The morning call., 1893-02-05
THE PEOPLE PAY.
Wholesale PiIIage of the
State Treasury.
COST OF THE LEGISLATURE.
More Than One Hundred Employees in
the Senate-A Worse Showing
in the House.
Special to THE MORNING CALI

SACRAMENTO, Feb. 4-ShOrtly after the
Senate convened this morning a report
from the Committee on Attaches came In
providing for another assistant enrolling
clerk at a per diem Of S. After the adop-
ton of the report Senator Ostrom, who was
perfectly aghast at the idea of adding an
other name to the army of attaches, arose
aud asked President Reddick II he couId
inform him how many employees there were
on the payroll Reddick replied that lie
didn't think he could count them. Figures
we're inadequate 10 arrive nj any cOnclu-
sion.
Outside Of the offices of the sergesnt-at-
arms. the Controller and the State Treas
urer. no one knows what fearful pillage
of public money is going on here In
the matter Of the employment Of useless
attaches. Even the Senators and Assem-
blvmen have not the slightest idea OF what
they have been doing. for the figures have
never been totalized or list OF the names
prepared for their inspection. They have
simply silenced the clamOr OF the hungry
horde by voting them into some positio D,
and when that had been done they rested
content. The figures are simply appalling,
and tie number Of attaches and the amount
paid them goes far beyond anything ever
heard Of in the history Of the California
Legislature. 1t is worse than the notorious
Buckley session Of four years ago, and ex-
ceeds by many thousand dollars the ex-
penses of the notorious Doodle session or
two years ago of the Senate.
The payroll at the present time foots up
S595 dav, or S4135 week. The number
of attaches is ia. As there are but forty
Senators, this gives nearly three employees
20 one Senator. If all OF the men who are
on the list as belonging 10 the sergeant-at-
arms room were to even make bluit at
being at their posts OF duty it would be I'M
% ssible to even get within haiiing distance
of that Office On the list are twelve men
who are put down as assistant SeTgeantS-at-
arms 70 the various cOmmIttee-rUOns,
although some of them are designated as
messengers. They have nothing whatever
to do ana are simply drawing money from the
Safe treasury because it was within the
power of the Legislature to open the vaults,
not as burglars In the meaning OF the law,
s-but as legislators elected By the people 10
project the public interests and MAKE goo d
laws.
The Senate has Republican majority Of
four and as the Assembly mas DSmOCtAlIc
majority the Democrats of the Senate are
doing all in their power to increase the
attaches Of the Senate so as to make as bad
a record for the Republican Senate as the
Democrats have made in the House They
have succeeded admirably.
In the Assembly there are eighty men,
bers and l29 attaches. The payroll of tbs
latter amounts to 5000 a day or S46o3 q
week. Taking the two houses tOget her
there are 243 attaches. and tbey Will cost
the state for the session about $4,000. I he
Doodle session of twOyears ago spent mon ey
with a lavish hand Thousands of dollars
were expended in inves legations, which IL
cluded the Bruner and the Dibble scandals.
but adding that vast sum 70 the amo unit
paid to employees and the total is not as large
as the single attaches payroll Of the present
session.
For the information of Senators and As
semhlymen who have not the time to p 70
cure complete statement OF this extr a Vs.
gsnce. and for the enlightenment OF the
people of this State. The CALL tO-da y
publishes the complete list. with the salaries
set opposite the names. The amount is the
per diem. Il is as follows:
u