Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-01-21
SOME ECONOMIC SUGGESTIONS.
A Correspondent Thinks the Governor Salary
Too High and Finds q Chance for Inn
provement In Other Matters.

EDITOR ARGUS: With your permits
sion | will accept Mr.. Perrine's invi-
tation to suggest any legislation that
might be thought advisable. On the
subject of economy our governor
has made many suggestions that are
worthy of being acted upon. One
matter, presumably, he has failed to
take up, however, from a sense of
delicacy, and / will call Mr.. Perrine's
attention to it; it is the governors
salary.
We pay our governor $1,000 per
year, only six states pay MORE, while
ten pay the same and twenty-eight
pay less. l have no information as
to Utah, the last state admitted.
Now, it strikes me that as Montana
is very near the bottom of the list of
states SO far as population is con-
cerned, that our governor ought to
be able to uphold the dignity of our
young commonwealth on a salary
that is regarded as sufficient for such
states as Georgia, Maine or Vermont,
and no doubt our governor will see
it that way when the matter is once
called to his attention. / agree with
Mr.. Perrine that the commissioners
can stand a % per cent cut, though
supposing that they only hold as
many meetings and remain in session
no longer than 10 necessary, there are
several county officers that draw
bigger pay for the time actually
taken up with county business.
Unjust be remembered that a CON-
missioner from the outside, if he
drives his own team in will be under
an expense of $500 per day, which is
very much more than officers who
live at the county-seat are subjected
to.
Before we leave the subject, would
it not be an excellent plan to make
provision for the division of our
counties into commissioner districts,
thus preventing the punching of these
officers, for no matter how well POI
litical parties distribute their nomi-
HutIoIls. tioHS u app u TtStlts
AZ the last one, i'm the choice of two
of them from practically the same
place. In some states this is the law
and | am informed that it works en-
tirely satisfactory.
The division, even in a county like
Fergus, could be made SO as to give
each district very nearly the same
voting strength and still insure a
better distribution of these officers
than we have at present or in pros
pect. And it is certainly desirable
that the officers should be well posted
on the needs Of their respective dis
tricts.
The suggestion OF summoning
jurors by mail l have often thought
of, but unless-Or until, we have a
more generous and sensible admins
tration of the postoffice department
it would be necessary to dispatch the
subpoena's about two months in
advance, which would perhaps be
rather confusing, should the Judge
fail to appear on time.
Another matter that might be
economical is the registration of
electors. In someo of the remote parts
Of the county this costs more than
one dollar per voter, for less money
than that the register could call at
the ranches and do the work. But,
above all, let the legislature address
itself to perfecting what laws are al
ready on the statute books. SO that,
in the language of Tom Watson, we
shall know where we are at"
GOLD BUG.