The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1938-03-31
Tax Meeting

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remarked, 'He counts his money
before he spends it,
j. P. Mcdonnell, Buffalo news
paper man and president of the
state taxpayers association, argued
for taxpayers organizations and
decried the high cost of govern
ment.
"You farmers working every
day throughout the country raise
just enough products to support
the cost of federal government
alone" he pointed out. Yearly
farm income is eight and half
billion. The federal government
costs that amount and state and
local government added bring the
total cost of administration to
twelve and half billion.
Relief costs are not so bad, he
said, if they can be paid as we
60 along but to borrow to pay
relief costs is an evil practice to
be avoided.
Don't be fooled by state and
federal laid" for your projects,
he warned his audience, "The
money comes from your own
pockets"
Norman Bergen, secretary and
research man of the Minnesota
Taxpayers association, showed
charts and graphs on Redwood
county tax funds and outlined a
report for every town in the
county which members of the
association voted to have pub
lished serially in county news
papers.
He stressed sharp rise in the
road and bridge fund from $45,-
900 in 1884 to $4,000 in 1887.
Richard Cook, county engineer
who spoke later, said the increase
was to take care of a deficit start
ed in 1882 when commissioners
slashed the road levy at the re-
quest of the taxpayers group.
81 speak for the commission
ers when I say this levy was too
high this year, but we would like
to clean up the deficit and start
with a clean slate"
He recommended straight
levy Of $4,000 year, to be adj
hered to in spite of economic con-
| ditions as the only sound long
time tax-reduction policy.
A. R. A. Laudon, Redwood
Falls attorney, gave one of the
best talks of the afternoon. He
disagreed with D. L. Crimmins
who had charged that politicians
are "gangsters, bloodsuckers and
hijackers."
Politicians are fairly honest,
Mr.. Laudon averred. ''They tell
you during their campaigns that
they are liberal and that has come
to mean liberal with tax money
We have streamlined our govern
ment for spending"
In the World War we spent
millions to make the world safe
for democracy, and now demo-
cracy is in full retreat with the
powers of government being re-
legated farther and farther from
home, he said.
'My call to you is to have faith
in yourselves and less in politi-
clans. Your fault is that you
haven't realized how you have
been undermined"
The last speaker of the after
noon, John M. Zwach, represent
alive at large, urged as much
pressure against spending as
there is for it.
when I introduced an amend
ment to cut the state relief ap-
preparation in half and return
administration to the counties, ]
did not receive one letter or wire
to support me. Instead hundreds
of demands to clay off" were re-
ceived from Redwood and Brown
counties.
"Your chairman, Mr.. Crimmins,
was down to see me about secur-
ing a big appropriation for weed
control but mentioned nothing
about the relief bill or economy"
Pressure at the capital for
spending is terrific, coming from
every side, every community,
every department" he told the
200 men who attended the meet
ing.
o d. Streeter of Stewart spent