The record-union., 1896-12-10
WHERE THE MONEY GOES.

Last January the Record Union"
pointed out clearly and with much de-
tail how legislative expenses can be
greatly reduced and the service to the
people not be in any respect diminished
or rendered leas effioisnt.
Now that We are about to have an
0thaz session OF the Legislature the
question Is timely, "wM the naw mem
bers continue the waste9ul policy Of
their rredecessors7"
The abuse Of sQuandering tha peoples
rnoney upon q horde Of useless legisla-
tive employees led the Legislature OF
1876 to fix the nunber Of attaches for
each house Ths law then gave to the
Senate. for instance, one Secretary with
two assistants, Sergeant alarms and
an assistant one minute clerk, one
Journal clerk. one enrolling clerk, one
engrosstng clerk, three pages, three
porters and postmaster. who was also
paperfolder.
But this law, which applied with
slight notifications to the Assembly,
made the grass altogether too short for
those who live upon the droppings of
party patronage. and accordingly In
1881 the law was amended by adding
the words And such other employees
as may be deemed necessary by the
Senate" and correspondingly by the
Assembly
This sweeping provision opened the
door to its full width. and ever since the
order has been, rake her, boys" Take
the employees OF the last Legislature as
an example-4the Senate had no less
than six Secretaries, four minute clerks,
five journal clerks, six engrossing
clerks, six bill and file clerks, besides a
bill fller." two history clerks and two
mailing and folding clerks, thirty-seven
clerks in adj, at cost OF 1912 a day,
Sundays included. a total of SIS, 1896
Assuming that a history clerk Is
needed though the office originated
with a Secretary soma years ago, who
on his own account got I'D and is
sued each week a history of bills, that
one file clerk and one bill clerk are nee
essary. that folding and mailing clerks
are OF any use whatever, then these.
with two Secretaries, two minute clerks
and one each Of history, engrossing.
enrolling and journal olarks, are ample
for the easy discharge OF an the cleri-
cal business Of the Senate This would
give ten In all at a. daily cost Of ST.
and work q saving Of S161 daily. or
for session Of sixty-etEht days, such
80 wss the last. S7Qe4S for the Senate
alone, In the mare matter Of house
clencal hire
Bun sugrossinE and enrolling are done
nue practically by pranssrs proofread-
srs, thn bills are NO more hand en-
grossed OF enrolled. and really engross-
inS and enrolling clerks are fifth wheels.
But CHS La not su the extravaxance
Of On Sonata There Is wallful waste
Ia oThcr dAreH1ons. The SerxeaHt-at-
Arms n given three bookkeepers at
S24 q Gay. w.hen one at IS would not
A&V0 u68IAy - LIuCn WOTk 10 90 nor
that Involving SO much of skill as Is
psrformed by tho one bookkeeper of an
ordinary grocGy establishment Here,
them is q wasts ef s16 q day. or a loss
ef GLOSS.
The Senate INDUCES In two folding
clerks, two ushers. eight watchmen.
elAven porters. thirteen pages, an as
Estant postmistreSs, an extra bill filer,
sn extra Sergeant two useless
messengers, q janitress-when 1t has no
parlor for ladies-at a cost OF $165 a
dAy. There ls absolutely no necessity
for one-half of these employees, and
that u putting u very mildly indeed
On that basis, however, the Senate
could save TO the people $50 80 a day,
or for the term, $3.50.
stiu the economies are not exhausted.
n m cenceds to every committee q