The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-12-15
Compensation OF Public Ofii-
GERS.

adopted IN pubic, as wei as III private
matters. People sometimes employ un
worthy persons to transact business fc-
them, 10 which case they pay them off
and discharge them. But it is found that
there are fewer defilcations with wei pad
servants than with those who are employ
ed for meagre compensation. The
contractor on public works may jew the
day-laborerr down to seventy five cents
per. diem; neverthei, s., he would scorn
TO employ an agent or a foreman who
should offer his services for less than twice
that amount. This principle is carried
out i'll all private business transactions
and no man expects to employ suitable
person to overlook, or superintend, even
the concerns Of q small factory or work
| shop, without rendering him fair COM
pcnsatiou. When satisfied that tho can
| didate is honest and faithful, the employ
er has no idea Of engaging him Mt the
nominal prices If common day Iaborers,
but would turn from him with distrust, if
not with contempt, should he offer his
services for any such compensation.
| Again, an applicant for the appoint
mHnt of cashier in a country bank, who
should propose to ensag. fer less than
one THOUSAND dollars per annum, would
be rejected at once, notwithstanding the
fact that there are many men WHO would
be glad to get the appointment for one
fourth that sum, and give "good seed
rity" besides n .eog. asaI
Ii the principle here illustrated is good,
both iii theory and practice, what otjec-
ton, let us ask, is there to its being adopt
ed in public affairs! And by what course
of reasoning shall we come to the conclu-
sion that public servants shall not be as
well pad for their services as private ones
And, while considering these questions,
let us. also inquire, What is true public
| economy in relation to the salaries OF
public officers! Should public offices be
set up to be struck off to the lowest bid
| ders These questions are worthy of Sc
rious consideration in more than one point
of view, since they involve, not only the
subject of true political economy, but a
sort of moral Jurisprudence, and they
should be considered in their moral as
well as political bearings. With PARTIES
who are in the minority, there is a con
slant outcry-an almost incessant clamor
about high salaries, public extravaganza,
ETC., and the moral character of an Office
holder is everywhere as.ailcd without
scruple.
But it is orr purpose to speak more
directly upon the subject of compensation
of public officers, hence we will pursue
the matter in its practical relations.
webelieve it will be generally conceded
that competent men will not work without
a fair remuneration. If we employ in.
competent men, our business is i'll done
or not done at all, and it eventually costs
us more-infinitely more to correct blum
ders and supply omissions than it would
have cost in the first place to have had
the work done properly. But suppose
we first engage men who are competent
and then jew them down to meager pay
and what is the result! No other than
this,-that they design either to do nc
moro work than they gre paid for, or that
thy design to steal enough from some
quarter to make it even, aud in one way
or the other they are always sure to get q
decided advantage, for, having taken from
! their employees their first lessons in .'jew
ing" and as apprentices, being deiermi.
ned to e.rcel, considering the fact that the
"public,' ike any other corporation, has
no soul, there is no limit to their depreda-
tons till, perchance, the "rigorous law
doth grasp them, at last an investi-
CATION takes .,lacc, in which case we are
always treated to double dose of "pub-
lie economy" In short, of one thing, we
may always rest whenever we
hear Boosting that our public officers have
been employed at minimum rr;ccs-that
we have engaged cheap tcachers, cheap
ministers, etc, we may always look out,
not onl Y for the poorest kind of services
rendered in the poorest possible manner,
but I'VE may also look out for an expensive
job of repairs. a eo1s3 els adw .roE
Again, a public servant who is not
suitably rewarded for his services. is liable
to become dangerous tool in the hands
of a private citizen, and the less the com
pen>ation, III proportion to the service
rendered, the greater the danger of that
servant or officer being bribeb, either to
do more than his duty, or not to perform
it at all. In either event both private
individuals and the public generally are
liable to suffer unjustlY. eE breed
'.-er sse.ss