The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-09-24

never be made an offset to any debt
of the state. Neither farmer-labor, nor
anyone else, can ever lay hands upon
it to pay for obligations incurred by
the state.
If Martin Nelson's statement errs in
any particular, it is in understatement
The statement speaks of the million
dollar deficit in the state revenue fund
Seven million is the book deficit; the
actual deficit is much greater, several
millions greater; the actual deficit
when the next administration takes
charge in January 1887 will be close
to Is million dollars. The book deficit
is almost always less than the actual
deficit. For instance, the book deficit
of million dollars in September does
not take into account 100000 due
the State University from the state
revenue fund or $4,536, 900 due the pub
lie schools. What would the deficit be
if these payments were made? Tax re-
ceipts, it is true, will be coming in
during the next four months, but ex-
penses will at the same time be rapidly
eating them up.
In 1880 farmer-labor alleged that the
Christensen administration was main
tanning 10000 employees upon the state
payrolls. In 1896 Paul Rasmussen, far
mer-labor member of the Big Three
gave out the information that the
number of state employees in January
of this year was 1863.
Any denial that state expenses have
gone up is futile and silly, as a single
Illustration should prove. No employer
public or private, can take on 1900 new
permanent employees and more than
1000 so-called temporary employees
without increasing expenses. Even at
the low average of $25 per week, the
payroll must go up $4,000 per week
or nearly million dollars per year
Automatically it is impossible to es-
cape the consequence of such an in
crease.
The administration now drawing to
a close has not recommended a single
economy in the conduct of the states
business. In the lexicon of the farmer
labor platform of 1896 there is no such
word as economy. The farmer-labor ad-
ministration has not undertaken reduc-
tions of any consequence at any time
during the six years Of its incumbency.
1t has INDUCED in spending spree to
the end that more money spent has
meant more people on the payroll, and
more people on the payroll has meant
a bigger and better political machine
with which to perpetuate the party in
power.
We must face the facts. They can no
longer be ignored. To permit our fiscal
affairs to continue as they have for six
years is to invite financial disaster.
The republican party proposes to-
day Cd to relieve by substantial re-
duction" the burden of tax on property
which is hampering recovery and pro-
noting unemployment, (2) to lift the
tax burden by thift in the administra-
ton of the state government and by
stimulating industrial revival so that a
stream of indirect taxes may again pour
into the state treasury, 90 to inflict
upon the people no unjust or inequit-
able tax, and "a to employ any tax that
is not injurious or inequitable if the
proper financing of the state demands
it.
The fallacy of leaving a solution to
the present dominant group in the
capitol was clearly illustrated during
the 1885 session when the farmer labor
party was to soak the RICH" but had it
been adopted it would have raised a
scant million dollars, or many mil
lions less than requirements.
The tax problem of the state cannot
be solved on a basis of politics. It must
be solved by all parties meeting in
harmony and considering the problem