The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-09-23
SHORTER Meet
TO CUT TAXES
Sound Idea by Representative
Hitchcock to Reduce the
State Taxes.

Shortening Minnesota's legislative
session third and reapportionment Of
| legislative districts TO cut down its
membership are two means by which
the next legislature can contribute TO-
wards state economy in the opinion of
R. w. Hitchcock of Hibbing, veteran
chairman of the House appropriations
committee.
Ordinarily, he said, he believes the
constitutional provision authorizing the
legislature to meet for 80 days is salts
factory But because of the times, he
believes the biennial session beginning
next January should be adjourned sine
die on March Is instead of about April
20.
In addition the legislature can re-
duce the number of its employees and
thus save the state a tidy penny" Mr..
Hitchcock said. The number of legis-
lative employees has been growing Of
late in Minnesota.
Probably one-fourth of the total
force at the last session was unneces-
sary. Cutting the length of the session
by one month and reducing the en-
ployes to an efficiency minimum would
save the harried taxpayers 100000 to
$50, OOO"
Reducing legislative membership
would be permanent contribution to
tax relief, Mr.. Hitchcock said. There
are now 131 representatives and 81
senators. He proposes cutting the
number to 81 senators and ~ repre-
sentatives
"A reduction of 80 representatives
and 40 senators-we are not particular
about the number so long as the re-
duction is generous-would save Min
nesota quarter of million dollars at
every session." he said.
~Only once in the. history of the state
has the legislature been reduced in
size. In 1857 there were 81 senators
and 80 representatives. That was the
year nearest like to the bad times
of today, and the next legislature re-
duced the membership to 81 senators
and AZ representatives. They had the
wisdom and the courage to do it then
and we ought to have it now.
The present legislature of 1913 MEM
bers is not only costly to the people
of the state, but it constitutes too large
legislative body. More efficient law
making can be had with a smaller
legislature.
If the legislature next winter will
set itself to the difficult task of cutting
out useless departments of government
as one of its major detectives it viii
give the overburdened taxpayers sub
stantial relief" Mr.. Hitchcock con-
| tinued.
Some months ago We suggested de-
partments which might be abolished OF
consolidated-t rural credits bureau
l the Big Three, the conservation de-
partment, the securities commission and
the insurance commission, the bureau OF
criminal apprehension, and so on.
IAN of these undertakings ART
strongly entrenched. Politics viii fight
for them, partisans viii do battle fol
them, and the personnel. of each de-
Ipartment viii try desperately to hang
on to the jobs.
But if the next legislature win make
progress against these odds, we shall
have less expensive state government
and a better one.
"a long stride toward five million
reduction can be taken by the legis-
lature next winter if it VII. repeal the
one-min road tax and put in its placs
or provide for putting in its place, ar
additional tax of one cent on gasoline
1.-The repeal of the one-min road IA,
would cut taxes by nearly 100000.
Raising the gas tax to cents would
produce more money. nearly twice a.
much for the country roads, as ths
one-min tax now does. The gas tax i
a tax, of course, but it is paid by thoss
who use the roads, those who pay til
gas tax actually save money by reason
of it; they, and not general property
ought to pay for road construction"