The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-11-02

much as if tall talking will again be
necessary to convince the interim COM
mittee that the ranges are trying to
do something along the lines of setting
our house in order to prevent
favorable report by the committee to-
wards passage of per capita bill at
the next session of the legislature.
Ely has as yet never overstepped
bounds of the charter provisions as to
excessive levieS. However, we are of
the range towns and are tarred with
the same measuring stick. While the
Mesaba range towns, ordinarily fail to
recognize Ely when members of the
legislature are to be voted on, they
do not fail to send an SOS when any
thing threatens and we, of course,
being of the range, are forced to help
them out of their difficulties although
not in difficulty ourselves.
Virginia and Eveleth along with Ely,
Tower, Soudan and Winton are in the
same Shoe-stringed legislative district
but the Vermilion end is not recognized
by the shining end of the district only
when something like this comes up.
Years ago, our city was an end of a
similar district with Duluth as the
shining end. This was remedied and
reapportionment put us in the district
we are now in and again at the end of
the shoe string. The string was not
changed and now everything is claimed
by the big neighborS on the Mesaba
instead of Duluth. The Vermilion range
cannot help itself, we have not votes
enough to make change and must
supinely allow ourselves to be kicked
around by the big end of the district.
Ely took cognizance of the facts the
Weber-Carley bill so forcibly brought
to the attention of the range towns and
the first of the year issued refunding
bonds for past debts and the city is
now living up to the promises made
when the bonds were voted and is
keeping its nose clean without over
drafts. Had Virginia done the same,
the call for assistance would not be
needed. A court order of a few years
ago has kept Eveleth on the straight
and narrow. Hibbing put its house in
order several years ago and emerged
from a glaring example of prodigious
spending to one of a conservative
financially regulated city.
Instead of looking at the subject from
a don't care" standpoint, the range
towns should get down to business. All
indications point to hectic sessions of
the interim committee when they call
on the several communities. The range
should be prepared to furnish the COM
mittee with facts and figures to bolster
their statements and show the members
that it costs more to carry on here and
also that our people expect more for the
high taxes paid. 1t should also be re-
membered that these men are branch
of the state government and are being
sent out to get at the facts. A fair
discussion of the subject backed by
figures may set things right.
Remember We are still part of this
great state although the last adj
ministration turned it over to politicians
and go-getters from neighboring state
and what helps the state as whole,
helps every section thereof The in
term committee should likewise con-
slider that we up here furnish large
part of the finances of the state and
should not be expected to furnish it
all. Anyway, lets talk it over ration
ally and without bias.