The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-01-24
INC Auditor Generals Report.

the wear ending November 30th, 1878, Is
very different document from all former
reports emauating from the same Office,
and il it were possible a copy of It ought
To be furnished TO every taxpay er in the
State. The report, as IS required, was ad
dressed to the Govegnor, but that function
ary in his message TO the Legislature, fail
ed entirely to direct It's attention 10 the dif-
ferent methods pointed out by Nh. ScheH
whereby the public treasury is annually
sviudled out Of thousands Of dollars. Mr..
Scheu is the first Auditor General who has
had the courage 10 direct public attention
to this systematic plundering, and a silen-
did opening is now offered to some Demo-
cratic member Of the Legislature to make
a State reputation for himself by attempt
ing TO reform the abuses complained Of
Is there any such Democrat in either house
who will take hold Of the subject, and
press it with all the vigOr aud energy
which it demands? lie may not succeed
with a Republican majority against him,
but he can at least compel the enemies Of
legislative reform to put themselves on re-
cord, and that is something worth strug-
CLING for. The many ways in which the
peoples money under Republican rule at
Harrisburg is shamelessly squandered-the
rapid and fearful increase in the expenses
of the Legislature-the enormous amounts
paid for public printing, and reckless cx-
travagance in other maJters-call trumpet
tougued for a radical reform, and that rep
reseutative viii be faithless to his first and
highest duty to his constituents and the
interests of the State who VIII not make an
honest effort to effect a change in the pres
ent discreditable system.
Mr.. Schen states that the incidental ex
penses of the Legislature for she year
amounted to S2S, ,l5l.54; for keeping up
the public grounds. S13, 600; for orstationery,
furniture and repairs, $43 934.58; aud
that for adcertisiHq for proposals fer these
} last items Sl1, ,4tO.39 was paid ouS Of the
/ treasury. Here is an expenditure Of over
500, 600, for which oHc-th Third of that amount
Z would be more than sufficient. For pub
fishing the appraisers list Of mercantile
and other license tax for 1878 there was
paid SS4, 1S9 OF, of which sum Philadel-
pnia -ewspapers received S54, 936, 90. In
+ this item there could, uuder a proper sys-
tenn, be a saving to the Stare of al least
so, 900. For printing paper aud material
for 1878 the cost was SjS ,4t9.91, and for
public printing the enormous amount Of
$145, ,I79. 70.
/ The sum Of 351, ,675.85 was paid to the
soldiers orphans schools, and this too
/ thirteen years after the schools were es-
tabished, and during which time the
number Of orphans vas annually growing
+ less. We honestly believe that the State
/ is swindled ont of 500 600 every year by
the managers Of these schools.
/ The cost last year for publishing that
most useless Of all things, the Legjslatics
Record, as the contractor made out his bill,
was over S38 900, but Mr.. Schen struck
from it for double charges the sum of 81
5l3.6O, reducing the amount to S34, 091 20,
which is at least 500, 900 moro than it
ought to be. These payments foot up
about seUeH hundred and thirty thousand
4 dollars, the one third, if not more, Of
which could be saved to the State under
. Il'ptl itE lNlttllOti.
Mr.. Schell makes specific reference to
. tie matters we have mentioned, but there
are others not to be lost sight Of. There
are twice as many subordinate officers Ill
each hOnse as are needed, OF Lave any
thing to do except to draw their salary
The rush for these positions has become 50
general, that member is considered to be
a very one e-hOrse affair if he can't get one
of his blowers and strikers into job for
+ the session at a good salary. There is a
small regiment Of pastors and folders, with
a superintendent in each house, and there
are janitnrs and watchmeu and other su
peIuumeraries, with nothing for fully one
+ half of them to do. What member will
try to change this disgracCfui state Of af-
fairs? Who VIII cleanse the two houses,
as well as the other departments at Harris
burg, as thoroughly as Hercules cleause
the stables of Augeus? 1t is a labor that
commends itself to he Democratic mem
bers of the Legislature, rs any efforts at
reform by the Republicans is not to be ex-
uected, aud when commenced ought u be
fought to the bitter eud, compelling the
Republicans either to stand up as the
friends Of retreuchment aud reform, or to
put themselves on record as antagouislic
to both.