The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-02-04

Upon pay or Auditor OF state. $4,000
pom salaries of Agent OfState,
Military Claim Agent. Adiu-
tant and Quartermaster Gen
eraIS OlnceS. iOsVVV
Upon state printing and bind
ing, including job work,
printing paper, and station
cry %',OVV
Total annual savings to the state
on these
We estimate hat a general law
covering these expenditures and Office
over the whole State, would
save fully 81, 000, 900 annually to the
people.
The Committee believe that the
County Commissioners ought to be
restricted in their expenditures. so
that they could not build a court
house, or expensive buildings or
bridges, without a vote of the people;
and that they should not be allowed
to issue bonds for any purpose with
out q vote first being had. A general
restraining enactment, limiting them
to a reasonable maximum amount of
expenditure, whould save largely.
Their power in the matter of dona-
ton should be especially restricted.
Township Trustees should be re-
stricted, and in no case be allowed to
build or repair extensive school build
ings in any school district beyond the
expressed IRISH of the UOters thereof.
All fuel should be furnished and
building and repairing done under
contract, with the lowest responsible
bidders, after due notice had been
given.
Common Council should not be al
lowed to make a tax levy of more
than 81 on each 800 valuation a year.
They should not be allowed to make
donations, except under due r%estrlc-
tons, and In no case should they be
permitted to issue bonds without a
voice of the people being first had IN
favor of the same.
Your committee find that the school
fund loses hundreds of thousands of
dollars each year, by the total failure
to collect and place in the Treasury
the forfeited recognizances or bail
bonds taken by the court In criminal
cases. This arises from the lameness
of the laws. These should be so
amended as to authorize tho courts
taking bail to collect all forfeitures
by summary process, and to require
| the County Prosecutors to bring suits
on such bonds in any court, and COM
pensate them for this extra service by
giving a commission Of ten per cent.
on all collections paid by them into
the County Treasury.
An additional amount of revenue
might be derived in many counties by
a different mode of assessing the stock
of certain incorporated companies.
Joint stock companies should be as
sessed at their Offices. Or, if this be
thought impracticable, the officers of
such company should be compelled,
under severe penalties, to furnish to
the County Auditor a complete list of
all the stockholders, and of the amount
of stock held by each.
The committee have taken the lib
erty of stating suggestions upon many
matters upon which opinions will be
found to differ, but that there is room
for reform and retrenchment they are
more than ever convinced.
We do not doubt the personal in
tegrity and character of officers,
and know that any persons In the
same positions would accept the fees
the law provides. Yet it is not to be
expected that those gentlemen will
heartily approve a reduction.
1t will be perceived that our lead
ing object has been to recommend
definite salaries, such as good citizens
need not be ashamed of to offer to
public servants, and we desire to avoid
fees and perquisites of which the pub
lie can know but little.
This meeting will probably deem it
advisable to appoint a committee to
confer with the proper committees of
the Legislature In relation to any en-
a~ctInents which may be deemed ad-
visable.
The committee think the persons
WHO enjoy the distinction of public
office, should be paid by the public at
rates such. as are plid by substantial
private citizens who require the SER
vices Of qualified men and pay them
the price for which services can be
fairly obtained.
The great objection to exhorbitant
pay is that it leads to political corrup-
tion. The failure to collect forfeited
recognizanoes gives immunity to
crime.
In conclusion, we would call atten-
ton to the important fact that heavy
taxes tend to weaken the attachment
and love the people have for our in.
stitutions; and while we believe that
our people are willing Il support our
schools literally, and to pay other
necessary expenses, yet it cannot be
denied that there IS a growing discon-
tent In relation to the amount of taxes
annually collected, and we believe it
to be the duty of those in authority to
reduce expenses In every department
of State, county, and municipal affairs
to the lowest practicable amount.
Let economy be the watchword of
every public servant. We deprecate
penuriousness, but abhor extrava-
gance and waste.
Public offices should be admins
tered more in the interest oF the
people, and less in the interest of the
ofice-holder, and officers should be
held to a strict accountability.
A. ID. S%TREIGHT,
A. Il. VINToN,
SIMON YANDEs,
j. w. MURPHY,
AUSTIN Ii. Brown,
Committee.
THERE are now twenty-five Legis-
l~atures in session, a larger number
than were ever before assembled at
any one time since the formation of
the Union. The following is the
entire list, with dates of commence
ment of sessions. Only five of the
number are Democratic:
Illinois, January 4; Minnesota,
January A.; Tennessee, January 4;
North Carolina, January 4; Florida,
January 4; Louisiana, January 4;
Nevada, january 4; Delaware. Jam