Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-05-01
Where,Is The
Leadership?

Leadership!
What a change has taken place
in two years. After the election of
1888 the new governor went into
the 1899 legislative session with about
80 per cent of the lawmakers for
him, ready and willing to vote for
anything he asked within reason. In
the 1941 session the governor and
his administration men went begging
for majority vote.
Toward the end of this session the
governor gave Minneapolis the choice
of sales tax on cigarettes and to-
bacco, or more bonds for relief pur-
poses. The Legislature turned down
both proposals.
The Legislature was in a jam on
relief appropriations and tax meas
ures, causing it to remain in session
three days beyond the constitutional
limit of ninety days. That has brought
much adverse criticism.
The 1941 session is a repetition of
1887, which also ran three days be-
yond the legal limit. After few
weeks rest, following the regular
1887 sessi IN, the legislators were
called back for special session and
finally adopted tax program which
was much the same as had been
agreed upon in the regular session.
The 1913 lawmakers cannot be ex-
pected individually to gather all the
information necessary for the promul-
cation of successful legislative ses-
sion. The governor, as chief business
head of the state, has access to all
that information and it should be
gathered before the lawmaking be-
gins.
The seriousness of the relief situa-
ton in the three largest cities has
been known for the past two years.
In Minneapolis, especially, the situa-
ton was nearing the breaking point
With all the information concern
ing the relief situation, the admin
strator's budget figures for the vari-
Gus departments of state and other
state activities, and his tax proposals
to raise needed revenue, the chief
executive is armed with the neces-
sary information to lay out a pro-
gram together with leaders of the
Legislature during the first week OF
the session.
After the formalities connected with
the opening of session, the governor
as chief director of the states bust
ness, might well in the opening days
call in the chairmen of finance
tax and rules committees of the
two houses. With those six lead
ers of the Legislature the gov
ernor could sit own and say
"Gentlemen, here is the necessary in
formation. Let us propose a plan
to the Legislature and have the bills
introduced within a week." Follow
ing that would come the committee
meetings and public hearings, and
not too many of them with too much
repetition.
The Legislature at the outset would
have something concrete upon which
to work. The various representatives
and senators, as individual legislators
could offer amendments for improve
ment, but they must have something
definite and concrete to start on.
Local and non-controversial bills
should be disposed of in January
February and early March. If only the
most important bills were left for
the last few weeks of the session, the
Legislature might even adjourn be-
fore midnight of the last day. Good
leadership and orderly procedure will
bring about such business-like meth
DDS.
The st. Paul Pioneer Press in an
editorial stated that "the cause OF
the unsatisfactory session has been
lack of comprehensive and inte-
grated program. The principal prob
lens confronting the Legislature on
the opening day were reduction in
property taxes, financing of relief
state and local, on permanent basis
completion of the state reorganization
and adoption of a sound financial
policy"
Left Gilstad of the Minneapolis
Times-Tribune writes: Despite
strenuous administration efforts the
bill to let Minneapolis raise its debt
limit to finance relief mustered only
eight (Senate) votes and that measure
was discarded. That was virtually
the clincher to point the way to a
special session"
Mr.. Gilstad states further that the
Legislature, found it had voted to
spend four million dollars more than
the state will have and engaged in a