The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-05-14
From tis Cincinnati Gdzette.
Indiana Affairs The Salary Bill.


Indiana Anairs--The Salary Bill.
We expected to conclude our remarks on
this bill at this time, hut the subject is too
important, and the wrongs that led to its
passage too great to allow us to conclude
now. We proceed TO show some more in
stances how perquisites are increased, when
+ they constitute part Of official compensa-
tien.
!. HOW A SB6LECTBD DUTY MAY BE Dis
CHARGED YEARS AFTERWARDS, AT THE Ex-
PENsK OF THE PUBLIC.
By the law of 1853, the Superintendent of
Public Instruction WAS directed to distribute
copies of the documentary Journals to the
common school libraries. Mr.. Larrabee was
then Superintendent Whilst these Jour-
nails were in the State Library and Office of
Secretary of State, he did not comply with
this law. He was succeeded in office by Mr..
Mills who decided that he could not make
snch distribution for past years, because
the Documentary Journals had been dis
posed of, and the law evidently meant TO
distribute them when the overplus copies
were sufficient, but il did not authorize him
to have them reprinted when the supply
should be exhausted.
Mr.. Larrabee succeeded Mr. Mills, and or
dered three thousand copies of the Docu-
mentary Journals for 1852, 1853, and 1885,
to be reprinted. The printing, binding, and
paper of these will cost the State from ten
to twelve thousand dollars. They make an =
nually a large volume composed of the
various annual reports OF the State ofli-
GERS, and other reports made to the General
AC,o a.1 tl,a .1t..
years are comparatively of little value, be-
cause they are rendered almost useless by
the more subsequent reports.
What was the motive for thus increasing
the public burdens?
This question the House Special Com
mittee investigated last winter, and the tes-
timony, on this point, is as follows:
Question to Mr.. Larrabee as n witness,
"Who first directed your attention to this
subject of re-printing?"
Answer-"My attention was first directed
TO it by reading the laws, and having no
recollection of ever distributing such docu-
ments.n
Qucstion-Did YOU ever have any CONVEX
sation with the printer, (Mr. Bingham)2
Answer-"My impression is that he never
mentioned il to me"
Testimony of Austin II. Brown, taken by
| the same committee.
IL know nothing as to how these Jonr-
mails came to be printed asked Mr. Lar
rabee why, at so late a day, he had ordered
them TO be printed. lie said that he had
been importuned by Mr.. Bingham to that
effect, but he never gave consent until the
Attorney General gave verbal opinion
/ that it was right. The conversation between
| Prof. Lsrrabee, and myself occurred about
six weeks ago, in the Treasurer of State 8
Office
Testimony OF Joseph j. Bingham, who,
with Mr.. Doughty, was doing the State
| printing.
Mr.. Larrabee suggested to ME the idea
of having the Documentary Journals print
ed some years ago. j did not commence
printing them until | consulted the Attor-
ney General as to the law on the subject
The matter Of re-printing the Documeriq. 7
Journals was first, think, suggested to me
by Mr.. Doughty
This evidence tells the whole story The
effect of this reprinting was the increase of
perquisites Of Office.
2. HOW TIE REPORT OF fUELIC OFFICER
or TIE PUBLIC PRINTER.
When Representative goes to indianap-
oils for the first time, he is amazed to find
in various rooms, cart loads of reports nn-
distributed. Among these, conspicuous for
their numbers and voluminous size, are the
annual reports of the Superintendents of
Public Instruction. The report of Mr.. Lar
rabee, in 1887, is especially deserving of no.
! tice, being made up into two large pamph-
! lets, OF rather books. One contains l43
pages; the other but little less.
In his first book, we find 40 page. of a
i reprint ut the decisions of the Supreme
: Court, which annihilated the scool laws; Q
4 pages OF a catalogue Of the hooks in the Dis
! trict School Libraries, published without
/ any alphabetical or other arrangement,
/ which could enable person to see whether
a certain book WAS in the library, and which
! list had been published before. In the sec
, ond book, the school law of 1855 is re-pub-
J lished, although it had for two years been
/ before the public, and almos! entirely rem
/ dered void by the decisions of the Court ::
: these decisions are again republished in full,
making altogether at least 200 pages OF use
( less matter, and which the Superintendent
had no authority TO publish in this or any
other way Whether Mr.. Larrabee "sug-
I yested the idea - of having the report
; stretched out in this manner, or whether
he had been iurI,ortuned by hr. Bingham
/ to that effect, or whether the suggestion
WAS first made by Mr.. Doughty, are ques-
tions that the people OF Indiana will answer
! each one for himself.