The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-07-27
A Communication.

incidentally came in possession
of few copies Of the Legislature
Recoyd; and I thought it might not
be amiss to look over what Our pub
lie servants were doing for the bene-
fit of those they were serving.
came to the conclusion that they
were not in all cases working for
the pecuniary advantage of the tax
payers. l will cite single instance.
Mr.. Coray, of Luzerne county Of
fered resolution that the Chief
Clerk of the House of Represen-
tatives be required to furnish for the
information Of the House list of all
the officers and employees, not
including the Speaker, Chief Clerk,
Resident Clerk, Journal Clerk,
Reading Clerk, Speakers Clerk,
the Chaplain and Sergeant at Arms
and their compensation, together
with their certificates, setting forth
the days each one has been present
for duty, and whether they have
employed substitutes to perform
their work; and if so the names OF
the substitutes; said information to
be furnished on or before April 4th,
The above resolution may be found
in Legislative Record for March 81,
1899.
The resolution is followed by a
speech of the author setting forth
that it is known to him and to other
members of the House that a con-
siderable number of the officers and
employees Of this house have not
been in attendance upon their duties
since the opening of the session.
Some of them have not been here at
all. Some Of them have been away
half of the time or a third of the
time, and considerable number of
= them have employed substitutes.
The custom of employing substi-
tutes is not new one. Those
positions pay six or seven dollars a
day most of them. A substitute
can be employed for one or two
dollars a day. Now just why the
substitute might not hold the office
at one or two dollars a day, and
save the tax payers the four or five
dollars extra, is something that
plain people do not understand.
Mr.. Coray says further on Il ac-
knowledge the fact that some OF
these officers have not even employ
ed substitute. They must draw
their salaries little on the style
practiced by light fingered gentry
when drawing funds from a bank
: Upon reading this resolution togeth.
er with the remark made by Mr.
Coray (and his remarks were moi
d contradicted by any opponent of the
l. resolution) supposed it would pas:
ie by an overwhelming majority. bu
y l was mistaken, the overwhelming
n majority was the other way. Forty
g eight voted for the resolution sixty.
at eight against it, and eighty eight by
g. their silence coincided with the 6S
2 making one hundred and ffty-si>
OF who were opposed to having the
officers or employees to tell wheth
a. er they did the work for which the,
le received their money, or whethe
as they got it gratuitously. One o
IS the opponents of the resolution, Mr.
ne Bliss (see same Record, page 1866
Nt said, he thought it pretty small
~ business to investigate matters O
ne that kind" That is if we hav'
v, more Offices and officers than tn
al work requires, with salaries too
Ell three or four times as much as tn
H. work can be done for, it is small
as business to inquire whether tn
OF person employed has been in hi
Il, place or not. Tax payers may ge
no wakened up ere long, then woe b
ny to those who have favored squand
II erin2 the peoples money.
There is one thing that l shoul,
like to call the people attention tc
- the representatives from our distric
N' both voted for the above resolution
Mr.. Greasy favored it on the foo
TO- of the House, read to them the lay
III that they were violating, when pay
u ing out unearned money. Thi
'n leads to the supposition, that h
u u will make very good man to hav
DC charge of the treasury. But let ia
payers be on their guard; there al
a great many who would oppos
ed having the treasury guarded by a
I'd. honest man. A TAX PAYER.