Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1940-02-22
Farmer-Labor
Group Holds Its
Annual Meeting
Several Resolutions are
Adopted and Delegates to
State Meet are Selected.


A large group of interested people
| filled the Royal Neighbor hall in
Hinckley Sunday afternoon, Febru-
airy ID, for the annual convention of
the Pine County Farmer-Labor Asso-
citation.
The convention was called to order
by the county chairman, A. E. Bor-
chardt of Willow River, who pre-
sented tentative program of activ-
tiles for the afternoon which was &C
copied by the members. Minutes of
the previous convention were read
by the county secretary, Oscar w.
Anderson of Sturgeon Lake.
A resolutions committee, chosen
from the floor, consisting of County
Superintendent of Schools A. E. Gus
tafson, Mrs. Peter Stulen, Mrs. VIM.
Kryzak, Mrs. A. E. Borchardt and
Hjalmar Sandell, retired to consider
resolutions.
Gustafson Talks School Aids.
At the request of the convention,
Supt. Gustafson withdrew from the
resolutions committee while he ex-
planned legislation passed and pend
ing pertaining to schools. An attempt
is being made, Gustafson said, to di-
vert money from the permanent
school fund established by the state
constitution into the general fund
in order that it may be used for other
purposes. Foes of the net income
tax are behind such move, he stated,
and would use it to help make up the
mounting deficit in the Rural Credits
department which was wished upon
us by a previous Republican admin
istration.
Mr.. Gustafson pointed out that for
five consecutive years the State School
Board Association has gone on record
as favoring the use of all money
derived from the net income tax for
schools, but it still is not being used
for that purpose. All state aids to
schools were prorated this year, he
stated, in such way that Pine county
lost $4,000. The present Legislature
has opened the way for further cuts
in state aids by lifting the local tax
limit of 80 mills. If all money de-
rived from the net income tax were
used for school purposes, all state aids
could be paid in full.
He pointed out the unfairness of
forcing a few remaining taxpayers
in a school district to pay the entire
bonded indebtedness of the district
when the rest of the property has re-
verted to the state for non-payment
of taxes and suggested that test cases
be instituted in the courts.
State Senator Speaks.
State Senator c. Elmer johnson
opened his address with an appro-
pirate quotation from a speech of
Abraham Lincoln delivered at Balti-
more, April ID, 1864. 1t included
the following: with some, the word
liberty may mean for each man to
do as he pleases with himself and
the product of his labor; while with
others the same word may mean for
some men to do as they please with
other men and the product of other
mems labor"
In reporting upon the work of the
last legislature, Senator Johnson
stated that the many fine promises for
passage of progressive legislation
made by the Stassen group were
blocked by that same reactionary
group in the legislature.
He listed the following as accom-
plishments" of the last legislature:
l. A reduction of SIS percent on
state bank taxes.
2. No taxes at all on Federal banks.
3. A Civil Service law which will
keep the same politics in the state
service and which employs not only
Minnesota, but Michigan people.
4. A cut in gas tax which is called
direct gift of five million dollars
to the oil companies and for which
the Governor is directly responsible
The result is that our roads with the
exception of Federal aid roads, are
being maintained in a deplorable
condition. A crisis confronts the
highway department, according to an
opinion of Commissioner Hoffman
himself. County commissioners are
asking for the return of the former
! tax.
5. Reorganization of state business
gave this Governor more power than
that welded by any other governor.
Young as he is, and with no previous
experience, conditions in his depart
ments are now such that they can
not even give out quarterly reports
as provided by the act. The execu-
tive himself, has been so lavish in
spending that he had to be asked
to curtail expenses in his own de-
partment. All other departments
were cut 10 percent, while his own
was increased.
Senator johnson aptly compares
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