The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-03-05
.HOLMBERC REPLIES
TO OLSON CHARGES
Agricultural Commissioner
Files Hot Answer to
Charges Made
DID NOT PLAY POLITICS
Expresses His Willingness to
Cooperate in Spite of Pc.
litical Differences

st. Paul, Feb, 90 N. ]. Holm
berg answered Gov. Floyd B
Olson and other critics of his adj
ministration as state agriculture
commissioner to day in a 5000
word brief filed with the senate
committee on agriculture in which
he charged the accusations against
him are based on 'misinformatior
and misunderstanding" .f,,
Confirmation of Holmberg's, ap.
pointment by the outgoing govern.
or, Theodore Christianson was
withheld by the senate upon Gov.
ernor Olson's request and the com
mittee on agriculture is conduct.
ing a hearing on the matter.
Holmberg denied he has used his
office for political purposes or SOL
icited department employees for
campaign funds. The commission
er also denied he has any intention
of becoming the Republican candi.
date for governor in 1882, as was
alleged by Olson in statement
given to the committee last week
in which he recited personal and
political objections. But if Holm
berg did intend to become a candi.
date, the brief contends, he would
be within his rights.
Holmberg accused the governor
Of ~ 70 r,aso1aaI ha
mittee.
He said that the governor at.
tempted to make the committee
believe Holmberg had done an in
Justice to farmers when he fixed q
60-day limit in which to enter
claims on bonds furnished by IL
censed wholesale dealers. The limit
has worked for the protection OF
the farmer, the commissioner de-
clared, adding that Olson sought
to throw a false light on this mat.
ter.
The commissioner expressed q
willingness to cooperate with
Olson despite political differences
He said conduct of his office has
been honest and added that in
making his fight for confirmation
he has no thought of martyrdom. u
Criticism offered by others than
the governor were also replied to
in detail. He expressed surprise
that $50 few" were found to object
because of the large number of
contacts, some disagreeable, that
the department has yearly, many
of them involving arrests and pro
secutions, To the governors OBJ
jections he devoted most of his at
tention, asserting it represents
"the nub" of the whole matter.
To the objection from Olson that
'is being groomed as a
candidate for governor in 1882"
the commissioner declared that if
he were intending to run he would
be within his rights, but that he
has mot given the slightest thought
to becoming a candidate for gov
ernor in 1882 or any other time"
'The governor says that in COM
mon decency' I should have resign
ed when he became governor, the
brief continued. 81 know of no rule
of common decency which requires
an administrative officer to relin-
ouish his office in the middle of
the term because political
change has been made in the Of
flee of governor.
$50 far as cooperation is concern
ed, I have never had any trouble
in cooperating with anyone who
had any constructive agricultural
policies to offer. I know of no
other kind of cooperation that
could be required"
Holmberg replied to the cover.
nor's declaration that the commits
sioner ship constitutes a position
in the governors cabinet in the
state and that during his services
under Governor Burnquist, Preus
and Christianson his policies have
never been interferred with by a
chief executive.
1.-THE governors statment that
he has no personal confidence in
me is regrettable, but not fatal"
declared. 81 feel his
opinion is based on misunderstood
ing, misinformation and lack of
personal acquaintance. I believe I
have enjoyed the confidence and
respect of all my colleagues, even
when I have differed with them.
Never until now has any lack of
been expressed"
Respecting Olson's charge that
has collected funds from
employees of his department for
Holmberg said
IT deny have ever solicited one
penny from any number of the de-
partment for myself or anyone
else. The volunteer committee or
ganized by my friends in the pri-
mary campaign received a few
modest contributions. If any
state employee or member of my
contributed, it was of
their own free will paid my per-
sonal campaign expenses out of
my own pocket. This accusation is
parallel with all the other accusa-
lions made against me-"
Holmberg answered the criticism
of H. S. Nelson, Lake Lillian. vice
r~esident of the Farmers Educa-
tional and Cooperative Union of
America, Minnesota division, that
Holmberg had failed to carrysout a
law providing for the keeping of
cost account records by farmers.
He said the law carried no appro-
but that despite this 1t
was used for sometime until de-
mand for it dropped but that the
same work is being done through
University Farm.
Accusations made by Jas. W.
Moorhead attorney,
the commissioner was responsible
for the failure of the Minnesota
Potato Growers Exchange organ
lied in 1928, were denied.
Holmberg said he believes it was
an honest failure, but on too gi-
gantic scale to succeed. He said
auditing of it's accounts at the
time of organization were under
the public examiner and under the
time of the failure. so his connec-
ton with 1t was one of undertake
er and embalmer." He said his Of
flee had no control of the coopera-
tive when it was started.
Miss Margaret Kane left Monday
for Rochester where she has en-