The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-10-05

GOFERNOR CHRlSTIANSON
States Senator as a fearless, two
listed fighter who will be in position
to get economic justice for the Middle
West" He pointed out the menace
of Democratic tinkering with the tariff
on Minnesota farm products.
Minnesota wants the st. Lawrence
waterway" he said, sand she will not
be satisfied with a ditch from Oswego
to Albany on which the Democratic
candidate for the Presidency has pro-
posed to carry the commerce of forty
millions Of land-locked people,"
Reporting first on the issue which
has been the keystone Of his admins
trative structure the Governor an
nounced: "My first definite pledge to
night is that the economy program
will continue. IF I am reelected
shall continue the policy of eliminat-
ing and reducing expenditures when
ever it can be done without injury to
the state, of curtailing public indebt-
edness, and of limiting state taxes.
1.-The economy program has brought
the results in this State that were
promised for 1t. It has halted the
biennial increases in appropriations.
1t has brought about q reduction of
the States Indebtedness, which will
result in reduction Of taxes. State
appropriations, which aggregated $18,-
100000 in 1915 reached SAC, 000, 900 in
1928. Through the cooperation of
the Legislature and exercise Of the
executive veto, they were held down
to $40, 000,0 900 in 1925, and again in
1927. The fact that although prior
to my administration appropriations
increased from 100000 to $1,000
600 every time the Legislature met,
there has been no increase since that
time; Is sufficient answer to those
who say that the economy program
has not saved the taxpayers money.
During the same period there has
been a sharp reduction of the States
indebtedness payable out of general
tax receipts, from $15,719,0OO to
$6,318,358. In other words, there has
been q reduction Of so per cent in
general state Indebtedness, and this
has been accomplished without in
creasing the tax levy, through rigid
adherence to the policy of paying off
old and creating no new indebted
ness"
AMy second pledge is to stand by
the budget system set up in the Re-
organization Act of 1925, to strengthen
it where necessary, and to urge upon
the Legislature such amendments as
will clarity it" The Importance of
the budget system Is summed up in
the statement. Surely no one would
contend that the Legislature should
hear only those who want to spend
the taxpayers money and should not
hear those whose duty it is to study
expenditures from the standpoint of
those who pay the bill"
Answering further the challenge of
those who urge repeal of the Re-
organization Act and abolition of the
Finance Board the Governor showed
the purchasing agent and the comp
troller to be as essential as the budget
director. The comptroller has In
charge the examining of public &C.
counts, and has the added function of
the pre-audit. Statements of esti-
mated expenditure are filed in ad-
vance. IF it is a customary or usual
project" the Governor explained, "the
expenditure is allowed as matter of
routine. If it is unusual, if it en-
banks the State in a new enterprise
or commits it to new activity, it is
scrutinized. The pre-audit is based
on the theory that it doesn't do any
good to lock the barn door unless you
do it before the horse is stolen"
The purchasing agent, member of
the Finance Board, has proved his use
fulness to the State. If critics of the
budget system are "after him" they
have company, said the Governor,
among those who want to sell things
to the State" He cited an instance:
Gust before the Supreme Court
handed down its decision in the Uni