The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-01-07

This is the season of retrenchment and
economy. Municipalities, merchants, man
ufacturers, all business men, and even news
paper proprietors, are cutting down their
forces to the least available, and otherwise
reducing expenses wherever Practicable
nay, possible. Our Legislature will meet in
few days. The members should fall in
with the spirit of the age and the demands
of the people, and reduce force and expenses
in every way not detrimental to the public
service. There are so many useless holes
into which the money of the Commonwealth
flows increasingly, that we cannot enum rate
them all, but there are a few 50 open and
large that they first attract attention. When
the Legislature convenes they should stop
them at once they should legslate on the
following points:
|. Cut off all the supernumerarie7, such
as the extra array of pasters folders, door
keepers, assistant sergeants-at-arms, etc.
These are the drones that eat up the honey
of the working bees. They are as useful as
| a city snob on farm.
ii. Reduce the salaries of all the officials
about the State Capitol, where it can be
| done. Laborers, artisans, ordinary clerks,
all classes of hired service must now take
less for the same amount of work, and most
| of these are producers too, why should not
the public official, who is no producer?
III. Let each Legislator refuse to take
the 800 allowed him in postage stamps.
This costs the State S25, 100 per session
while S25 per man, or S6275 is amply suf-
fcient. As it is stingy members hoard and
sell their surplus, and generous ones give
them away to friends and needy and seedy
reporters.
w. A little package of stationery, is
given each member each winter, for which
the State is charged S25 each man in the
aggregate, $8275. Now each package is
worth no more than s., or $l255 in all
Thus the State is cheated out of 5000 again.
Let the members do without these, and buy
their stationery, as do honest people, who
scorn to sponge.
V. Purdon's Digests cost $4 copy Each
UlemDer Wantb one OF more, anu usualIy Vote
for them, pilng up a bill of s35l4 against
the State annually. The members should
buy their own Purdon's or do without
them.
vi. The spirit and the letter of our new
Constitution require that the fees of county
officials should be turned into The county
city, or State treasures. A bill providing
| for this pas once passed, but owing to the
bargain betweenHartranft and our city ring,
whereby he hoped to secure reelection,
this was vetoed. Such bill should be
passed this winter, and since Hartranit can =
not run again, he will, perhaps, approve it.
1t will save the people hundreds of thou
sands by reduction Of taxes.
1t is the duty of the whole Legislature to
attend to these matters at once. The people
demand it, 1t is especially the duty of the
Democratic House, who are pledged to re-
rrenchment and reform. Otherwise, they
will soon wander in barren plains, where
none Of the grass for political fattening
grows and none of the fragrant roses of po-
litical honors are to be called. The people
will drive them into the political desert to
fast for more than forty days.-Philadelphia
Chronicle.