The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-04-16

legislature will vote II millions for
the support Of Minnesota's eighteen
state institutions for the coming
two years, to maintain the various
state departments Of government 8
millions, for education % millions,
and for miscellaneous activities 2
millions. Add to these millions at
least one more for special appro-
priations pushed over for special
projects, and the total appropria-
lions Of the 1881 legislature will ex-
coed As millions. This is an in
crease over two years ago Of more
than two and one-half millions.
Unfortunately this does not repre-
sent the whole of the added burden
piled on the back Of the taxpayer.
At the same time that expenses
have been going up, receipts from
indirect sources Of revenue have
been coming down. Receipts from
railroad and other gross earnings
taxes have shown falling off this
year Of about $1,4OO,O0O and at the
same zine receipts from occupa-
ton and royalty taxes on iron ore
have decreased a full 100000 or
more. Here is shrinkage in the
state revenue fund of practically
$2,5OO,OOO. -
Nor is that all of the bad news
The legislature has issued, or is
threatening to issue, certificates of
Indebtedness for the following pro-
jects: Moorhead Teachers College
$765,0O0; land for new national
guard camp at Little Falls $500, 900;
Spanish American war veterans
bonus $1,5O0,0O0; state fair building
program 81 $50, 900; assumption of
drainage ditch bonds in Roseau,
Aitkin and Mahnomen counties Sc
225,000. Add those up, if YOU
have the nerve. They represent new
Indebtedness about to be taken on
by the state. The principal and in
terest of this new debt will be paid
over a period Of some ten years,
but by just that much it does not
make the yoke of the taxpayer any
easier or his burden any lighter.
bitches Ditch Prosperity
From this doleful recital it NAV
be gathered that the legislature has
had something to do besides MAX
ing nice, shiny new laws. It has
had to wrestle with some painful
and perplexing problems. One of
these that has suddenly sprung up,
like some giant genie, sinister and
threatening, is the judicial ditch
problem, a horrid child of hasty
and ill-considered legislation. Many
northern counties are in acute dis
tress because of these bitches. The
of 1929 created the Red
Lake Game Reserve to relieve Bel
trami county and the state assum-
ed more than two millions of ditch
bonds. Roseau, Aitkin and Nah
nomen now appeal. to the state for
help. Their tax receipts will not
even pay the interest on their ditch
bonds. AS result the people are
refusing to pay their taxes and are
leaving the land, so that in Aitkin
county tax delinquency has reach
ed the terrifying total of 40 per
cent. An even darker picture Of
tax delinquency is presented in some
other sections.
General economic distress, COM
plicated by this acute ditch delin-
quency, is made still more distress
ing by one unfortunate by-product
of the state rural credit law. The
state will shortly have 21OO farms
on it's hands. In some school dis
tricts the rural credit bureau has
been forced to take over from fifty
to ninety per cent of the taxable
lands of the district. The rural
credit bureau pays no taxes on
these lands, with the result that
funds with which to support schools
are largely, and sometimes almost
entirely swept away. Two years
ago appeals were made to the
state for an appropriation of $40,-
900 to save these schools, but so
swiftly has this dark cloud over
spread the sky that we are now told
it will take 100000.