Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-03-20
sol sFz<S 49,
The Rovi3ion Of the Statutes.

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the publication Of the revised statues
is very great, but it is no greater
now than it has been for the past five
years. It is advisable to have the
work done on the report as early as
possible and to place it into the
hands Of the printers, but it is prob
able that under the present plan this
may cost altogether too much. Since
we have waited some years for this
work when the necessity has been as
great as now, it is no killing matter
to wait seven months longer if any
thing is to be saved by waiting. 1t
is fully as important that the work
should be done we'll as that it should
be bone at all In the effort to COM
plete the work in time for the pres
ent Legislature to take final
action, sufficient time has not been
allowed and errors may have been
incorporated solely because of the
hurried manner of work. It does
not seem probable that the report
will be completed before June, and
it is proposed to adjourn the Legis-
lature and call an extra session when
the revision is complete.
1t was sensibly suggested that
recess be decided on, SO as to save
the State the mileage of the members,
but it was urged that the pay of the
employees would continue during the
recess which would amount to nearly
as much as tho mileage. OF course
this Is q mere lame excuse to enable
the members to draw mileage. There
is no law and no regulation requir-
ing the payment of employees during
q recess. Employees Of all legislative
bodies are entitled to pay only for
the number of days in actual session.
And at any rate there is no law
which compels the Legislature to
have employees at all. If it chooses
to discharge all of them on taking
recess, it can do so. It would have
been only proper to have decided on
recess if it was the determination
of the present body to act on the
revision to have discharged all en-
ployes and to surrender tho mileage,
, especially sincealmost every member
if not every u,spbsg,is supplied with
q deao-head pass to and from his
home. NJ
1t is safe to estimate the expense
Of the extra session ut $4,000
it will probably be more than
that. The mileage of the members
will amount to more than $4,000,
and the pay of the employees, if the
session is as long as we estimate
twenty days-will be over $4,000.
Gas, stationery and the innumerable
small expenses, viii swell the total
to fully $4,000. This sum, to the
member of the Legislature, may
seem a small one, especially as it
comes from lthe state. Still it is
worth saving when it is considered
that the avoidance OF the second ses-
sion will relieve the men who are at
work on the report of the hurry
which endangers the accuracy and
value of the revision. All the time
that is necessary to insure accuracy
should he taken, and when the re-
port is complete, the Governor can
discharge the revisors. The next
Legislature can then act intelligently
on the report. The delay will not
be greater than seven months and it
will insure accurancy and saving
to the State of at least $4,000. No
thing is ever gained by rushing
through an important work like this,
which will do service for a number
of years if properly executed and no
service at all If incorrect in any par
ticular.--INihcdukee Sentinel