Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-06-08
DIR 9allp Spp,
TUESDAY. JUNE 8. 1858.


THE STATE ExFENsEs.-It has been a matter
Of wonder and surprise to most people, how, dur
ing the three years Of Gov Gardeners admins
tration, the expenses of the public service should
have been so enormously increased beyond what
they had been under his predecessors. But such
people would not be surprised if they could have
a peep behind the curtains, and see how the
charges against the State were piled up BY the
oficeholders whom Gardner appointed to place
1t would seem, to judge from the exorbitant
charges allowed that every mothers son of the
ofieeholding crew considered himself, by the
terms of his appointment to Office, under the
broad seal Of the State, especially licensed to plum
der the Treasury that the man who could ge
the most out of it was the best feoS, and that
The Commonwealth was like a great game pre-
ssrver, in which the Governor could license his
friends and satellites to keep themselves without
limit and without fear. For instance, take the
Offices of Bank and Insurance Commissioners.
The law allowed to those officers liberal salaries
and eight cents mile travel while engaged in
the performance OF their official duties, which
was just and liberal compensation for all neces-
sary personal expenses while on the road; but
those gentlemen whom Gardner appointed were
too greedy to be satisfied with such small pay
they knew full we'll, that, like Louis Philippe,
Gov Gardner relied upon patronage" for the
continuance ofhis rule, and his popularity among
his retsiners, and, as "like master like man"
they went in for the spons witlsa vengeance.
HI bank or insurance Office was to be. examin
ed in Worcester, for instance, they claimed the
right to charge, and did charge, from Boston
(say tAe distance was forty -four miles,) So AZ
and to return SO AZ. But supposing that the
MiHbuIy bank was to be examined the next day,
and the Leicester Bank the next, byia system of
constructive mileage they charged in each case
the whole distance from Worcester back to Bos'
ton, then back to Millbury, then back to Boston
again, then from Boston to Leicester, and then
back again to Boston, even though they had only
gone from Worcester to Leicester, six miles in
one direction, and to Millbury, six miles in an
other.
In addition to this. each claimed the right to
charge, and did charge, and had his charge al.
lowed, mileage at eight cents per mile, from his
Office in Boston to his home in the country,
wherever it might be- once soeek, during the
whole term of his official career. Thus, the dis
lance from worcester TO Boston aud BACK being
eighty eight miles, and there being ffty-two
weeks in year, the commissioner saddled the
State with expense for mileage ''to see his
fOlks'' whether he went or not, with the mileage
Of four thousand two hundred and seyenty-six
miles, amounting, at eight cents per mile, to the
pretty little sum Of S342O S tits perhaps needless
for US to say that under the present wise and eco
non,irai administration of the Affairs Of the State
these leaks have been stopped, and that some
meu's fingers which have, during the administra-
tion OF Coy. Gardner, been rather too free with
the public Treasury, have been little skinned in
their efforts to play the same game with the pres
ent yigilant guardians of the Commemorative
money.