The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1938-01-13
EDITORIAL
COMMENT
Easy To Start, Hard To Stop
From Our Exchanges


Because congress did not follow
the Presidents instructions and
cancel the distribution Of federal
highway money planned for this
year, st. Louis county will get
about $4,000 in federal aid which
will be big help in carrying out
the road program.
This will please us all as citizens
of st. Louis county, but it should
make us think a bit as citizens Of
the Unitel States.
There are 3,OOO-odd counties in
the United States and nearly every
one Of them, If not every last one
of them, is after all the federal aid
it can get. And that federal aid
makes it harder to balance the bud
get.
Money that goes into roads Is not
wasted. 1t is put to excellent use.
Perhaps no serious harm was done
at this time by forcing the post
ponement of the Presidents plan to
cut down on this federal outlay.
But it is going to he necessary to
cut down some time, and we should
be thinking about that time, too
Federal aid is q delightful thing,
but there must come a time when
big reductions will be necessary.
We must be consistent and honest
enough with ourselves to recognize
that time when it comes.-Duluth
Weekly Herald.
Government operation of business
is as rule not very successful. An
other example of this has been
found in the operation of the cafe
which is being operated in the
state capitol in ST. Paul. Perhaps
the story can best be told by quot
ing items that have been in the pa
pers recently.
In an address before the Oregon
Commonwealth Federation of Port
land on December 2, Gov. Benson
says:
Managers of big business have
demonstrated the bankruptcy of
their economic leadership. The well
fare of the public is the paramount
consideration and if private indus
try fails the ultimate operation of
key industries by the government
may become necessary"
About three weeks later we find
that the city papers say:
THE capitol Cooperative Cafe
Association which set out to put
into practice some Of the theories OF
the present administration by oper-
ating the state capitol restaurant
on a community basis, is insolvent,
it was charged today"
On the next day, December %,
one of the city papers says:
Creditors have asked for the ap-
pointment of a receiver of the Cap
itol Cafe contending that they have
been unable to collect a $61.0O ad-
judgment This restaurant for
merly privately operated was taken
over some time ago by coopera-
tive association of state officials
and employees. Financial difficulties
which have been troublesome for
months have finally brought the as
ISOLATION into court. It would be in
teresting to know II the rent charg-
ed by the state for this heated and
lighted and furnished restaurant
caused the difficulty, for certainly
such space in a populous, segregat-
ed office building must be expen-
sive."
The Capitol Cooperative Associa-
ton, according to the state audi
tors records paid nothing towards
light or heat Of its quarters. It did
pay for the gas used.-The Glen
wood Herald.
The Farmer And Taxes
We hear a great deal about help
ing business through reduction
of taxes, especially the devastating
surplus profits and capital gains
tax. This is all right and proper
but it will not do to forget that re-
duction of taxes in Washington and
back home, in the local units of
government, will help not only bus
mess but the entire people.
Much Is being said about helping
the farmer, and there has been bit
ter debate in Congress over a farm
bill, concerning which nobody seem
entirely certain as to its ultimate
cost or its effects on agriculture.
In this respect 1t might be remark
ed that no class Of citizens would
be benefited in greater degree by
lower taxation than the farmers.
Tax reduction Is one form Of farm