Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-01-30
LEGISLATIVE SALARIES.

In fiRgrantl fufm there Inns crDppeC
cut In tho present Legislature nm owl
that cannot be to, eeversly con.
demned. In the House. during tn,
debate on Tho legislative ealarIes bill,
last Thufsinv. II vne plaiply shown
that a majority favored Graduated
scale of COMMUNICATION for officers anc
employees, according to the responsible.
ity OF the positton and the
degree of ability rfuuired 10
III 1t. During tue discussion il
wac pointed out TINT q man who mere.
ly opens and closes n door, ami carries
no heavier responsibilIty than at.
taohes to tli, position of doorkeeper,
ought not, according TO any recog-
nizsd principle of buslness propriety, TO
receive the same conversation as the
man who occupies the arduous and
responsible position OF chief CLERK.
Strange to cay, uumber OF members
antagonizei those who TOOK this
rounu. At first thoy pleaded the
dignity OF position connected with
the Legislature, that Partially ought
not to be shown, etc. 90 member
said he was not re,pousibls for the
differences in the ability and intell.
gence with which the Creator had
endowed His creaturse. and thoupht II
his dutv In ireat th,,n ali alike. Rat
as tho debaie pr,vre.aed. ami ths sgn.
liment was ebowp 10 he more ana
more a1veree I, his attitude. tbiR same
member buried out a rsmafk
10 thu eject that tho posi.
tioua of nfIlcers AMI employes
had been distributed as rewards
for party services, and the nav OF tho
npnoIntees ehnuId mt be Ont down.
EyideptIv he had said more than he
Intended. hut he atdec; awe may ae
wen cut with illD A moment later
he made tbs siprifIcapt remark:
"There are some things which cannot
be Exclaimed. % ana then LAUGHED.
That is. there were. in connection
with bill approprlating the people's
rn,nev tor having salaries of ind.
Viduals WHOSE appoiutmeuts were re.
wards for partisan services, VIKINGS
that cannot be sxplained,J openly.
On Thursday the bill passed the
House In form which provided q aid.
ing scale OF compensation, but IL
failed 10 receive the twO.thirds major.
ity necessary, under the Constitution,
to make it take effect until aixty days
after the expiration OF the session. Iu
order to increase to twc-thirds the
vote by which 1t passed, that mem bers
and employees might begin to draw
their nav Immediately, q member who
had voted in the affirmative gave
notice that he would move to
reconsider the vote by which the
bill passed, and Friday afternoon this
motion to reconsider carried and the
bill was again before the House.
This time the opponents Of a sliding
scale were more determined and sue
cessiul than they had been the day
previous, ana the bill was so amended
ss to give oil members, officers anu
employees 81 day each. The bill was
now in the form in which it had
psssed the Senate. ami 1t received a
bare majority in the House. But
in order to ronder 1t Immediately
elective, enough members TO make up
the necessary two.thirds waived their
objection and changed their votes, so
that the salaries might DO paid of ouce
instead OF two months after the close
of the session.
-Four dollars ia the maximum per
diem allowei members by tue Cnnsti.
tuition, and majority In the House
opposed paying more to any officer or
employe; but those members who
mad political debts to pay sue
ceeded in making a horizontal
rate to all the benefeiaries
OF the bill. While the News thinks
- 10y AHNNNA bNHs'"N7 "Nb~0 ASs