The Portland daily press., 1892-09-07

This table SHOWS LnaG salaries are no
higher now than fourteen years ago, as
whole, and the Governors salary is
much less. He gets now almost half as
much as some of the commercial travell-
ers receive.
In 1878, the revenue of the secretary of
states Office, paid into the treasury was
$4,000. In 1891, the same revenue,
with only one additional clerk, was $S3,
44s.Oo-enough to pay the salaries of all,
or nearly all of the state officers.
In other words, in 1878, it cost to pay
salaries in Secretary of States Office
nearly $1,000 more than that Office earned
in 1891, after paying all salaries in that
Office, tie office paid into the treasury
$26, $4,000. This sum, $33, 446.00 came
not from the farmer and laborer, in the
form of taxes, but under laws passed by
Republican Legislatures, was gathered
mainly from capitalists and corporations
largely resident out of the State.
The superintendent of schools receives
athe same now as then in 1878, but his
labors under recent laws, have been
doubled, as is true of every department,
and in addition to Office work the law re-
ouires him to spend 11S days in work all
over the state. The land agent receives
fifty per cent. less now than in 1878, but
his additional duties as forest commits
sioner, under new laws, make his labor
almost if not quite equal to those of his
predecessor in '7S.
The superintendent of public build
ings receives now two hundred dollars
more than in 1S7S,an addition or increase
of one-fifth in pay, while his work has
been increased by one-half, owing to the
new State House addition.
The insurance commissioner in 1878
received in fees no one knows how much
but in 1891 after receiving a salary of
$1,000, he turned into the State treasury
several thousands of dollars. The liquor
commissioner in 1878, received in fees,
. no one knows what, buta very large sum
as is commonly supposed. In 1891 after
taking out salary of $500 he too turned
into the State treasury several thousands
of dollars.
The railroad commissioners salaries
and clerks pay have been increased from
$1,000 in 1878 to $4,000 in 1892, but as these
salaries are paid by the railroad corpora
tions, and not by the taxes of the people,
it would perhaps be fair for Democratic
papers and orators to leave them out, in
the interest of the 'whole truth from
their attacks upon the Republican party
management. In 1878 there were no
State Tax Assessors, no State Board of
Health, no Bureau of Labor, but mas
much as all these boards were called for
by popular demand, are non-partisan in
their composition, and receive as little
compensation as like officers in any State
in the Union, in common justice they,
too, might be left out of truthful accusa-
tons.
There have been some additional clerks
porters and laborers employed, over the
number employed in 1878. Increase Of
business, enlargement of State House
and consequent increase of labor to be
performed in every case, properly &C
count for such increase without assign
ing the cause to be mal-administration
by the Republican party.
An additional Office seems to have en-
tirely escaped the notice of the Demo.
cratic speakers and newspapers, that OF
private secretary to the Governor, which
Office was inaugurated in 1882, by a
Democratic Governor, and very properly
too. The pay of this Office has been in
creased and is not more today than fair
compensation for time and labor.
Making just allowance for increase OF
necessary work, the salaries Of today are
no higher in the total than in 1878, and
are less than are paid in any State in
the Union for like services, save posi-
bly, two.
Take look at the rate of State taxa
ton for twenty years: