Evening star., 1935-02-03

timbers of the third party itself
Such at least is the fond ambition
of the dominant anti administration
factions in both Senate and House,
who this week launched sweeping in
vestigationS of eight State govern
mental units manned by henchmen of
Gov. Floyd B. Olson, Farmer r-Labor
State emergency relief structure di-
rected by Olson appointees.
The inquisitorial program, aimed
principally at the State Department
of Education and the relief set-up, also
includes the State Board of Control,
Tax Commission, Executive Council
Bureau of Administration and Finance,
Liquor Control Commission, Highway
Department and Conservation Depart
ment.
Reports Of charges concerning va
rious alleged irregularities, including
favoritism to certain contractors. were
quoted generously in the conservative
conceived investigatory resolution.
which was speedily adopted by the
Senate to set the stage for the un-
precedented series of studies into State
governmental activities.
Bill Before Senate.
Meanwhile, the upper legislative
branch received bill introduced by
Senator A. j. Rockne, Republican
archfoe of Gov. Olson, outlawing the
current 3 per cent salary assessment
of State employees for the benefit of
the third party war chest, and for
bidding contractors, obtaining State
contracts. from making campaign con-
tributions within one year after full
fillment of the contracts.
The administration forces, hopeless
ly outnumbered in both houses, coun-
tered in the Senate with an amend
ment to the investigation resolution,
adding three Republican-controlled
State Offices to the program-the sec
retary Of State. State auditor and
Railroad and Warehouse Commission.
Much to the Liberals surprise, the
Conservative majority quickly ac-
quiesced. extending the schedule to
cover all but the StatD auditors de-
pal WllIlI1 NdS dWIuOCu Vi 4IdN =
ing favored iron mining corporations
in tax deals in return for cam
paign contributions. In rejecting this
request. the anti-administration group
contended that the same ground was
covered in the original resolution s
reference to the State Tax Com
mission.
The Liberals then solidly backed
the program of inquiry, taking the
position, following a conference with
Gov. Olson, that the administration
welcomed the investigation in that
it had nothing to conceal. Meanwhile
the Farmer-Labor forces utilized the
radio and their own newspaper to
charge that petty politics inspired
the shopping expedition"
Conservatives Push Fight.
But the Conservatives rushed ahead
confidently, striking first at the State
Department of Education, which has
been in a turmoil since the co-opera-
tive commonwealth plan first ap-
peared with its provision for free text
books for school children with the
State handling publication and dis
tribution
The original Conservative broadside
charging efforts to inject socialistic in
f1uences into the public school cur
riculum, has since been bulwarked
by a series of sensational events, in
cluding replacement of the State COM
missioner of education with DR.. John
G. Rockwell of the University OF
Minnesota faculty, an outSpoken
Liberal. who has just fired Oscar
M. Sullivan, State director of re-
Mobilization and a national authority
in this field.
The action was backed by the
State Board of Education, packed
with Olson appointees. and it is
around this group that the Senate
probers are directing their fire.
The loudest bombshell, before the
investigation got under way, was ex-
ploded by State Representative Harry
Wahlstrand, classed as an independent
progressive supporting the conserva-
tive House marjority, who announced
that he had been offered the State
commissionership of education by a
member of the State Board of Educa-
ton providing he would "sovietize'
the school system.
Wahlstrand said the offer was made
| by Mrs Marion LIE Sueur, liberal
who, according to the conservatives,
has both socialistic and communistic
tendencies This, of course, was sup
posed to have occurred before DR.
| Rockwell was named commissioner
and began cleaning house in the edu-
! cation department.
Mrs. LIE Sueur denied that she ever
had entertained any such radical am
billions concerning the department,
and moreover denied that she had ever
offered the commissionership to Rep
resentative Wahlstrand. 1t was the
conservatives intention to put the
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