Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-26

Total. .sl39, 700
1t should not be forgotten that the CON-
mission and Confederate home came in
answer to the demands of the state Demo-
cratic platform.
From the above list it will be seen that
during Governor Ross term of office seven
state institutions and bureaus to be ever
afterwards permanent charge on the tax
payers were created, to say nothing of
the oil inspection bureau, which took
from the people annually sum variously
estimated at from twenty-five TO fifty
thousand dollars, but which cannot be
ascertained on account of the fact that
the bureau was turned loose on the public
with power to collect fees
USDEE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS
without having to render an account of its
operations. To this good day the oil inspec-
ton bureau has made no report of receipts,
and the sum which it has cost the people is
a sealed book, never, perhaps, to be opened.
1t is the only instance in the history of the
state where a taX-eating bureau was fast
ened on the public with no supervisory
check upon the amounts which it should re-
ceive for services rendered.
Perhaps the present administration may
venture without seeming too bold, to claim
the credit of abolishing this useless and eX-
pensive bureau.
During the present administration only
three new arms of government have been
created, two of which were in response
to the
DEMANDS OF THE PEOPLE
formulated in their party platform, and the
other state revenue agent was deemed by
the legislature as necessary to stop leak
ages. And let it be remembered that the
commission and revenue agent are tax saw
ing instead of tax eating institutions. If
they do not save many thousands to the
people and make them all the richer there
for, then their creation was in vain.
The fignres above cited are for two years,
the period for which appropriations are
made.
IT is PROPER
to say in this connection that the statement
with reference to Governor Ross admins
tration was in no wise meant as dispar-
agement thereof, but to show the ground
leSsness of the charge against the present
administration of extravaganza in creating
what were called ornamental appendagesn
to the government. The fact is with the eX-
ception of the oil bureau, the institutions
created under the Ross administration were
the outgrowth of necessities arising from
the rapid growth of the state and which
will continue to arise from time to time as
the state shall grow in industry, wealth
and population.
OFFICES CREATED
leading statement yet printed about the
present administration is one which
credits it with increasing over two hun
dred new official berths to swell the infu-
ence of the appointing power. The ex
aggeration in this will appear when it is
shown that of the officials provided for
at the late session of the legislature, the
following only are to be appointed by the
governor:
Railr I'D commissioners. ..........3
Codifiers of state laws. ......3
Commissioners Of appeals. .......
State revenue agent. ................1
Office assistant to attorney general. ..... l
Total II
In addition to the above, six new district
judges were provided for. Their offices
will have to be filed by appointment
UNTIL THE NEXT ELECTION.
The necessity for these additional Judges
was not created by the administration. 1t
existed prior thereto. and had to be met.
More judicial districts were needed con-
venient to the people for settling questions
of personal and property rights. They be-
came necessary because of the increasing
population in some Of the older counties
and the organization of new ones in the
west where majority of the districts have
been created. In 1887 there were 1872 organ
lied counties in the state and at present
there are POS
THE APPROPRIATION BILL
made provisions for six pensioners, about
forty employees of all sorts at the new
Southwestern asylum, as well as for an
additional clerical force in several depart
ments and state Institutions. But is the
governor, who has no more to do with the
employment Of clerks, cooks, hod-carriers,
hostlers and gardeners in all these places
than the mikado Of Japan-is he to be cred
tied on the score Of patronage with their
appointment If so, then let every cook,
scullion and butler be elected by the people.
There is no other balm in Gilead for this
outrageous wrong against the tax payers.
SUMMARY.
It has now been shown that the appro-
priations for the current year and the next
exceed the appropriations for the past two
years by $3.50, 000, and that of this sum
S645 900 were for extraordinary expenses
incurred in various ways, and apart from