The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-12

only whstsver: may b the merits 81 the
w. measures restoration of
tia ne inst essential to that end is the prac-
tlce OF G lose, methodical and persistent
economy: alike IN all public and private: az
In my judgment the conditions reou;site -,
the promotion OF the public welfare are nre-
cisely those essential to success in private A.
Aails. ,5Ia..@F3fav0I1 r. 40
Neither can permanently prosper unless
outlays are resolutely restricted to leqitimsie
income.
The obvious Inference, both from these con-.
times, is that the subject of retrepcLment ~
public expenses should occupy prominent
place in your deliberations. I am we'll awaro
that so lar as relates to the salaries Of sat-
officers and those of their EMPLOYEES. a r;r;J
economy has always been practiced. In All
the ordinary running expenses of the govern
ment, and especially in the employment Of
limited force for the performance of tie oner-
GUS labor required in the several State depart
ments, Minnesota may we'll challenge COM
parison for efficient and economical MANAGE.
ment with any State in the Union; vet in the
more general conduct of affairs / believe
there is room for retrenchment without inn
pairing the efficiency of the public service.
The first practical step in that direction in
obviously to abbreviate the length of the leo.
islative session. The constitutional Limitation IN
sixty days; yet know of no provisions in that
instrument, or elsewhere, rendering It oblioa.
tory upon the Legislature to consume the en-.
tire period to which they are thus limited.
Such, however, has been the invariable ems.
tom, without reference to the urgency or laxity
respectfully ask you to consider whether
all the business you will be called upon to
transact may not as well be completed in
much shorter time than that constitutionallv
allotted you. If the session could be con.
tracted to forty days, i: would result in direct
saving OF about $23 900 in legislative expenses.
for much apparent idieness during the earlv
part Of the session, is that business is being
matured by the several committees. This
plea has not the force usually claimed for 4
while it is notorious that the tardv consi.:era,
ton and frequent postponement Of important
measures not merely wastes valuable time, but
by crowding imperative business into the last
few days of the session, subjects it to the seri.
GUS risks incident to hasty legislation. Perhaps
the legislative session most characterized by
efficient and lab0rious management was the
extra session of 1862, tn duration of which
was but twenty days.
Some of the best considered and most i'm
portant legislation pertaining to that gloomy
and trying period in our history was enacted
during that short session. 1t is true that at
the preceding regular session, the two houses
had been organized, thus saving the time 1,su.
ally consumed in that process, nevertheless
am constrained to believe that the mastery
and speedy legislation of that brief session was
chiefly the result of resolute industry sprinqing
tom deep sense of grave and imperative.
duty. trust that motives no less commend
able may impel you to like dispatch of bust
ness. In this connection, if you should pre-
pare for submission to the people an amend
ment to the constitution providing for a
specified annual salary for members in lieu of
the present legislative per diem, or should
resubmit to them the amendment for biennial
sessions. either would meet my concurrence.
The first has been found to work we'll in other
States: Should the proposed salary be fully
equal to the total per diem now paid for a
less gain by reduction of printing and Incl
dental expenses Of the shorter sessions that
might be expected. With respect to the
second proposition, our State having now
passed that stage of development when the
necessities of constructive and experimental
legislation require frequent sessions, cannot
escape the conviction, Notwithstanding a re-
cent contrary verdict of the people, that a
resort to biennial sessions would he wise
step, both on the score of economy and the
avoidance of much needless and confused
legislation inevitable from the too frequent
amendment Of untried laws.
COST OF PRINTING.
Another large item of expenditure which in
my Judgment will admit of curtai!ment, is
that for the public printing, which has now
reached an annual sum approximatine $780,
COO. This has increased for some years past
out of all proportion to the advance in other
disbursements. The cost of the public print
ing proper of the several required classes has
swollen from "a ,s4e89, in 1868, to s2l, 9a7.a5,
in 1875, or, including cost of paper, from a
total of S., 1912, in 1868, to 81, 380.88 the
several departments, united in the volume as
Executive Documents" has grown in the
same period from single volume of 598 pages
to two ponderous collections of 900 pages
each. Much of this, it is true, is legitimate
increase, resulting from the creation Of new
departments, made necessary by the growth
Of the State, but it is for yoa to consider
curtailment of expense. The public printing
has always been done at comparatively low
rates, and these have moreover steadily
declined for many years past, but in conse-
quence of the enormous increase in its bulk,
the total cost, notwithstanding the reduced
rates, has rapidly increased as before shown.
So far as my knowledge extends, tie amount
of printing done in this State for public pur-
poses, considerably exceeds the aggregate in
other States of similar size and wealth.
If the tabulated and minute details which
swell the bulk and increase the cost of most of
the reports, could properly be condensed or
abridged, it would cause a not uncomfortable
reduction of the total cost of printing, while,
if the numerous local, municipal and private
purposes which annually absorb so large
share of your deliberations, and swell the bulk
of printing, could receive consideration in