Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-01-05
Stassen Takes
Oath, Addresses
The Legislature
Continued from Page u

Some recommendations may be
be made to you to include in the bill
a "blanketing in" provision of all
present employees. Since this pro-
posal comes at the conclusion of the
ruthless rule of spoilsmen, such a
proposal is, of course, unsound, since
it would only serve to continue in
efficiency, instead of providing merit
and integrity in public employment.
/ would recommend to you complete
competitive examinations of all en-
ployes, so that present employees and
the thousands who are applying for
public positions would each have a
fair and full opportunity to demon
strate the merit and ability that they
possess for the respective state posi-
tons, and so that we could secure
the highest possible quality of state
employees. The examination of the
merit and ability of present employees
and the investigation of those civil
service systems now in effect in var
ious departments of the government,
should be a prerequisite before put
ting into effect the complete civil
service system affecting those en-
ployeS.
May 1 say to you that there is
no single legislative proposal that has
more widespread public support, or
will give more lasting benefits and
economies than the enactment of a
good civil service law, which will be-
come the cornerstone of our admin
istration.
Would Consolidate Bureaus.
There is another respect in which
you can be of unreasonable assist
ance to the administration in saw
ing money and improving the serv-
ice of the state government to the
people. Our state government ma
chinery now consists of at least sixty
four differents governmental boards,
bureaus, agencies and departments.
There may be even more that have
not yet come to my attention. Like
Topsy, they have ''just grown" They
have arisen under a great multitude
of laws and of circumstances. Their
offices are scattered through the Cap
itol, the State Office Building and a
number of other buildings rented by
the state. They are manned by a
great army of public employees. Their
activities duplicate and overlap in
many respects. They send inspectors
and field agents trodding on each
others heels to far corners of the
state They place about the same
handicap upon the administration in
carrying out its responsibility to the
people, as a team of oxen would
place upon farmer in blowing his
field. They are a source of I'M
necessary expense and of confusion
to the public, and to the administra-
ton as well. Here you can be of
great service to the administration
and to the people by effecting some
consolidation of these agencies. This
is of vital Importance, for as govern
ment undertakes to perform an in
ncreasing number of functions and
services for the people, it is ever
more and more important that the
governmental activities themselves be
carried on as simply and as eco
nomically and as efficiently as pos
sible
An outstanding accomplishment in
this regard would be the establish
ment by the legislature of a depart
ment of social security and public
welfare. Such a department should
be headed by an outstanding admin
istrator, appointed by the governor
with the advice and consent of the
Senate, and it should be provided by
law that said administrator shall
have had at least two years exper-
fence in the field of public welfare
and social security administration,
and that he shall not have been an
official of any political party or cam
paign committee, and he should also
be completely barred from political
activities during his continuation in
office.
Under this one department, there
should be grouped the entire state
activities in the social security and
public welfare fields. This would in
clude the activities now carried on
1lI1O6T SeVSIl Olllcl SllL dSSllSlCS VI IllC
government-the relief department,
the old age assistance, the soldiers
welfare, the unemployment compen-
sation, the veterans relief, the sup
ervision of public institutions, and
the entire field of special aid to dis
tressed counties.
This would lead, under good ad
ministration, to the elimination OF
much of the chiseling that takes place
when the same individual or family
illegally secures aid from two or more
of these different agencies. 1t would
eliminate much of the duplication
which occurs when different public
agencies investigate the financial
status of the same counties to deter
mine their policies toward said coun-
ties. It would reduce the number OF
field representatives that are con-
stantly travelling about the state call
ing on local boards and local repre-
sentatives. 1t would bring about q
more closely knit information upon
our entire problem of security and
welfare, and would lend itself to q