Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-12-07

farmers of the state do to relieve the
strain that must come upon them for
number of years unless there Is
change?
What can the taxpayers of the sever
al counties of the state do to make ef-
fective the necessity for reducing the
expenses of government in Oregon at
the next election? They will have to
elect new legislature, new board of
state officers and with them a new gov
ernmeHt of all state institutions. BY a
curious fiction the control of state insti
tutions is not kept with the legislature,
nor under officials appointed by 1t but
is devolved upon the state officers
elected by the people. The governor,
treasurer and secretary of state, and
state superintendent of schools, an of
fee not created by the constitution, are
in charge directly of all the state insti-
tutions except the soldiers home now
Building. AS such they are responsible
to themselves only. Among other
tasks of the next legislature will be the
election of an United States senator
aud providing for the state census
which must be taken in 1895.
Under this system executive control
is LOST and the ordinary checks and
balances necessary to secure economical
government are wan ting in Oregon.
rhe governor cannot hold q check
upon any department of state because
ne is on so many boards with the heads
# other departments that they could
and often do retaliate. Those boards
are so numerous and powerful that they
control the state legislation and in
large measure shape the Legislature and
secIre the appropriations for the differ
ent institutions, AS they appoint their
heads and control their patronage. The
state government as a result is top
heavy aud almost beyond control of the
people who have so unwisely created it.
ByviciOus legislation the state Offices
aside from governor, have become ex
ecutive offices. They control more
patronage, dispense more power and
public funds than the governor. State
superintendent of schools is more an
executive office, a greater department,
! has more machinery, more offices to
give out, than governor in Oregon.
1t virtually controls through the state
board of education half dozen state
institutions. The governors Office has
beer magnltied by legislation into mem
bership of half dozen boards. Instead
of being an executive officer to exercise
supervision, he is himself on these
boards that dispense patronage, man.
age politics, and virtually audit their
own accounts This is the greatest OBJ
stacle in the way of lessening the bur
dens of taxation in Oregon. There are
no adequate influences to hold down
the tendency to increase expenditures
and appropriations because state Offici-
ais are virtually compelled to exert
themselves to increase them by per-
niuious system as above shown.
BY the state officials being on these
boards, and responsible directly to no
Ole bat themselves, the independence
of every state officer is destroyed. If
the people were to elect never so fear
le - and Independent man to state
Offi g, under this system, he would be
tied hand and foot. His efficiency
and political future would depend on
his standing in. There can be no doubt
that this system is extremely profitable
to those who are connected with it, and
that, perhaps, honestly too. Another
state institution was recently put under
the management of Que of these boards
that had hitherto been managed by a
highly honorable board of private cit
izens. Immediately bill passes to
purchase large tract of land for new
site, and erect new institution.
Three state officers each get liberal
allowance added to their salaries, where
private citizens had served free gratis.
Is 1t any wonder that gentleman
holding one of these positions says he
cannot afford to take the office of gov
ernor, "since the state pays so small a
salary" The governor only gets from
$500 to $500 year in Oregon for
working three days in the week. The
rest of the time ne eau conduct large
private manufacturing business. If
one of our politicians cannot afford to
be governor at that price, it simply II.
lustrates the enormous profits now So
cured under the present system. There
Is no doubt but that the System"
should be abolished.