Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-03-09
Memory Short y?
So Will Aids Be :!

30 VIII ANS De
It is not very often that this news
paper comes back to inquire of ;
public figure if his memory is short
but in this instance we are going t.
do just that in the case of Senator
A j. Rockne.
In the February 10th issue of thu
Askov American we published al
editorial under the title, "Rura
School Aid" which questioned thu
of diverting any of the
income tax aids now coming to the
school districts of the state. The
very next day after the editorial wa
published, Senator A. j. Rockne, Sen
ate Finance committee chairman
wrote a letter to the editor of the
denouncing such editorial
and making some statements tina
must be set right Mr. Rockne's let
ter follows:
I received, of course, marked
copy of your paper of February
16, in which you editorially COM
ment upon the aids to schools
coming from the income tax.
It has been great quandry
to me to find out why there has
been such general spread
throughout the state, that the
Legislature was in any way going
to interfere with the income tax
aid that goes to schools. No bill
of that kind has been introduced
and so far as l know, there is
no intention any where to change
that proposition.
If you people who are inter-
come down here and find out
what is done with the other aids
the schools are receiving and
how the wealthy districts are
getting the benefits and the poor
districts left out because they
cannot afford to levy thirty
mill tax, then think you would
very quickly begin to write edi-
torials along other lines than
along the line you have just
written
Again let me impress upon
you that no one is objecting to
the income tax aid that is now
being distributed on the basis
of $1,000 per pupil over all the
state. But many of the wealthy
districts who are getting this
$1,000 and other aids, do not
have to levy any taxes to main
tain their schools. This to my
mind is not just or fair, and it
has been generally agreed be-
tween all educators, at least those
that 1 have talked with, that an
interim commissioner or some
agency should take this matter
in hand and see to it that more
justice is done.
It is this condition that is
confronting us, and if we could
get some help along this line, l
am sure all would be benefited.
Now we don't want to take u
Senator Rockne's time with lette
writing, so will answer his lette
by certain reminders in public prir
and if, perchance there be any erro
in newspaper print from which
quotation is taken, he may com
back with his own Interpretation {
the matter.
An argument is not to our lik
ing, if it will do no good towar
keeping the income tax aids comm
to our schools, but neither will W
shun one if little publicity wi
keep it from going into state Golfer
so that politicians can have anothe
fund from which to draw.
First of all Senator Rockne seem
to be in confusion as to where an
why the idea that a movement
under way to divert some of tn
income tax money into state Golfer
originated. To set Mr.. Rockne RICH
we might even quote him as he wa
quoted in the January 18th issue {
the Minneapolis press in the fol
lowing words and which we did nc
see, subsequently, denied:
Senator A. j. Rockne, chair
man of the Senate finance COM
mittee, said today an effort will
be made this session to revise
apportionment of income tax
revenue so that some of it can
be used for general state pur-
poses, to help balance the budget.
All income tax money now is al
located for school use, to pay aids.
"'There must be some cur
tailment so we can pay up our
bills Rockne said. we cannot
tax the state into bankruptcy"
We may be dense at analyzins