The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-05-03

The Legislature of 1929 which last
week ceased its sittings for the SIM
pie reason that the law forbade 1t TO
sit longer-the Legislature of 1929 was
probably an ordinary legislature. Most
legislatures are. "It accomplished
nothing outstanding, cries a leading
member of the anvil chorus. Likely
that Is true, but when there are no
outstanding issues, there are no out
standing accomplishments. The big
gest mill in the world can't saw any
logs If there are no logs to saw.
But it may fairly be said of the Leg
lslature Of 1929 that 1t hewed closely
tc the line of economy and that, sure
ly, is an accomplishment worthy to be
written down in its favor.
The Legislature of 1929 faced in
siStent demands for the expenditure of
$60,000,000 of public funds. These re-
quests, or we should more properly
say, demands, were far in excess of
those ever before made to or upon any
legislature in the history of the state.
yet the legislature adjourned last
Thursday with appropriations total
ling only a half million more than the
spendings of its predecessor. More
over, the obligations contracted on be-
half of the state by the Legislature of
1929, were actually reduced, and the
tax levy for the ensuing biennium will
be lower than for the past biennium.
We contend that this is a real &C
complishment, an outstanding &C
complishment" if you please.
We are free to admit that this most
considerable success was not achieved
with out help. The job was not done,
in fact, until the governor had stuck
his veto pen into the state senate
clean up to the nib thereof 1t took
no little courage for Governor Chris
Hanson to say, 81 forbid" to the leg
islature on the very eve of its adjourn
ment, but Governor Christianson has
never been lacking in courage and the
people of Minnesota honor him for it.
His vetoeS have saved the public treas
ury upon many occasions and have
eased the burden of taxation that is
so heavy upon the people.
Standing BY.
The Legislature of 1925, 1927 and
1929 have stood firmly by Governor
Christensen in his economy program
If they had done nothing else, they
would nevertheless be entitled to high
place in the history of the legislatures
of Minnesota, for the economic con-
ditionS which have confronted the
people of Minnesota during the last
few years have been such as to de-
mand the most rigid economy on the
part of the state. One of the chiefest
functions of the legislature is to pro-
vide for the proper support of state
institutions and state government, but
in making such provision it is the
solemn duty of the legislature to make
every dollar go the longest possible
distance. When banks in Minnesota
have failed in such numbers that
some whole counties have been left
without single bank, and when agri-
culture has been reduced to SUCH
straits that the states principal oc-
cupation is losing venture, then it
doubly behooves the legislature to be
careful in it's spending.
While other states of the Union
were radically increasing their expen-
dltureS, the Legislature of 1925 in
Minnesota held appropriations to $40,-
100000, the record of its immediate
predecessor. The Legislature of 1927
stood firm against all assaults, and for
the second time appropriations were
held to $40,000,000. And in the face
of unprecedented demands, the Legis-
lature of 1929, by and with the vigor-
GUS help of Governor Christensen,
has again held state expenses close to
the $40,000,000 mark, and has, in fact,
actually reduced the tax burden of the
people of the state.
Institutions Adequately Maintained.
Those who have never felt the
pinch Of poverty, those who clip cou-
pons but do not earn wages, may con-
tend that this record of the Legisla-
ture of 1929 is not an Outstanding
accomplishment" but the farmers of
the state know better They well
know that the administration of the
state government of Minnesota from
1925 to 1929 has eased them of tax
burden almost impossible to be borne
The Legislature of 1929 has not &C
compliShed its share of this result at
the expenses of state institutions or
by any lack of support for the state
government. On the contrary more has
been done for state institutions than
ever before.
During the past four years more
buildings have been provided for state
institutions than during the proceed
ing six years. The Legislature of 1925
has appropriated $1,20O,0OO more than
ever before appropriated for the sup
port Of Minnesota's 18 institutions un-
der the charge of the Board of Con-
troll. Its support of education in Min
nesota is more liberal than ever be-
fore, and its total appropriation for
schools and the means of education
is more than one-half of the huge
total of over forty millions. How has
it been able to do this and yet to re-
duce the cost to the taxpayer? The
reorganization of the state govern
ment in 1925 thru the economy and eff
f1ciency act is what turned the trick.
Minnesota is today just beginning to
reap the benefits of the sound pro-
visions Of that reorganization act.
But it took hard fight in the Legis-
lature Of 1929 to conserve those bene-
fits to the people.
A Free Handed Senate.
The state senate of 1917 and 1929
was mostly disposed The senate of
1927 proposed expenditures of state
funds totaling 100000 in excess of
what the house was willing to allow