The Bismarck tribune., 1933-01-05

houses. From the fact that the amount
recommended is in definite terms,
$8l2,5l2.2l. rather than a general es-
innate, 1t Is to be presumed that the
governor will supply definite figures
in his subsequent message. 1t may be
that failure to list these specific ap-
preparations was an oversight. The
language Of the message indicates
that It may merely have been a steno-
graphic error.
There Is some evidence, however,
that the governor strove to reach a
lump sum OF more than million dol
lars rather than to give specific infor-
nation or suggestion. He objects to
the reduction Of $45o,Oo0 in school
funds proposed by the budget board
but the reduction apparently is per-
mitted to stand in his estimate OF
savings. Here, again, he Is not defin-
itc. The suggestion that fines, penal
ties, forfeitures. ETC., be turned over to
a state tuition fund may have merit
but 1t is not important. The total
collected from these sources each year
is relatively insignificant.
Hurried composition may account
for the fact that he would fix mini
mum rate for automobile mileage
payments rather than a maximum.
The rate suggested is low enough but
the word minimum is a stranger to
the whole tenor of the message.
X X 4
| Proposal to consolidate the various
technical and professional boards un-
der the industrial commission, which
would arrange for all examinations, is
open to serious question. Many will
violently disagree with it and their
case will be fully as good as that
which can be made for the governors
stand.
Many OF these boards cost the state
nothing. No appropriation Is made
for them and their sole reason for
existence is TO maintain professional
and ethical standards within the state.
In effect they are private boards ope-
rating by fiat of law for the protec-
ton Of persons in such professions
and OF the public. There seems MOTH
ing to gain and much to lose by the
adoption OF such q recommendation
1t would seem more In keeping with
the circumstances had he subjected to
intensive review and recommendations
those boards wherein the states
money is spent. Some Of these were
not even mentioned in the message.
The fact that the governor ignored
them should not prevent the legis-
lature from SO doing.
Proposal to abolish the state board
OF health and transfer it's duties to
the medical department at the state
university should not be accepted un-
less definite saving in expenses and
adequate protection of the public
health can be demonstrated.
Here again the question is one OF
policy. Does the state want to aban-
don this work or make mere gest-
ure toward continuing it? To trans
fer it to the university would be the
latter. In his suggestion that courses
be reduced and eliminated in educa-
tional institutions, the governor offers
the suggestion that they may be ex-
panded later when the state can bet
ter afford them. The same thing
might properly hold true of the state
health department II 1t can be shown
that it is accomplishing worthwhile
results.
recommendation for the manufac-
ture of coffins and automobile license
tags at the state penitentiary are fa-
miliar to legislators. They have been
proposed often in the past and invari-
ably defeated. What changes in con-
ditions make them feasible now are
not set out in the message.
recommendation made by non-of-
ficial sources that prison labor be used
in conservation work and In the
planting of state trees might offer q
much more lasting benefit to both
prisoners at the peniteniary and the
state. At best the coffin factory
would employ only few men since
the product would be used only for
the burial OF paupers and relatively
few would be needed.
Any discussion Of the message would
not be complete without some COM
ment on the matters which the gover-
nor ignored. Chief among these is the
question OF what to do about the
states bonded indebtedness and the
land-loaning policy of the Bank OF
North Dakota. From the standpoint
OF politics alone the question is
touchy one, but one which must be
met sooner or later. Anyone reviewing
the state fiscal situation cannot ig-
more the 81 .60O,0 900 in taxes which they
are costing this year. nor the effect of
state foreclosures upon the tax sit,,a-
ton in the townships and school dis
tricts.
Neither is any mention made of nu-
merous measures for reductions OF ex-
penses In county 0nd other govern.
mental subdivisions as recommended
6vvA ~ - Il A..