The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1928-02-01
in SPEECH AT TULSA, OKLA,
GOV. CHRISTIANSON URGES
REDUCTION IN COSTS OF GOV.
EMINENT.

The American public must put on
the brakes and stop the joyride of
public expenditures and costs of gov
eminent, Governor Christianson of
Minnesota declared at Tulsa, Okla
homa recently in an address before
the Associated Industries of Okla
homa.
Debts of governments, federal,
state and local, continue to grow
while constantly new tasks are plac-
ed in the hands of the government
which it does not always perform
properly because it was never in
tended for many of the diverse du-
ties it now must do, he said.
Total bonded indebtedness of the
American people today is more than
$300,000,O00, or $3.50 for every man.
woman and child, Governor Christ
hanson pointed out. This, he said, is
more than 20 per cent of the taxable
value of all non-exempt real property.
''If you have a home or farm of
a taxable value of $4,000, there is a
$4,000 mortgage on it, which is not of
record, and in the making of which
you probably had no part except the
part you may have played unwilling
ly by not voting, or by not voting
right.
Minnesota's aim is bondless state
Governor Christianson declared. He
explained Minnesota's plan of reor-
ganization of state government adopt
ed by the Legislature in 1925. Through
this, he said, many economies have
been affected, the state has become
most closely coordinated in its activi-
ties and the chief executive has been
made resonsible directly to the peo-
pie, and in turn, has been given OPP
portunity to carry out policies he
planned when elected.
Taxes in the United States must be
reduced and the only way to bring
this about is to spend less through
governmental units, the speaker said.
Governmental activities should be re-
duced and brakes should be applied
when movements spring up to in
crease activities. Government is al
ready the third largest business in
the nation,-it must stop there, or
better still, be reduced to less cost
ly position, Governor Christensen as
serted.
"This year the government at
Washington will spend probably five
times as much as it did Is years ago."
he said. meanwhile the states and
their municipal divisions, with few
notable exceptions are vieing with
each other with the evident purpose
of seeing which can spend the most
without paralyzing the peoples cap
acity to pay. | am rather proud of |
the fact that Minnesota is one of the |
exceptions.
at is one of the eight states of the
union in which per capita taxes for
state and local purposes were lower
in 1925 than in 1924. 1t is one of the
IL states in which state taxes were
lower in 1925 than in 1924, and among
these II states Minnesota ranks
fourth in the percentage of reduc-
ton.
''Since 1923 our state appropria-
lions have remained stationary, al
though it has required the constant
pressure of public opinion and vigor-
GUS welding of the veto-knife to keep
them from increasing.
Meanwhile, in the country as a
whole, state and local taxes have been
increasing. They increased from 49,
933, 100000 in 1921 to $685. 100000 !
in 1926. Between 1921 and 1926 state
taxes increased 81 per cent and local
taxes 80 per cent. In 1921, state and
local taxes were $36.27 per capita; in
1926, $45.66. In 1921, they were $780,
35 for every person gainfully en-
ployed in 1926, $119.92.
an spite of the reduction of feder-