The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-04-05
ELY. N1ssNEsorH

animously they reported out a bill pro
yiding for a radical cut.
But when that bill came up for vot,
on the floor of the House those com.
mittee members had heard the voice o.
the leader of the Farmer-Labor party
and the vox popui was forgotten. FIT.
teen of the twenty-three who had 81
vociferously demanded a radical reduc.
ton in committee faced to the right
about and voted under the party lash
for a merely nominal reduction.
That same political cleavage divide:
the Legislature upon the motor vehicle
license issue today. The Farmer-Labol
party demands more money for the Far
mer-Labor highway department, no.
toriously infested with politics. to spend
the opposition is exceedingly reluctant
to vote to so politically minded body
additional public funds.
Here and there rare Farmer-Labo,
Scion listens to the plea of the people
and votes for a low license fee; here
and there a highway enthusiast of the
Independent Progressive faction desper-
ately takes a chance and votes more
money to a department that he dis
trusts. But politics looms large and
more or less colors the issue.
Two years ago Governor Olson sur
prised the then Civil Administration
committee, dominated at that time BY
Farmer-Labor partisans, by crashing
the gate of precedent, appearing before
the committee and earnestly arguing
for a transfer of the motor vehicle IL
cense department from Mike Holm, Sec
rotary of State, to the highway depart
ment. Notable among the arguments
advanced by the Governor before the
committee were these: that the high.
way department had unused space
wherein the motor vehicle division could
be amply Accommodated, that the high.
way department had, during the week
of the winter when the rush for motor
vehicle licenses is the greatest, EN-.
ployes whose time is not fully occupied
and who could be used to do the wori
of the motor vehicle license division
and that (and this was the Governor
blue ribbon argument) 100000 coult
be saved to the state by the transfer
which he proposed.
The committee voted the change bu
the rather negligent, shiftleSS Farmer.
Labor House of 1888 never got arouno
to vote on the proposal. Perhaps ever
such a partisan body as the House o.
1888 thought that it was rather brasil
move to transfer the department. from
Mike Holm, who had made a nationa
record for efficiency economy in its ad.
ministration, to a department which
under its new partisan management was
even then smelling to high heaven Of
politics.
It was Governor Olson's statement Of
unused room and idle help in the high
way department which made the rent
ing of additional quarters for the new
drivers license department at $12, 24O
and the setting up of bureau thick
ly peopled with new employees costing
the state all told about 5000 pei
month, such a stunning surprise to the
people of the state.
Assistant Director E. p Lee of tn,
drivers license division appeared befor'
the Civil Administration committee las
week and explained the workings of tbs
division
Like his chief, Gil Carmichael, tn,
canny Scot of the purring voice AMI
the steely blue eye, Assistant Directo.
Lee was very proud of the clever com.
bination and drivers license card which
the division had evolved They really
have right to be proud Of it, for il
ingeniously compels the applicant fol
a drivers license to do all the work
When he has filled out that applica-
ton, the applicant has written a book
and all the 48 employees at the s12, 24O
rental building have to do is to tear
OFF the little license card, stick a stamp
on it and mail it back to the applicant.
To do him justice, Assistant Director
Lee explained that the 48 employees of
the division really have a lot TO do.
Over 100000 drivers licenses have been
issued, and it would seem like everybody
must have one. Nevertheless about 200
new ones are being issued each day.
The 48 employees have something to do
besides this, however 1t is in the
safety division Of the drivers license
act that the 4s are principally en-