffth legislature
of Minnesota may adjourn with a
notable record-fewer new laws n
acted than by the legislature for
many years. 1t is probable that the
state will not mourn very much
about that.
Mania of Investigation.
The forty-ffth legislature of Min
nesota has almost as great an itch
to investigate as has the United
States senate. Senator Schall is
being Investigated, the state treasur-
er's office is to be probed, hints that
other departments need looking into
are numerous, and we have propos-
ais for a fine variety of interim COM
W III OuG WHY IlNCI WdISIS
are polluted, what ails the banks, why
state school aid grows so fast, what
makes so many of US crazy and feeble
minded, why crime RACES and pris-
ons are crowded, why we get so ex-
cited over evolution, etc. etc.
Fourth Department of Government.
We have always thought that the
government is divided into three de-
partments-executive, legislative and
judicial, but we are now having a
fourth proposed to US, the state uni
versity. The university and the state
budget commission locked horns the
other day before the house appropria-
tons committee, not over the amount
OF many that shall be appropriated
to the support of the university, but
as to the independence of the uni
verslty. The budget commission con-
tends that the university should not
buy lands or erect buildings except
with the direct consent of the legis-
lature. The university declares that
it is a Constitutional institution"
and that the legislature has no con-
troll over its funds except those funds
which the state provides either by
direct appropriation or by taxation.
How the four million that the state
provides shall be spent, the univer-
sity says, the legislature may direct;
how the other four million of uni
versity receipts shall be disposed of
is exclusively the province of the
board of regents. The university's
contention amounts to a declaration
that the university is a sort of extra
governmental institution. More, a
good deal more, of this later.
He is Making Good.
Former Representative John I.
Levin, a st. Paul attorney was elect
ed chief clerk of, the house at the
beginning of the session. MI. Levin
is making a splendid clerk. Mr..
Levin is a modest man and there is
nothing spectacular about his ad-
ministration of this very important
Office, but the members of the house
are beginning to realize that every
thing has been running along with
extraordinary smoothness this ses-
sion and that Mr.. Levin is largely
the cause of it. If he lives and keeps
his health we shall not be surprised
if Nh. Levin keeps the Office of chief
clerk without opposition just as long
as he wants t0