St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-10-11


serving poor.
To enable the Speaker to make up
the committees of the House, Ga work
of more than usual hardship where
there are so many new and unknown
members,) both Houses adjourned over
from Friday afternoon to Monday after
noon, and large majority of the MEM
bers availed themselves of the oppor-
tunity to go home: Probably on their
return, after the committees shall have
been announced, the business of the
session will begin in earnest. Among
the more prominent subjects that will
come up for consideration, will be that
of
SALARIES AND FEES.
Governor Proctor has called atten-
ton in his message to some items of the
increase in state expenses in the last
few years, but without being quite def
mite as to the proposed remedy. That
some radical changes are required to
give the people relief from the burdens
of taxation, is too apparent to need
mention; but what those changes shall
be, is not so clear to the casual observ-
er. In the opinion of your cOrrespon-
dent the defect is more in the manner
in rhich the present la,cs are executed,
than it is in the laws themselves. The
frequent changes in our State officials,
while it may be pleasant for those who
may be rotated into the offices, is too
often very costly luxury for the peO-
pie. Two years ago, the legislature
saw fit to displace competent and eff
ficient State Auditor in the person of
Hon. w. G. Ferrin, of Montpelier, who
had proved himself to be a careful
Watchdog of the Treasury, and put in
his place new man, in the person of
Hon. Jed P. Ladd of Alburgh, who was
regarded at the time, by the best men
of the state, as a very Indifferent man,
and whose record has shown the ahsO-
lutte necessity of a change in that re-
spect, if in no other. That Mr.. Ladd
should allow the officers of the state to
run the court expenses of 1873 up to a
figure S35, 900 in excess of that of 1876,
shows pretty clearly that it was quite
as congenial to himself to enjoy his ease
in his Office at Alburgh, as to thorough
" investigate the items allowed by him
for the various County Courts. A careful
examination of the Auditors Report
will show other equally conspicuous
evidences of want of scrutiny and care
on the part of the present Auditor, in
the allowance of claims; and ! suspect
that there is sharp point to the very
forcible criticism of this matter of court
expenses in Gov. Proctor's message,
when he says: "nO further comment on
court expenses IS needed"
There is an outspoken determination
on the part of the Legislature to reduce
the burdens of taxation, and to this end
they will undoubtedly make an effort
to put the salaries of our state officials
back TO somewhere neal the anti bellum
figures. Any considerable reduction of
salaries will be strenuOusly opposed by
the present incumbents of the offices {;
but they might as well yield, with as
good grace as possible, to what l think
they will find to be the inevitable Aud
this leads me to speak of one of the
greatest hindrances to efficiency on the
part of our state officers. l refer to the
SCRAMBLE FOR OFFICE.
The pressure upon some of the State
officials, for place and patronage, is so
strong that to resist is to at once retire
| from office and to yield to it is to bring
that department into inefficiency. No
more forcible illustration of this fact can
be found than in the unusual demand
made upon Seargent-at-arms T. C.
Phinney, for places i'll his department
during the present session. More than
Il hundred applicants for some twenty
places in his gift, rendered the task of
selection not by any means an easy one.
Nor has his choice always been judi
cious. The worthy son of poor wild
ow, whose fathers bones lie bleaching
on IA Southern battle field, and whose
needs ought to have gained him place
and whose experience was his best rec
ommend, is set aside to give place to
the son of a man who holds one of the
best United States government offices
in this state, but who could present a
larger list of Influential names in his ia
vor; and an equally worthy son of a
manned soldier gives place to the clam
or of State official, who enjoys an an
nual salary of $1,000, that his own son
may accompany him to Montpelier and
draw his mileage and debentures. MOI
is this all one of the appointees has to
be removed the second day of the ses-
sion for drunkenness,-an offense ia
which he was well known to be addict
ed i; and another man enjoys place
who has, in years past, rented his tene-
ments to ''wOmen of easy virtue" and
who has heretofore stood in the State
House as guide-post, pointing the IL
centiOus to places of prostitution, which
the town authorities would long since
have broken up but for such helps
Personal influence and favoritism, rath-
er than efficiency and worth, are too
often the passports to success in obtain
ing the offices of emolument and trust ;