The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-02-18
LEGISLATIVE EXTRAVAGANCE.

The Madison correspondent of the
Evening Wisconsin has the following
| concerning the extravaganza INDUCED
| II by our Legislature
| Some time ago [ said I should devote
some httle..time and space to an account
Of the many extrayagances Of the Legis-
lature. [ propose to do it now. It is
absolutely wicked for our lawmakers to
permit many useless expenditures that
are now (and have been) customary.
Just look at the following figures, which
have merely reference to the Legislature,
leaving entirely out of question the
State Departments There are 1873
is allowed $50 worth Of stationary, $25
worth Of stamps, and $40 worth Of news
papers making $75 In all, or a total of
$3.50. There are 81 employees, % Of
them being messengers or pages the
other As are allowed $15 worth of station
ary and S. worth of stamps, the messen-
gers being allowed s. worth OF station
cry. Thus. the allowances to employees
foot up ,O10. Each correspondent of
the daily papers is allowed $40 worth of
stationery and 80 worth of stamps.
There are, say, twelve such correspon-
dents here, making total of $3.50.
There are 49 committees, each one being
allowed $40 worth of stationary, (they
used to draw $3.50 worth each,) making
$3.50 and then there are seven or eight
clerks Of committees, who are allowed
$15 worth of stationery and So worth Of
stamps, making $3.50 more, and the
elected officers swell the amount by $3.50.
Thus we have q grand total of fS12, l75
These figures are merely those of the
extravagances-the things which ought
to be almost entirely abolished. / have
made no reference to salaries, ETC., that
being an entirely different subject and
one that should receive attention. why,
Just think Of it. The clerks OF commit
tee are allowed 81 per day, and some of
them haven't three hours work per
week to do y I would admit that the
members ought to be allowed say $40,
for everything, making a total of 81 $50;
and $50 would fit out the committees !;
thus 81, $50 would be a most liberal al
lowance. In other words, the sum OF
$40 795 is literally thrown away IN less
than two months And I wish it borne IN
mind that this is but one expense !! Why
should the members be given $40, IN or
der to subscribe for the Atlantic Month
~; Harper's Bazaar, New York Ledger,
etc, That's what they do Why should
corr espondents be allowed to draw nti-
ner us gold pens, knives, (and they used
to J We gold tooth-p1cks) 20 give away
te II friends We all call it ''swag, :"
ana certainly that's the name for it.
Members have been known to sell their
orders for cash; and the bookstore man
would make money out OF it, for the ar
ticies are put in at a very low price
almost so per cent. below the usual cost.
Over $4,000 thrown away in two
months-on one extravaganza! And yet
people complain of taxation! Bah! And
this year there is less spent than hereto
fore. The Sergeant-at-Arms used to
draw an allowance under two seperate
laws-S65 worth III all; this year Mr..
Knight, the Superintendent of Public
Property (and a most worthy official, J
cut down on this ''grab, and now each
Sergeant draws but S45 worth Of stuff.
Last year the Assembly cut down on
the allowance of members to $s35-bu5
the Senate, Republican, more's the
shame y refused to concur, and the
measure was lost.
The above facts Will give the reader
an idea how money goes. Mr.. Calklns
in his resolutions last evening, stated
that it cost the state 81, 800 per day to
run the Legislature, and that, conse-
quently, every adjourned day, was so
much money lost. This is not the case.
Taking out the salaries of members, etc,
all that is to be paid, whether the Leg
islature is in session or not, and we ind
that the expenses are about 800 per
day. Therefore, when the Legislature
adjourns from Friday until Tuesday, the
money thrown away is 81, 400 (not in
Guiding Sunday, OF course.)
| The other matters of expense, such as
paying 50 per day TO the messengers,
So. so and 81 per day to the others, when
their service could be secured at g. much
less rate, [ won't touch upon. My ides
was to show the amount Of menoy ex
| pended for which there is not the slight
est exclse. Surely our members ough
to change this abuse.