Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-10-11

sessed BY the Senate 81 1871, was that its
time was not taken up SO exclusively with
providing places for attaches. On the first
day of the session this matter was finally
disposed OF, and with the exception Of
one or two brief motions. was not heard
of again during the rest Of the session.
The time Of the Senate Of 1899. on the other
hand. was largely consumed in squabbles
about securing berths for individuals, ex-
ira time and extra pay. Action on some
of the subjects occupied the attention of
the Senate on many different days, begin
ming on the opening day of the session,
January 11th, and extending as far as Feb
ruary 24th. This of course does not in
clude the solicitation and worry on mat
tiers of this kind to which members were
constantly subjected while the Senate was
not In session.
This great increase in the particular ex-
penses of the Senate Is probably not con-
fined to the item of attaches. but other
items cannot be easily obtained as far
back as 1872 In sufficient detail for the
purposes of comparison. This item has
been selected because the fixed rates of
pay of the different officials renders it as
same smount of work of this kind was
performed at the session of ls72 as at the
session of 1892 and also because it is ex-
ciusively under the control of the Senate
1t will be seen by reference to "Appro.
priations" that the Contingent Fund ex-
pended by the Senate of 1899 amounts to
$500, or If the item of 81, $50 for desks and
chairs, rightly chargeable to this fund but
appropriated under the head .Miscellane-
ous,'' be added. to $3.50 This was an in
crease of $3.50, or over th-~. h.fl~- per
cent, as compared with the session of
1898, and probably much greater with ref
erenee to that of 1872. Indeed, it is very
doubtful whether any such fund as this
had crept into the regular budget as far
back as 1872.
AS an Illustration of the different Sena-
torial methods of transaeting business
then and now, it may be mentioned that
at the session of 1872, the janitor having
reported that he was unable to comply
with a resolution as to raising the Y. S.
flag during the session because a storm
had partly destroyed and rendered unsafe
and dangerous the flag stats over the two
houses, the Senate referred the matter for
and this committee reported that it had
examined bids received and asked for au-
thority to make contract to have the
necessary flag STATS constructed for SITS,
the lowest bid. The chairman of the COM
mittee was authorized by an ordcr of the
Senate to close the contract at these fig
ures, and the matter concluded satisfae-
torily, it is presumed, and without any
cost to the State beyond the specified
price of the flag STATS On the closing
day of the session of 1897 it seems TO have
occurred to an enterprising Senator that
new chairs ought to be procured for the
session of 1899. He thereupon introduced
the following resolution, which was adopt
ed, and the committee appointed:
Resolved That the President of the
Senate appoint committee OF three TO
select and contract for CHAIRS for the
Senate chamber before the meeting of the
next legislature.
On the third day of the SESSION Of 1880
this committee reported that under its
authority to purchase FURNITURE for
the Senate chamber it had prepared spec
ifcations received proposals and purchas-
ed from the lowest bidder twenty-six
chairs AND DESKS for 1850. which
amount was subsequently ipciuded in the
appropriation bill under the heading Mis-
cellaneous" few days later the COM
mittee presented bill for per diem and
mileage incurred in preparing srecif1ca-
tons and visiting furniture factories,
amounting to $ESS.40 which was subse-
auently raic out of the Senate's contin>
gent fund. The cost Of the twenty-six
chairs and desks was thus 1888. 40, or this
ST tIn
upper house stood the State ninety dollars
per Senator, in even figures.
Without specially prais,ng the cautious
thrift of the Senate Of 1872, and certainly
without begrudging the members of the
present Senate any fair degree of comfort
or even elegance in their surroundings, the
most generous minded taxpayer would
seem 10 have q right to complain Of the
latter as to these transactions as an unpar-
donable instance of extravaganza and
waste of public funds.
AS much as the above instances of the
employment of supernumerary attaches
and of extravagant outlay for personal
comfort are to be condemned as reckless
expenditures of the peoples money, they
are even more to be regretted as evincing
an ever growing disposition on the part of
those in public life to pay OFF private po-
litical debts at the expense of the public
and to add TO their own fixed einoluments
extra compensation out of the State treas
ury whenever an opportunity OF doing so
may arise or be created.
Other examples of this sort Of thing than
those that have been noticed may be OBJ
served by any one who will take the trou-
BILE TO carefully scan the Senate journal
of 1899 How long the people will allow
this practice to continue unchecked cannot
even be guessed, but if they remain SUI
pine in the matter, 1t may be fairly as
sumed that before many more years the
Senate of West Virginia will. rival. if 1T
does not surpass. in the expenses of its
personal encourage even the Senate of the
United States, which for some years has
a HMtllfoD-