The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-10-11
On This
Occasion
lust few thoughts by the Editor on thing
Material and Immaterial


Along about this time of the year
or just before the County Commits
sioners make the levy for the following
year, the Taxpayers League OF Duluth
gets busy and makes up bunch Of
recommendation for the commission
ers to ponder over. Some Of the re-
Communications are good while others
are not SO good There seems to be
an undercurrent which permeates the
recommendations that does not ex
actly sound right. The main issue
seems to be to harrass the commits
sioners in every possible way and make
it extremely hard for this body tc
function. We still maintain that the
commissioners were elected by the
people to do the business of the county
and that it is their duty to do the
business of the county in their best
possible manner.
The League does not seem to sug-
gest remedies more than to quiz
spending money. This same cry has
been made every year by both the
League and other civic bodies through
out the county and III the ne1t
breath more appropriations are asked
for this, that and the other object
some worthy and some not worthy
but all necessary in the opinion OF
those making them The county COM
missioners usually show good judg-
ment in granting or rejecting such
requests for which they are commend
ed or censured as the case may be.
The League lays great stress on the
board against the purchase of air.
ports AS no particular ones are men,
toned we take it that all airports are
the ones in mind. However, we failed
to note any particular objection to
airports when the county sold the
work farm at Duluth for airport pur-
poses. Neither did we hear any large
commotion when the county purchas-
ed the Caribou site for the work farm
at an improved price when cheaper
parcel of land on a range location
could have been secured where work.
farm prisoners could have been used
to benefit both themselves and the
county. Had the League been obser-
want at that time, perhaps thousands
of dollars would have been saved to
the taxpayers and there would have
have been no occasion to ride the
board on it's expenditures.
In our opinion, airports are a ne
ceSsity At the present time there may
not be the demand for an airport that
the coming years will show However,
now is the accepted time to secure
available property for such purposes
and get in the swim when the time
does come and an airport will be an
absolute necessity. We believe that
an airport in this city will be used
by thousands within a very short
space of time We have landing fields
for seaplanes galore but strictly land
craft must have a suitable landing
field or the cities without one will be
given the go-by.
mission to perform the duties for
which the commissioners were elected
seems to be the underlying motive
in the League recommendations. This
thing was thrashed out about a year
ago and about that time it seemed
satisfactory to have general supervi-
sion of the county commissioners
This plan has been followed quite
generally but does not meet with the
approval of the League. The idea of
a separate road commission will not
down. Then again there is the civil
service scheme for county employees
which crops out in the recommended
tons to cut down administrative ex-
penses in the county.
Perhaps this can be done and per-
haps not Under the civil service rule
the forces would be perpetuated in
their positions for ever while at pre-
sent it is within the power Of the
heads of departments to hire and fire
their help as occasion demands. The
greatest trouble always has been ex-
perienced not in getting help to dc
the work but in getting rid of help
when there was no work to do This
same condition applies to national
state, county and municipal govern
ments. There are pets who must have
jobs everywhere but incoming officials
can change the aspects as they desire
The county commissioner are be-
sieged by var is factions for assist
ance all tie time. Commissioners
are human as well as other people
although this is not generally taken
under consideration. Every city and
town in the county, if up and doing
for everything it can get for its par
ticular section All costs money. II
is up to the county commissioners to
weed the chaff from the wheat ac-
cording to their best Judgment and
grant the requests of the most worthy
and reject flimsy ones This the COM
missioners are trying to do and as al
are men in 'T'.on the voter expressed
confidence when they were elected, II
would seem that they should be al
lowed to transact the affairs for
which they were elected There are
laws governing their conduct and il
they run counter to these laws, they
should be held to account.
The board at this time of the year
is putting in many sleepless nights
trying to figure budget requirements
without getting increasing levies
Some are under the opinion that the
hue and cry at this time over ever