Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-11-14
BOUQUETS FOR THE EDITOR

BOUQUETS FOR THE EDITOR
Editors Note = Apparently tie
Opinion of Others" column is not
good enough for the man who
sent in the letter below, as he re-
quests that the letter get into the
editorial column. The request is
granted and the letter gets first
place this week. 1t follows:
Markville, Mimi, Nov 6, 1929.
Mr.. Hjalmar Petersen, Editor,
Askov American,
Askov, Mimi.
Dear Sir:
Your news reports and your edi-
tOrialS on the tax meetings in the
eastern part of the county and hear
ings before the county board have
been very interesting. if not amusing
to me, although scented very strongly
of selfishness and unfairness. This
tax matter is one which concerns ev-
erybOdy, whether they know it or not
and think you have been very indis7
Greet in kicking it around in feeble
attempt to gain little political pres
tige for yourself. You will undoubt-
edly learn later that the reaction to
your attitude in this matter will be
just the reverse of what you expected.
What you don't know you guess at or
assume, thus your reports are mis-
leading and create a wrong impress
sion of the object and intention of
these meetings. 1t is plain to see
that from some of the nonsensical re-
marks you have made that this tax
matter is too deep for you and you
dismiss it with a bluff at being a
watch dog of the treasury of Pine
county. Now you are not fooling any
body but yourself. The sum and sub
stance of the whole matter with you
is that you have not yet recovered
from the jolt you got at the last cleo
ton. For you to accept an invitation
to speak at and report on the tax
meeting at Wilma hall and then go
back home and deliberately belittle
the meeting and throw cold water on
the whole business, expecting thereby
to gain feather in your own cap
shows your caliber. You stated that
you did not understand why this side
of the county or Wilma township in
particular turned you down five to
one at the last election. That is very
simple. FOrty-four people in this
township did not hold you as highly
in their estimation as you hold your
self and the eleven that voted for you
did not know you. If you still aspire
to and ever expect to gain an office
in the legislative halls of that big
marble building in ST. Paul you will
have to change your tactics. You
state that you do not pat people on
the back but at the same time you
fall for this back patting stuff when
it is practiced on you. That has been
your weakness for several years,
otherwise why the notion that you
might gain a seat in the legislature?
You certainly have clearly demon
strated through some of your contro-
versies that you are not qualified for
that office or position.
To state my position in this tax
matter. You will probably remember
that at the May meeting Mr.. Therrien
suggested that tax league might
help. Several people present decided
to act on that suggestion but it drag
ged along all summer waiting for
some one to give it a boost. This fall
some of us decided to start something
if We were going to accomplish any
thing before winter set in. A date
was set for a meeting and then l
heard of Mr.. Empey and instead of
making it local affair we decided to
invite him and also other outside
speakers, including yourself. Mr.. EN-
pey had nothing to do whatever with
arranging the meeting any more than
you had.
l have always been against the ex-
penditure of public money except for
absolute necessities. Appropriations
for county side shows, poultry shows
and the like is surely extravaganza
and l think most people will agree
with me when they know the tax
situation and financial condition of
the county. was not in favor of the
county board hiring supervisor Of
assessments but after heard Mr.. EN-
pey talk came to the conclusion that
it was worth while trying inasmuch
as there was so little to lose and so
much to gain. The expenditure OF
$4,000 i'm an effort to gain three
quarters of a million dollars is GER
tainly worth the while when through
that expenditure the county is going
to acquire the services of man who