The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-10-19
POLITICAL NOTES
BY r. w. Hitchcock
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In Minnesota" declared N. j. Holmberg,
republican candidate for United States
senator, and now and for many years
one of the most active cooperators in
the state.
The principle of private profit-which
cooperatives distribute back to the CO.
operators perish if our economic
system is destroyed. Every cooperative
in Minnesota will die with it. The vast
system of cooperatives in Russia,
similar to the Minnesota cooperatives
but far more extensive, has been en-
tirely wiped out by sovietism.
Mr.. Holmberg's radio address on CO.
operatives will be widely distributed by
the Republican State Central Com
mittee.
Lest we forget
Paper Calmenson Company was not
the low bidder for comparatively
small order of steel for the highway de-
partment. All bids were rejected.
Later, without readvertising for bids,
the Paper CalmenSon Company was
awarded the contract for $500, 900 worth
of highway steel at the low of the
former bids.
According to the testimony of Com
missioner Babcock before the senate in
veStigating committee on March 16,
1888, David Paper of Paper Calmenson
said to him: 1--WE contributed a hell of
a lot to the Governors campaign fund
and I'm going to get mine while the
getting is good.'
Still later when Contractor MCGEE
advertised for bids for steel for the
new state office building T. F. McCor-
mack was $4,000 below the next low
bidder who was the Paper Calmenson
Company. Nevertheless Contractor Nc
Gee was compelled by some invisible
power to Withdraw his recommendation
to the commission that the steel be
awarded to Mccormack and he asked
the commission to give the contract to
Paper Calmenson Company-at cost
of $4,000 to himself.
One Calmenson son is now ATTORNEY
for the rural credit bureau and another
CalmenSon son was for a time engaged
in a special audit of the rural credit
bureau.
Another juicy bit: Mr.. McGee'S bid for
the construction of the state office
building was what is known in the
building trade as trick bid; that is,
1t contained alternate bids on various
items which could be juggled with until
the favored contractor could be made
the low bidder, even though he might
be higher to begin with. Mr.. MCGEE was
higher to begin with but his bid con-
tanned provision for steel windows
and for wooden windows-the wooden
windows to cost 100000 less than the
steel windows. The actual differential
as averaged from other bidders, was
about $4,000. The Olson majority en-
the commission decided to put in
wooden windows. Notwithstanding that
no modern office building installs
wooden windows any more. The change
made Mr.. MCGEE low bidder, and he got
the job. Governor Olson explained
that the change was made SO as to
use Minnesota wood and give employ
ment to Minnesota labor, but when the
building was completed it was dis
covered that the white pine for the
windows came from Wisconsin.
Is it possible that there are some
hidden reasons for the agitation from
the Olson administration for another
and wholly unnecessary state office
building?
The new state tax rate is 1195 mills,
a sort of bargain rate, but a sorry
bargain for the taxpayers of Minnesota.
A stunning feature of this all-time
high tax rate is the fact revealed by
State Auditor King that the rate does
not, and cannot under the law, provide
for deficit of something more than
50 600 900. Nor for the $780, 900 bill for
the military occupation of Minneapolis.
When the Olson administration took
charge the state revenue fund had a
balance of $2,468, 600. Today, after four
years of Olson, the state has the highest
tax rate in it's history and deficit of
S., 500 900.
'"The Skipper" is a clever figurer but
there is matter of 5000 900 for his
four years of misrule that will keep
him busy. Probably he will do as he
does with the farmer-labor platform
ignore it.
It did not require the newspaper poll
with its stunning victory for Martin
A. Nelson to show the people of Min
nesota that at last, in Nelson, they
have a candidate for governor after
their own hearts. OF course, the news
paper poll sort of emphasized the fact.
For some weeks the people of Min
nesota have slowly been getting ac-
quainted with Martin A. Nelson. The
better they know him the better they
like him.
He does not seem to be very good
at waving his arms on the public plat
form and he is no promiser of miracles
whatever, but the conviction grows that