Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-10-24
EXTRA PAY.
Another Prolific Source of Heavy Disburse-
ments of the Peoples Money.

Another Prolific Source of Heavy Disburse-
ments of the Peoples Money.
Among the instances showing the
steady determination OF the Republican
leaders to reward party servants with
the peoples money is to be found the
extra pay distributed among the at
taches of the Legislature. Without
giving the names of the fortunate in
dividuals, it may be said that after all
employees were allowed their full wages
for every day, Sunday included, for the
entire session, the Senate distributed
1886 among It's employees, and the House
$3.50, as pleasant souvenir of the
first year of Republican ascendency IN
the State. And on the last day of the
session, as If to accentuate their de-
fiance of the spirit of the constitution
and law, the following resolution was
offered in the House and only defeated
by nine votes:
Resolved, That the Assistant Clerks
and Committee Clerks. and the two
Cloak Room Keepers be each allowed
the sum of two dollars $4,000 extra
per day for the session of this House,
and be it further
Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-
Arms be authorized to issue his war
rants for the several amou is and that
the same be paid out of the contingent
fund Of this House. On. j., 605)
The money to be paid under this re-
solution being, of course, in addition to
extra pay already allowed.
In truth the Republican Legislature
of 1897 distinguished itself above every
other Legislature in the history of the
State by its reckless expenditure OF
public money in matters relating to it
self 1t first squandered the public
funds by employing large number of
clerks, pages and assistants who were
idle most of the time during the ses-
sion, but drew their salaries just as If
they had earned them. These idle at
taches of the Legislature of 1897 were
not only paid the full amount of their
salaries, but as has been said, the two
houses also voted them extra pay, so
that the expenses OF the last session of
the Legislature for salaries of clerks,
and other officers and assistants, was
ALMOST DOUBLE THE AMOUNT
paid out to the attaches OF the last
Democratic session of the Legislature,
which met in January. 1898. The
amount paid to the officers and at
taches of the regular session Of the
Legislature Of 1898, Of forty-fve days,
was 1924, while the amount paid out
in salaries of officers and attaches of
the Republican Legislature Of 1897, the
same length of session, forty-hve days,
was s15,729.
This increased expense in the Re
publican Legislature was the result of
employing a large number of extra Of
ficers, clerks, pages and other employees
VIM NtIc not III Lbc WI VI
the Legislature, and also Of voting ex-
ira pay to the attaches in addition to
the regular salary allowed by law. In
the Senate there were two extra as
sistsnt clerks, at six dollars day each;
one extra committee clerk al four dol
lars day; one extra door-keeper at
four dollars day; an extra cioak-room
keeper at two dollars a day; an extra
stenographer, at six dollars a day; an
extra librarian. at four dollars a day;
an extra proof reader, at six dollars a
day, and two extra journal clerks at
six dollars day each. In the House Of
Delegates there were an extra assist
ant clerk, two extra stenographers.
four extra committee clerks and an ex-
ira cloak-room keeper. with salaries
the same as those in the Senate. 1t APP
pears a fine example OF Republican rule.