Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-10-17
OUR OWN LOOKOUT

A report of the tax meeting held
last Thursday in the Wilma township
hall will be found in the news col
umns of this weeks American. The
principal speaker, Geo. w. Empey. of
Hinckley, who is a dealer in real
estate, is iaboring to get an appoint
ment from the Pine county commits
sioners as a sort of collector of de-
linquent taxes and has appeared be-
fore the board asking for that posi-
ton, and apparently is attempting 10
influence others to ask the board to
appoint him to this position.
That the meeting Thursday YVES
arranged primarily for him or by him
was apparent as he was there ahead
of others with charts, maps and fig
ures placarded on the walls and was
the speaker who by far took up most
of the time. He dwelt at length on
rising taxes in past decades and on
what calamities will befall us if the
pace is maintained. True, there are
a few townships and school districts
in the county where the tax rates are
altogether too high, but since the war
period when schools were built too
large for some districts and other I'M
due expenses were incurred, things
have been righting themselves, and
the taxes have not increased to any
large extent, especially so in the older
and more settled portions where there
are enough stable citizens to keep a
check on public expenditures, and
where the loud boosters" and shout
ers are given the soft pedal and gent
ly set down upon.
But why be wailing about the high
taxes? They have been incurred and
must be met which every prudent cit
izen knows. Actions speak louder
than words When the village of
Hinckley voted large bond issues
about ten years ago for waterworks,
sewers and other improvements and
the boosters were telling that it was
necessary tC have these improve
ments so that factories could be es-
tablished there and that the village
might grow and keep up with the
Joneses', where then was Geo. w.
Empey? Did he protest, or say any
thing about that it might be better
to not go too fast? If he did we failed
to hear it.
During the Wilma township meet
ing Geo. w. Rash of Belden, which
township is one of those with excess
sive tax rates, and for which he is
one of those who is responsible, was
taking shots at conditions and plac-
ing the blame here and there. Repre-
sentative ]. E. Therrien interrupted
him and said: "By-gollis that's right
George, go to it, l like to hear you
hit 'em hard"
One man said he did not know
whether it was the township, the
school district, the county, or the
state that was to blame, but there
was something wrong somewhere and
something should be done. Another
man said that after a while we will
all be game wardens, fire wardens,
boiler inspectors, or something like
it.
When it comes to appointing, &C
cepting, or seeking political jobs we
ask if there are any worse offenders
of this practice in Pine county than
two of the men who spoke at that
very meeting that ay-Representa-
tive j. E. Therrien and Geo. w. EN-
pey? If Mr. Therrien can prove 9th
erwise he may do it right here in the
American. Our columns are wide OPP
en- for him. And anyone who makes
a little study of government knows
that too many appointments are net
good. The appointing of relatives to
political jobs especially is not con-
ducive to good government.
The wailing about high taxes,
which the speaker has not helped to
keep down, and then in the same
breath asking the county board TO
have another job created for him, is
it appears to us, rather inconsistent.
Mr.. Empey is of the opinion that if
a reduction were given on some of the
delinquent taxes, part of such taxes
at least could be collected. This may
be true. But if reductions are at
tempted in order to make some OF
the collections and to get the lands
back on the tax rolls of the county,
such reductions will naturally and by
law have tn 90 through the authorized