The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1928-08-30
RAY CHASE URGES
| new FOREST DEPT.
State Auditor Declares Pres
ent Position Is UnreasOn-
able-Gives Reasons
LAW REVISIONS ASKED
Declares His Job 100000 Per
Cent Greater Than in 1862
interesting Data

Sweeping revisions in the man.
agement of state forest lands, re,
peal or amendment of the existing
state laws regulating state owned
forest lands and creation of a de.
partment of forests are recon.
menied by Ray P. Chase, state
auditor, in a letter to the Mime.
sofa reforestation commission, Sat,
urday.
Mr.. Chase recommends that the
state auditor be relieved of ''this
unreasonable illogical and burden
some duty" pointing out that since
management of the state forest
lands was placed with the state
auditor in 1862, the duties of the
officer have increased 'beyond the
most extravagant dreams of Gov
ernor Ramsey" so that now the
auditor keeps track of 100000 pei
cent more money than he was re-
quired to audit in 1862.
81 recommended complete re-
adjustment of the governmental
machinery, which regulates state
owned forest lands" Mr.. Chase's
letter said. 81 recommended that
the law which placed control of
forest lands with the auditor be
amended; that laws passed pursu-
ant thereto be repealed or revised,
that the division of responsibility
for administration of state owned
timber and timber lands be ended
that the state auditor he relieved
of this unreasonable, illogical and
burdensome duty; that there be
created a department of forests,
effective because it is both ade-
quate and efficient, equipped with
competent personnel, supplied
through legislative appropriations,
federal aid, private contributions
and local taxes-with sufficient
funds, empowered by ample legal
authority and guided by the best
program that trained intellects car
plan.
; Cali legislatures dislike to create
rev departments and incur new ex.
penses, the legislature of 1862 be-
ing no exception" Mr.. Chase con-
tinued. CAT that time it was nee
essary that some one undertake
supervision of the public lands and
the state, being young, poor and
anxious to avoid additional eNpen-
diture for salary for a land de-
partment chief, the duty was i'm
posed on the state auditor.
"No other state in the union
imposes such task on the state
auditor.
During the, last 2Ossears, var
ious legislatures have considered
var;cus public domain bills, all
based en- the ne i for Il mole logi-
cal saministrati,, o. the states
public domain. None passed.
Some savored of politics and all
failed to meet the difficulty.
sThus more than sc years after
the states fiscal officer was first
assigned to this incongruous duty,
his office is still obliged to ad-
minister lands, mines, timber and
parks, and constitutional lawyers
will advise you that many of
the laws passed to relieve him
Of some of this responsibility have
been operative only because the
question of their constitutionality
has never been raised.
81 am convinced that no minor
changes in employees or Jaws
would remedy the situation. There
fore, I suggest that you cut clear
to bedrock. / recommend.
Amendment of Section 2, Ar
ticle VIII, of the state constitu-
ton.
Continued on Page Four)