Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-16
THEPE0PLE'S COLUMN
A Number of Expressions Upon Var
iOuS Subjects of Interest.
ONE AGAINST TIE NEW ROAD PLAN
The Appeal of Butler Comfy Producer
to His Associates. @
SOME SEEKERS AFTER INFORMATION
ONE AGAINST TIE NEW ROADPLAN
SOME SEEKERS AFTER IMPORTATION
Against the New Road Plan.

Against the New Road Plan.
70 the EditoraOf The Dispatch:
i read your recent editorial, 1.-THE New
Road Plant should have read 1.-THE New
Loot PIan," scheme to loot the public
treasury by the creation of more public Of
ficials to be maintained at public expense
l would like to ask the editor or the Farm.
e-s' Alliance a few practical questions,
which the editor is at liberty to answer on
this one condition-that his reply will not
be the one universally made by the boodler
politician, to wit: ''0h, he is kicker, or
he is opposed to public improvements" NV
first question-LS it in the interest of the
people or State to increase the horde of
public officials? Sccond-Does it not
in every instance cost the city, county
or State more Tor work or service per-
formed than it does the citizens 10 do the
same work? Is it net fact that in addition
TO the cost o. the work or improvement in
hand, there are additional public off cials
TO be supported at the public expense after
the work is done? Third-Art not the
people living along the line of the
township roads as much interested in
having them in good condition as any
other class, and viii not their needs
insure The roads being put in as good con-
dition and at much less expense than if done
by the State, with its high-salared officials?
Fourth-Is not the compelling Of people to
do for themselves what Is necessary for their
own comfort better than having them
depend upon the State to do it
tor them; in word. is not
the Parental Government Theory
under any pretext evil and only evil, and
opposed to the best interests OF our people
and nation? tlfth-If it is true that the
State has to pay more than double for all
classes OF service or work performed, is not
that an unanswerable reason WHY the State
should keep hands of and compel the
citizens to provide for themselves? Sixth
In view of the danger TO our civil institu-
tions and the continual threatening to the
safety of our nation and people, caused bv
the strife between the two political parties,
resulting in such unbridled license with
public money, disclosed in the Delamater
Company lootIng the public treasury out Of
100000, is not that an unanswerable reason
why every patriotic citizen and newspaper
should resist every device Tor increasing the
horde of public officials?
As an incentive to the editor to answer
above questions allow me to call YOUR atten-
tion, and through you the attention of the
Farmers Alliance, and all other patriotic
citizens, TO the proposed increase of the sala-
rles of our county public officials 1t is an
open secret, that under pretense of the late
census returns, an act of the Legislature of
1881 is to be taken advantage OF and con-
strued, so as to do service in doubling upthe
salaries of the county officials 100 per cent.
in ! conversation recently, upon this
proposed increase, with County Con-
troller Speer, 1 asked him the
following questions: What he thought
of the salary of the Controller at 81, 600 per
year. as at present paid? He replied that
he thought his salary for the service rem
dered was very fair compensation, as was
also the salaries OF all the other county
officials, as compared with the labor and |
hours OF work. He said he thought the
county officials were paid above what the
same service, either in banks, railroads or
other private enterprises paid. He said be
was not in favor of low salaries in the |
public service, but he thought the increas- |
ing of Controllers salary from s., 600 to |
SS 600, and Sherif's salary from Sc, 500 to |
$4,000, and County Commissioners from |
8, 500 to $1,000 per year, and all the other |
oflclals In same proportion, was a very |
great wrong and ought not to be permitted |
Allow me, Mr.. Editor, to ask. in view of |
the fact that these same county officials are |
already cutting each others throats to |
see who will secure the office, why the |
people should allow this outrage to be |
perpetrated. Is not the fact that tens of |
thousands of men, Iaboring men, like those |
coal miners in the anthracite coal regions, |
who have just received notice that they are |
TO be thrown out OF work, a reason why all |
classes Of citizens should resist the increase i
OF public burdens upon our industries which |
will not afford the people depending upon |
them decent living? Is not this class of |
citizens more worthy of consideration than
the boodler class, who, under one pretext or
another are continually laying seige TO the |
public treasury? Hoping The DISPATCH |
will take up this subject and arouse public |
interest before this scheme has been con-
summated, l am, with respect,
j. B. COREY.
PITTsBURG, Dec. Is.