The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-04-09
take out some insurance.
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take out some insurance.
, The refusal of Governor Olson to
reappoint Mrs. Blanche La Du as
member of the Board of Control is
! typical of his administration. Render
ing fulsome lip service to the public
welfare, it never fails to sacrifice the
public welfare if profit can thereby be
gained for partisanship.
The Board of Charities and Correc-
tions was organized in Minnesota more
than fifty years ago. In 1901 it became
the Board of Control. During all the
time since, until two years ago, there
was complete absence of politics in
the administration of state institutions
under the Board of Control. Fourteen
charitable institutions, famous for their
efficiency throughout the nation, and
four model corrective and penal institu-
lions, including the only Self-supporting
penitentiary in the world, were built up
In addition, social service work for
children and for the blind was de-
veloped to an efficiency and an extent
considerably in advance of the aims of
the federal Social Security Act of 1895.
In 1882, Governor Olson appointed L.
G. Foley, a democrat in name but far
mer-labcr in practice, to the Board of
Control, where in various capacities he
had served for nearly a quarter Of a
century. In November 1885, Carl r.
Carlgren Of st. Paul, farmer-labor, was
appointed to the board. Since that
time partiSanShip has been steadily
creeping in to the administration of
Minnesota's famous state institutions.
The dismissal of Mrs. La Du is notice
that partisanship will now take COM
plete charge, and the Board of Con-
troll, from its inception more than fifty
years ago administered from the stand
point of the highest ideals of public
service, is to become, like the Depart
ment Of Education and all other far
mer-labor controlled departments of
the state government, first of all an in
strumentality for building and strength
ening a political machine.
Governor Olson is entitled to credit
for keeping the sordid hand of politics
off the Department of Education and
the Board of Control for time. But the
pressure of partisanship became too
strong for him and in 1884 he turned
the public schools of the state over to
the mercies of radical theorists and
politicians. Now the Board of Control,
famous throughout the United States
for social service of the highest order,
SuccumbS to the assaults of the preda-
tory politician.
Mrs Blanche La Du has rendered
service of the highest value to the
people of Minnesota. She retires from
office sincerely regretted by her own
people and honored throughout the
nation for her notable accomplishments
in social service.
Her distinguished position in social
service has been recognized by the dem
ocratic national administration in her
appointment in an advisory capacity
to the federal Social Security Board
and even more notably by her election
as president of the American Prison
Association, the first woman in history
to be so honored.
Minnesota loses immeasurably as Mrs.
La Du ceases her work on the Board
of Control.
Some years back Stafford King, state
auditor and Matt Desmond, deputy state |!
auditor, evolved plan for the collec-
ton of delinquent taxes. Later Mr..
Desmond speaking to an association of
county auditors in Michigan, outlined
the plan. Michigan took it up, enacted
a law to carry it out, and collected
Sis, 100000 in back taxes the first year.
When the Minnesota special session
convened last winter, Mr. King and Mr..
Desmond told its members this Michi-
gan tale. Most of the boys raised their
eyebrows rather increduously, but after !
some thought decided to give it a try.
Chapter u, Special Session Laws of