Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-20
CUTTING DOWN EXPENSES.

Gov. Johnston is fast bringing into play
in the management of the states 1inan-
cial affairs the business qualifications
which he possesses and which years ago
marked him as a successful business
man.
1t is the successful business man who
does not overlook small things, and al
low the leaks thus sprung to absorb the
profits coming in from the successful
handling of larger and mere important
transactions In the management of the
finances of a great state, small matters
are too often allowed to go by default
and in the material course of things
when allowed to run along in careless
way there comes to be enough Of small
leaks when put together to amount in the
aggregate to a very considerable stream
Gov. Johnston has the business capaci-
ty to take care of the large matters and
at the same time see that the business
he is managing is not damaged by accu-
mutation of a multitude of small drafts
on it that only need proper attention in
order that they may be cut off.
OF the Roadway Gov. Johnston is maxi
ing looking to the cutting down of eX-
penses and to the adoption and putting
into execution of a system of retrench-
ment and reform the Montgomery Jour-
nal in a recent ISSUE has the following
to say:
"It begins to look as If Governor Johns
ton was going to make some reforms IN
and about the state house himself, and
not wait for the legiSlat ure to do all that
is 30 be done in that direction. There are
or were FIVE telephones in the capitol
building, one each being in the offices of
the governor, secretary of state, supreme
court clerk, agricultural commissioner
and convict bureau. The cost of these
telephones is $45 per year each. That is
not much per telephone but counts up in
the aggregate. 1t might be also said that
the salary of one state officer or employe
isn't much, but there are so many Of
ficeTS and employees and incidental eX-
penses in running the state government
that in the aggregate over a million of
dollars is collected from the tax payers
annually and paid out to maintain it's
credit and its honor at home and abroad.
One cent is not q great deal, but one
hundred of them make a dollar. A dollar
is not great deal, but enough of them
would make states and nations rich as
well as individuals. Acting on this the
DRY, Governor Johnston has ordered two
of the telephones out of the capitol, and
while 1T is only ninety dollars saved an
nually to the tax payers, it is ninety dol
lars well saved and would make many an
old eX-confederate or an ex-confederate's
widow happy for many months, perhaps
for years, if pand out in pensions, or it
would employ a good school teacher for
two or three months in a country town
ship or school precinct and enable thirty
or forty children of school age to learn
to read and write, fitting them for better
men and women, for better, nObler and
higher citizenship.
Again, there were put in at great ey-
pense to the state a heating apparatus
in the capitol building. The heaters work
well. but there were some complaints
that they were either too warm or other
wise uncomfortable, and many of the
officers turned the heaters off and had
the servants about the capitol making
them fires as usual in the CRATES. In
some way Gov. Johnston learned that his
office was about the only one having the
heaters, with one or two exceptions, and
he at once came to the conclusion that
this was rather an expensive way OF
heating the executive Office. Here was
o. fireman, employed at $40 per month
to attend to the heater to say nothing
of the tons of coal used during the
MONTH costing in the aggregate, per-
haps, 500 per month to heat the Gov
errors and one or two other offices. Or
course, there was but one of two things
to do--to either discontinue the heater
or discontinue the CRATE fire. AS the
heater seemed to work well in the hall
of the house and in the senate chamber
during the recent session of the legisla-
ture, and as 1t still seemed to be work
ing admirably in the executive office. 1T
was so it is learned. determined to dis
continue the CRATE fires, and run the
heaters alone. This is another saving of
$500 or $500 or perhaps more year.
But this is not all that Gov. Johnston
has done IN the matter of reform-in the
way Of economy. He remained in his Of
fee, and one letter from the state treas
urer and one letter and one telegram
from himself to the state fiscal agent in
New York, secured a loan to the state OF
over 500 O0o-all that 1t needed for pres
emf emergencies, thus saving the state
anywhere between $500 and $500, the cost
of trip to New York and incldentals
usual to such occasions. And yet there
were those who thought that the pres
emit administration could not secure a
loan in New York for the state without
the Endorsement of MIR. Cleveland or
some other estimable and influential
gentleman who had the ear of eastern
bankers and money changers. But those
clever gentlemen We're disappointed.
The present administration has many
surprises and disappointments in store
for some really good and really we'll
meaning people and newspapers.