The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-12-13
il-i /, PR les
Tuesday Morning, December 10, 1870.
Too Many Commissioners.

TUESDAY morning, december IL, l81O.
Too Many Commissioners.
We deprecate any unfair construction OF
this article to begin with. We do so because
it is morally certain that nine-tenths of those
who do us the honor to lead it will mentally
query-"Who are they Mtting?" Dear read
er, we are shifting" nobody in the world
We have no particular case, actual or prospec-
tive in mind while VIC write. We have in
view only an entirely general notion that
wrong tendency of the kind we shall describe
exists.
The regular official force employed ia car
rying on the business of this State, though
entirely adequate to the necessities of the
case, is very small as compared with the Off
cial corps in many other States. Salaries,
too, are relatively very small, but as the work
is generally light, and the competition for the
different positions sufficiently lively, no harm
is known to result from the small pay. When
legislation requires the performance of extra
work, it has been usual 10 provide for spec
ial commission to take charge OF it. Within
few years number of permanent additions
have been made to the official force, besides
the extraordinary commissions. Among these
additions we may mention the creation of the
Offices OF Bank Examiner and Insurance
Commissioner, besides the County Super
wiser of Schools all of them entirely proper
and necessary, we should say.
But within the same period there has been
an amazing growth of special commissions, so
that each year we are led to wonder what
will come next, and whether some ingenious
but impecunious individual will not induce
the Legislature to authorize him to invest-
gate the growth and distribution of fungi in
Maine, or the local bearing of the scientific
doctrine of the conservation and correlation
of forces, at the public expense. Ex-members
of the Governors Council who "know the
ropes" are constantly on the lookout for these
chances, and as the matter of their compensa-
ton and perquisites is left so much to the Ills
erection of a body composed of gentlemen who
are their natural successors, it is no wonder
that precedents for good pay and generous
allowance of such small plumber as can es-
cape general observation in small and sharp
eyed State, are established. Many, and we
might say the most, of these commissions are
necessary, but their work is not done at the
modest prices which rule in this State for reg
mar official employment The legislative act
establishing commissions does not in any
case fix the exact limit of their compensation,
and if it undertakes to do so the meagre sum
is swelled by various kinds of perquisites,
which are distributed in lavish and irrespon-
sible way, and by the allowance of charges for
various kinds of Expenses" Besides, many
ofthe members of these commissions do writ
iagfor their pay. We have lately heard of
member of very important board whose only
anxiety seemed to be to find out whether he
was under pay" and how he could receive a
large compensation by rendering nominal
service. 1t will be found on examination that
while many commissioners are faithful in the
performance Of their duties, and get less than
they actually earn, there are many others
who, like the man above referred to, content
themselves with the assurance that they are
"ander pay"
In this way it is brought about, covertly
and without attracting too much attention,
that the government of State which is in
creasing very slowly in wealth and probably
at this time losing in population, grows every
year more expensive. We have no fault to
find with the commissions already provided
for, but we should regard it as bad sign if
the Legislature which is soon to assemble
should add materially to the number or con-
tfnue those that were called into existence by
exigencies that are passed. Exactly how
many are now authorized by law, we do not
know. The manual authorized by the State
gives no account of them. But from the
number tina. we can remember after mo-
ment's reflection we conclude that there are a
good many.
We end as we begun with the assurance
that we have no private prejudices to crafty
in this matter, and that with the exception of
the single case cited we have had no reference
to individuals in what is above written. And
If any Democrat shall esteem this a proper
occasion for discovering upon the "conces-
sions" of the Portland PRESS (''Radicar') as
to the corruption and depravity of the domi-
nant party In Maine, we have suggestion to
make that will settle him in no time.