The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-04-26
TEE WORK OF REFORM.

TEE WORK Of REFORM.
|. The General Assembly, which con-
yened in Columbia on last Tuesday, will
not, v suppose, undertake to remodel
the whole or even any considerable por-
ton of the permanent legislation for
there is a very general desire upon the
part of all our citizens that the session
should be as short as possible, and that
its time should, after the election of a
Chief Justice, be devoted to the passage
of the tax bill and the reduction of the
expenses ofgovernment. In other words,
the chief work of the session is expected
to relate to financial matters, and hence,
without discussing many measures which
we shall advocate at another time, we de-
sire to call attention to certain reductions
in public salaries, Offices, &C., which can
and should be made at once. We believe
that public officials should be paid what
ever the services to be performed are
worth, but not more. An office which
is laborious and commands high talent
should have higher salary than one in
which there is little to be done. Every
officer should understand that when he
accepts position from the people he may
expect to do as much work as the same
salary would require if it came from an
individual. The State ought not to pay
fancy salaries at any time, and especially
at this time the expenses of the govern
ment ought to be brought down to the
most rigid economy.
The salaries of the following State Off
cials should be reduced at the present
session as follows: Lieutenant-Governor
from $2,5OO to $500, in addition to his
salary as member of the Senate. He
does not do more work than all ordinary
Senator, as g general thing, and $500
would be good salary for his extra SER
vices. The book-keeper and additional
clerk Of the Comptroller General should
be abolished, saving s2,175. The Comp
troller and one clerk should do the work
of the Office. It is true they would have
to work, and could not get along with
keeping the Office open four or five hours
a day, but they had as we'll work as any
one else, and we do not believe Demo-
cratic incumbent would object to this re-
quirement. The book-keeper of the
Treasurer should be abolished, saving
$1,275. We think the Treasurer and one
clerk ought to be enough to disburse all
the money our people will be able to pay
in the way of taxes for years to come.
The Adjutaut and Inspector Generals
salary should be reduced from 81 200 to
$500 per year, in time of peace. 1t is a
perfect siaecure, and the people do not
care to pay for the luxury. His clerk
should be abolished, saving $1,000. The
clerk Supt. Education ought to be abol-
ished, savingS9OO. The Solicitors should
be reduced from 81 500 to $1,000, saving
$4,000.
The South Carolina College should for
the present be closed, thereby saving the
sum of $4,000. The school is doing no
good, and should be suspended until the
condition of our people is improved.
These reductions would save the peo-
pie the considerable sum of S51 $50.
In the County government still greater
reductions should be effected. The Treas
urer and Auditors Offices should be con-
solidated upon salary of $1,000, there
by saving in each County about $4,000,
or about $S7 ,450 in the State.
The School Commissioners Office should
be abolished, and a board of three COM
missioners of education, to serve without
pay, substituted, saving the State $50, 900.
The County Commissioners should
serve without remuneration, thereby
saving the State at least 100000. The
number could be enlarged, and the sys-
tenn remodelled so as to work very little
hardship upon those who accepted the
position. We believe numbers of good
men would be willing to serve.
The position Of Jury Commissioner
should be abolished, and the duty de-
volved upon the Sheriff, Clerk and
Chairman County Commissioners, sav-
ing the Sts:e $4,000.
These reductions would save $685.
The salary of members of the Legisla-
ture, clerks, &C., should be reduced to
four dollars per day; the sessions Of the
General Assembly should be held only
once in two years, and the length of the
session limited to sixty days. Not more
than two extra sessions between the reg
ular sessions should be allowed, and they
should not exceed thirty days each, and
should only be had upon the call of the
Governor with the sanction of a majority
of the Senate. This would, upon an
average, save at least $4,000 year.
Thus, more than quarter of million
dollars can be saved. There are still
other reductions which should be made,
but these are the largest items, and we
shall desist from further pursuing the
subject for this week.
The Order to Remove the Troops from
the State House in Louisiana.