The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-05-27
REFORM IN NEW JERSEY
Hcw Her Expenditures Have In
,.aa.- creased Year by Year.
MEETING OF THE LEGISLATURE

1t VIII Convene on Tuesday Next and 1t
by the Senate Investigating Committee.
Suggestions for Economy.
TRENTON. May xy.-Tbe senate fnvesti
eating committee yesterday held its last
public meeting previous to the reassem-
bling of the Legislature on Tuesday, June
4, when the committee will submit a re-
port of its work together with the draft
of n number of bills which will be recon-
mended for passage to correct the abuses
and extravaghnces which have been dis.
covered and exposed through the invcsti-
CATION. From now until the legislature
meets the committee will be very busy
preparing the reports and drafting the
bills which will be- recommended. Whether
the committee will resume its investiga.
ton after the legislature adjourns will de
pend of course upon what action is taken
In the matter by the Legislature itself.
The legislature will be in session about
two weeks and if the present program
Is carried out nothing will be done outside
of the consideration Of such bills now in
the hands of the governor as may be re
turned with his veto, and the passage of
bills suggested by the developments Of the
etiitt COI1illilut6s ut gov
ernor has had in his possession ever since
the legislative recess was taken sixteen
bills which have failed to receive his ap
proval.
The committee yesterday took up the
offices of the clerk in chancery and the
clerk of the supreme court, with view to
showing the value of these fee offices to
the incumbents Allen McDermott, the
clerk in chancery, was called to the stand
and testified that for his nine years occu
pancy of his office it had netted him an
average yearly income of between si6, goo
and sl65o0.
Benjamin F. Lee the clerk of the SUI
preme court, testified that his of1lce had
netted him an average of S27, 900 for the
past four years. He could not say what
1t had netted him for all the years he had
occupied the office without reference to
his records. 1t develops that Mr.. McDer
mott and Lee had with due regularity
made the quarterly returns to the comp
troller provided for by law Of the amount
of fees rcceiyed by thsm for their use
Tho committee il the afternoon took up
the question Of the total annual ezpendi.
lures Of the state Mr. Corbin said the
comptroller had prepared schedule Of
the expenses of the state for the past
into the ordinary and extraordinary ex.
penses. From 1879 to 1885 the total ex-
penses had averaged 81 ,OO0o 900 year
Since then they have gradually increased,
and last year they were 81, $4,000. The
militia cost the state last year $4,000. OF
this sum S3S 900 was for armories, and the
balance for ordinary expenses. He thought
limit should be flSed to the amount of
expenses which might bo incurred on &C
count Of the militia.
Mr.. Corbin thought also that considera.
BILE judcious economy could be practiced
in otheP state departments. Among these
he mentioned the legislature, whose ex-
penses increased from s53 600 in 1875 to
sl25, 900 IN 1893. Mr.. Corbin advised re-
adjustment Of the salaries of state officers.
Charles II, SimmeIman, tho head of the
labor bureau, was put on the stand and
questioned as to the workings of his de-
partment. Mr.. Corbin showed that the
expenses Of this bureau hud increased from
$1,000 year to about si3,o0o year. 1t
was shown that Mr. Simmerman draws
the money from the state and then pays IL
out himself. Dairy Commissioner Nc
Guire practices the Same method Mr..
Corbin said he thought the expenses
should be paid direct from the state treas.
ury. II was stated that both officers
would welcome the change,
Mr.. Corbin expressed his dsnpproval Of
the fullness with which state reports are
prepared and printed, and suggested that
the state documents should be edited by a
competent commission.