Askov American., 1936-09-10
AN IMPUTATED MOTE AND
THE BEAM

Editor Askov American:
Fellow citizens of Pine county:
1. l cannot quite understand why
the Willow River school district
and the county superintendent of
schools should become a political
football at this time. The whole af-
fair seems ridiculous. AS for the
school district, Mr.. Stepan's statement
that the district lost $4,000 through
the closing of the Willow River bank,
is a downright falsehood.
2. The amount of money (school
funds) tied up in the bank was $22,-
500, and the school district collected
from the banking department, the
bonding companies and the Ericksons,
over $4,000. Any one can verify
these figures from the clerks books.
At any rate this is a local affair and
should not be made political carrion
by subtle county politician.
3. AS for the school superintendent,
would like to know since when it
is a crime or wrong to appear before
the county board of commissioners
and ask for a minimum legal salary.
And since when has it become crime
to criticize an official? The days
when it was less majesty to criticize
a king and the critic lost his head,
are over. In a democracy it is for
the improvement of government, to
have freedom of speech and freedom
of the press, and just criticism. 1t
looks like an eX-boss and his chief
lieutenant framing up against the
public veal and sincere public serv-
ants. All of which reminds me of the
old biblical command, take the beam
out of thine own eye before trying to
take the mote of thy neighbOr's eye"
4. And now, Mr.. Stepan, why was
Clerk of Court Mista's salary for the
year 1894 reduced from 5000 to $500?
There were no taxpayers present at
that meeting demanding such a slash
in wages. Are you sure this was not
vengeance on account of the fact that
he, Mista, refused to participate in
certain political games engineered by
you? If this was just cut in his
salary, why did the court restore the
clerks salary to 5000? Will you please
explain?
5. 1t is also very important to know
why Pine county managed it's old age
pension in a totally different man
ner from any other county in the
state. The usual method followed in
other counties was the appointment
of a non-political county committee
of five qualified citizens of the coun-
ty, who acted on all applications and
sifted the evidence impartially and
then reported to the commissioners,
who then accepted the report.
g. How was this business trans
acted in Pine county? Why, the COM
missioners appointed five committees
all commissioners-on committee
for each commissioners district, and
they reported from themselves, unto
themselves, and paid themselves some
$50 apiece. What piece of political
debauchery All against the spirit
of the law and against good local
government and the only place in the
state where such tactics were prac-
ticed.
Z. The state refused to allow this
racketeering and held up the funds
until further investigations could be
made. Will you give all the partic-
ulars? Not omitting to mention the
name of the official" one of "the
guardians of the taxpayers money,
who charged a dollar and half and
in some cases a dollar to make OUT
the necessary papers of these old peo-
pie in applying for their just pensions.
Pine county came within an ace OF
losing it's old age pensions through
these improper practices. Also who
was it that charged seventyfive cents
for making out tax attachments appli-
cations to the board? Another i'm
proper practice.
g. Now we come to the most i'm
portant matter, the construction OF
our public roads, which involves an
outlay of from $4,000 to 100000 a
year. Will you, guardian of the peO-
pies money, give some particulars as
to how these bids were manipulated!
In other counties each road or jot
was let under competitive bids to the
lowest responsible bidder with spe-
cific specifications, which is fair anC
economical, and in the public inter
est. In Pine county it appears that
there was a blanket bid with only