The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1936-10-15
Commission Orders Lake of Woods
Fishing Probe
OTHER PEOPLES OPINIONS
What Is 1t All About?

To the Editor:
The writer has been wondering
what this howl about excessive pub
lie expenditures is all for and who
is at the bottom of it. 1t is not the
farm Or home owners, their taxes
every where in this state have been
reduced excepting in some cities
and villages where expensive i'm
provements are made for which the
municipality has contributed a
small percentage of the cost, as the
Village Hall in Grey Eagle, the
Eagle Bend and Staples Schools, in
this Todd County, and the dam and
Sewer Disposal Plant at Sank Cen
ire. improvements never thought
of if it had to be financed at home.
National and States expenses have
of course gone up, but in spite of
the fact that billions have been
needed for relief, the bulk Of the
National expense is for the past
and future wars. AS loyal Ameri-
cans we all want the debt due those
who fought the past wars paid, but
as to the future wars not even the
papers that are now scared to
death about costs have had a word
to say.
The State and it's subdivisions
have strained every nerve for re-
lief and still the taxes are less. The
State tax is a trifle higher than it
was in 1880, but it brings no more
money. The State Tax rate has
been doubled they tell you but they
do not tell you that the assessor has
cut the valuation in two, but even
with the raise of the state tax, the
taxes are lower, except in the big
cities, where millions Of dollars of
taxes are delinquent, some small
home owners have been unable to
pay and some have or are about to
lose their homes and do not pay
But there are single buildings in
the Twin Cities where taxes to the
tune of over ten thousand dollars
are delinquent, owned by Non-resi-
dent Corporations, and in some of
the Northern Counties IS percent
of the land is delinquent.
In Todd County the tax levy in
1885 for all taxes, State, School,
County, villages, cities and town, Is
$115,517.25 Dollars less than it was
in 1890
In my Township Kandota, the
1885 taxes are $2,31916 less than
they were in 1880, Notwithstanding
the fact that we raised over $4,000
more poor fund in 1885.
We laugh at former Governor
Christianson, who takes pity on us
and tells us that we should adopt
Amendment No. and save taxes,
while we know his object is to shift
the taxes from the large corpora
tions, by eliminating part of the
State tax on the property owned by
them, so the State cannot aid
schools or less able communities in
any way. Remember that Amend
ment No. 2 If adopted does not pro-
hibit local taxes on property and
that all roads and local matters
have to be carried on by our sells
and the big property holders of
which we have none in Todd or
Stearns county will go scott free.
Our Budget Commissioner tells us
that the Steel corporations will save
two and one-haf million dollars an
nually If the amendment Is adopted.
Here in Kandota we are surpris-
ed over Christianson and his talk
about big expenses when we think
of the New Deal he put over
when Governor.
He was the Chairman of the in
terum committee constituted by
1928 Legislature to study the ad-
Instability Of recognizing our
State government.
In January, 1925, he brought in
his report, which by the 1925 Leg
islature was enacted into law.
Chapter 426 Laws Of 1925, which
law he as Governor signed April