Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-01-05

but which would be independent of
control by the state agencies and
would be selected by the local govern
mental units.
A New Big Three.
With respect to the so-called Big
Three, I recommend to you the fol-
lowing revision: We find at the pres
ent time that the Comptroller, who
is a member of the Big Three and
therefore takes part in the letting of
contracts and the supervision in gen.
eral of the state functions, is at the
same time in charge of the examin-
ing and auditing. Thus we find the
strange situation where the Comp
troller's employees are expected, in
effect, to examine the results of his
own work. This office should be
divorced from the so-called Big Three.
1t should be given definite powers of
pre-auditing and control of expendi-
lures so that it is possible to prevent
deficiencies, overdrafts, and illegal
transactions before they occur. This
department should also have charge
of the installing of modern book
keeping methods as the present book
keeping in the state is very much out
of date and it is practically impossible
for anyone to secure an accurate
financial picture of the condition of
the entire state government with its
many departments. l know that those
of your committees that have in the
past struggled with the taxation and
appropriation problems are keenly
aware of the lack of an effective ac-
counting procedure.
The. second member of the Big
Three, the Commissioner of Budget
and Personnel, would lose his per-
sonal powers upon the enactment of
civil service, as these functions would
be taken over by the new Civil Serv-
ice Administrator The budget max
ing powers should be transferred to
the Comptroller's office, since under
good procedure this office would be
in the best position to know the
financial needs and standing of the
various departments of the state. 1t
is, in any event, the responsibility
of the executive to recommend a bud
get to the legislature.
The Commissioner of Purchases,
with its centralized purchasing is a
sound practice and under honest and
able administration should be of great
service and of saving to the people
of the state. This position should
be continued and extended under the
administrative branch of the govern
ment.
The new Commissioner of Pur-
chases has been instructed to have
open, competitive public bidding on
all public contracts and to award the
contracts to the lowest responsible
bidder without politics. You might
we'll strengthen the law in this re-
gard and make open competitive bid
ding mandatory on all state contracts
over five hundred dollars in amount.
Another glaring need for revision
and simplifcation is the administer
ing and collecting of taxes and rev.
enue for the state. We now have at
least seven different agencies adj
ministering and collecting taxes and
revenue. We have the gasoline taxes
collected and refunds made by the
chief oil inspector, who, strange to
say, is under the Department of Agri-
culture. We have the liquor taxes
collected by the Liquor Commissioner,
the inheritance taxes by the Attorney
General, the game and fish licenses
under the Department of Conserva-
ton, and numerous other depart
ments collecting money for the state.
This scattered and careless procedure
in the handling of state funds has
recently resulted in two former state
employees being sentenced to prison
terms in connection with the en-
bezzlement of state funds. Sound
business practice requires the CEN
tralization of these tax collecting and
administering activities under a single
department of taxation and finance,
and through the State Treasurer
Office.
There are other consultations that
might well be made and that your
committees may consider, and that
we may jointly confer upon as your
work proceeds. 1 feel strongly that
it is possible by diligent work and
sincere cooperation, to work out and
to pass before the conclusion of this
session, legislation that will in large
measure meet these crying needs for
simplification and that will result in
major economies and in the elmin-
alton of corruption and waste in the
functioning of our state government
For A Labor Relations Act.
Labor relations legislation is an
other outstanding problem before this
session, and it is field in which by
careful consideration you can make
an outstanding contribution, not only
to the future peace and progress Of
industry and labor and of the people
as a whole in Minnesota, but it is
also a field in which you can place
Minnesota in position of national
leadership. There is widespread
demand on the part of the people
of this state, joined in by the farm
ers, and by the members of organized