How things have changed! This ran on your editorial page Dec. 30, 1931:

“In another place in tonight’s issue of the Tribune we are publishing some of the recommendations of the Freeborn County Taxpayers League, which will be presented to the county board members at their next regular meeting.

“We think there is one recommendation in the list which will meet with the approval of a great majority of citizens. The one we refer to is that which recommends the discontinuance of half holidays on Saturday.

“For some time many have felt that this half-day off each week is taking too much liberty. In truth they can see no reason why it should be practiced.

“Saturday has always been the shopping day for the farmer and his wife. It is also a day for them to attend to business matters. Many times we have heard complaints from the farmers about not being able to do business at the courthouse on Saturday afternoon because of closed offices. Not being able to attend to this business naturally, many farmers have remained at home, thus depriving Albert Lea merchants of a goodly portion of a business to which they are entitled.

“Now that this matter has been opened up by the Taxpayers League, we want to go a little farther. We call attention to the fact that some public officials are far too often not at their duties at the opening of office hours. If there is any excuse why this liberty should be taken, we have not been informed. A public servant has no more right to fudge in his hours of duty than an employee who works for a private concern. Not a bit! In fact, he should be setting a correct example to the rest of the public. Officers of the public should be at their places of business and ready for the public promptly at the regular opening hours — and they should be right there until the last minute of the closing hour.

“We cannot but feel that some of the public officials, who have not been on the job all of the hours they should be, are indirectly responsible for the recommendations made by the league for a cut in their salaries — and the suggested cuts in clerk hire, or their elimination altogether.”

I found it in an old miscellany file of Judge Noris Peterson’s when I took over from him on June 30, 1969.

Bill Sturtz

Albert Lea