St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-22
CHEAP JOHN ECONOMY
The House Committee on Leg
islative Expenses Reports
In Favor
Of Cutting OFF Nine-Tenths Of
the Employees Of That
Body.
Jared Benson Covers the Mem
bers With Spleen and
Temper,
And the Report Is Radically
Amended, but Not
Adopted.

The main clements of success in poker
are: First, good luck; second. good cards;
third. plenty OF cheek; and fourth, good
emper.-Scheneh on Draw Poker.
In introducing yesterday the report
of the house committee on legislative
expenses, Representative Jared Benson
was without good luck, held poor cards
had plenty of cheek and lost his temper.
1t was, not surprising, then, that the
house, while not killing the report,
plastered it with amendments which
practically leaves the list of house en-
plOyeS as they are. with the exception
of eight or ten committee clerks, whose
services have not been needed and who
undoubtedly have held sinecures. The
criticism passed upon Mr.. Benson's
raid, report and irascible speeches OF
yesterday was that he was fighting a
windmill. While the house has
been in session over thirty
days he has not yet made
a criticism upon the extravaganees
in the state institutions; the complex
and fooiisl. financial system of the
treasury: the private Sinecure of the Oil
inspectors office; the continued IN
crease in the salaries of state officials
and tile proposition to raise the tax rate
of the state. These are the real eXtray-
aganceS OF the legislation well indicated
by the fact that the senate has already
before it appropriations amounting to
nearly two million dollars. Mr.. Benson
has been silent ON these important sub
jects. His attack upon the legislative
expenses for this reason lost its force
and there was prevalent feeling that
he was only trying to wreak vengeance
upon certain members, or to make q
record himself in quarter where those
attacked could not reply. The employ
ees of the house at the present time are
46. including the speaker. Their total
pay for the ninety days would be be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000 according to
the official pay roll. The pages are
paid but $3.50 a day, where they received
IS day in 1887; a large number of
the committee clerks receive but So, in
stead of the s5 of 1887; the doorkeepers.
ETC., have been cllt toss; and as Repre-
terday the extra expenses of the house
have been $3.50 per day less than two
years: ago. Mr.. BensOn's proposition of
yesterday was to cut off the total eX-
penSe account about $4,000, but, as
shown by Representatives Fleming,
Crossfeld, III. F. Stevens, Sevatson,
Flynn and others, it at the same time
crippled the house seriously. There
was no denial that there was useless
clerks, and the house will get rid of
them Monday, but not as Mr.. Benson
has recommended.
A curious feature of this latest mania
is that on Jan. Is, as chairmOn of the
committee on rules, he reported to the
house in favor of the appointment of the
bulk of these employees. and that he was
the first to suggest to the house the ap-
pOintment of speakers clerk.
The report submitted to the house
Yesterday was exactly as the GLOBE
published it Wednesday morning, day
in advance of its public announcement
by the committee. The report is:
The committee on legislative eXpen-
ses, in accordance with the resolution
passed by the house Feb. II, 1889, beg
leave to submit the following report:
Having investigated the number of
clerks and other employees now on the
pay roll of the house. and the necessity
for the same, are of the opinion that the
clerks of all the committees. excepting
those of the Judiciary, enrolment and
engrossment, are unnecessary; also the
comparing clerk of the enrolling clerk,
doorkeeper of the pOstOffice, gallery, and
one doorkeeper of the door at the main
entrance of the house, speakers clerk
and two pages, and recommend that the
same be discharged. We also recon-
mend that the assistant sergeant at
arms act as one of the dOOrkeeperS
when not employed in the other duties
of his Office.
G. r. DAVIS, j. F. SHOEMAKER,
JARED BENSON, j. II. PHILLIPS,
ALvAH EASTMAN, JOHN MCNELLY,
NJ. +. GREEIY.
The amendments made by Repre-
sentatives Fleming. Stevens, Sevatson
and Comstock, and which will be
adopted Monday are, in part. from the
house rules, adopted Jan. 10, and i'll
part, original. They are:
The speaker shall appoint employees
with compensation as follows:
One clerk speaker, S. per day.
Three dOOrkeepers. So per day.
One gallery keeper, So per day.
Three cloak room keepers, So per day.
Six pages. $3.50 per day.
Two assistants to care for committee
rooms, S. per day.
Clerks for appropriation, Judiciary,
railroad. engrOSSment, enrolment,
grain and warehouse, agricultural and
manufactures, postmaster's assistants,
s5 per day.
JARED BENSON, d. F. MORGAN,
w. r. ESTES, E. +. CoMsTOCK.
A. S. CROSSFIELD.
Passed Jan. Is, 1889.
Also reading clerk, reappOrtionment
clerk, assistant clerk of the Judiciary,
and file keeper.
The passage of these amendments
will abolish the clerkships of the COM
mittees on public accounts, education,
state prison. appropriations, labor, and