Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1940-12-12
TRUTH Is LEAKING OUT
(Mille Laos County Times)

(Mille Laos County Times)
Before the recent election a lot was
said by politicians connected with
the state administration about the
huge savings that were being made
i'm behalf of the taxpayers of the state.
Gov. Stassen, that total of over S.
100000 had been saved to the tax
payers of the state by the economies
introduced by the administration in
state affairs. Such statements no
doubt had much to do with the ma
jority given to members of the state
administration at the fall election.
But now comes authentic state
ments in the daily press that instead
of savings that will bring reduction
in taxes in the State of Minnesota,
there will be an increase to the high
est state tax rate ever known in Min
nesota. Here is the statement con-
corning this situation of tax rate in
crease as given out by Orlin Folwick.
political writer and commentator and
published on the front page of the
Minneapolis Tribune last Thursday:
Instead of getting substantial re-
duction in their state property tax,
owners of Minnesota property face an
increase of 90 mills in their tax
rate for 1871.
This was disclosed in legislative
circles yesterday as leaders began
preliminary study of the budget prob
lens to be faced in the forthcoming
and deficiency appropriation to
cover it will have to be made unless
the sum can be made up by trim
ming regular appropriations.
Representative Claude H. Allen of
st. Paul. chairman of the house APP
preparations committee, said he an
ticipates difficult time in this ses-
sion keeping appropriations within
the limits of the S72,OOO,OOO allowed
in 1899 for the current biennium".
This huge increase in the state tax
rate and the necessity of imposing
additional taxes to raise millions of
dollars to meet the deficiency in state
luc quCStlOH u
why should this be necessary if the
state administration had made a "sav-
ing of eight millions of dollars dur
ing the past two years. There is only
one conclusion that can be made from
the situation and that is that some
body was lying about the states
finances, during the political cam
paign. 1t may be that some people
may not deem it important that such
false representations should be made
during a campaign, but the taxpayers
of the state, who must dig up the
additional taxes that are now to be
levied are not likely to look on it as
merely light political propaganda.
During the campaign State Audi
tor King stated that he had made no
report on the states finances during
the year because of lack of time and
help in his office, so it is difficult to
see how anybody could know just
what the condition of the state finan-
Cially was at the time of the cam
paign. Yet the claim was positively
and persistently made that there had
been Saving" of S8,OOO,OOO due to
the great economy of administration
of state affairs.
Last week the state auditor at
tempted to inaugurate plan to elm
mate the homestead exemption in
taxes in the state on the claim that
the debts of the state incurred prior
to the passage of this law required
that this be done in order to meet
payments that would be due. Attorney
General Burnquist rendered an Opin-
ion that the homestead tax law could
not be abrOgated in this manner. This,
it is said by the state authorities, will
require the raising of an additional
100000 in taxes in the state to meet
the deficiency that exists in this re-
spect.
This astonishing situation-astOn-
ishing because of the effrOntry of the
state administration in claiming a
saving of eight million dollars when
the fact was that the state was bog
ged down in debt deeper than at any
other time in its histOry-shOws how
much the people can depend on pre-
election statements from those who
are now in control of state affairs. And
all of this huge expense has been in
Cured without any of the costs of the
war preparedness plans being included
in it. The taxpayers have right to
know, and should be given the truth
OF the matter, regardless of politics.
AS it is, the facts are leaking out
in spite of the hysterical attempts of
the politicians in control to prevent
the people from finding out the exact
situation.
Baudette Region: Bears are report
ed plentiful in the district this year
but don't be scairt. We still believe the
old lumberjack who said: anybody
who says he has been ct by bear is
liar"