The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-03
WORK OF LEGISL
FORMER SPEAKER LITTLEToy Ex-
PRESSES SOME VIEWS.
Not n Time for Haste fin the Matter
OF Increasing Salaries other
Legislation.

Frank L. Littleton, former speaker Of the
Indiana House Of Representatives. has
some very emphatic views on the question
of raising the salaries OF state officers. He
agrees with others on the proposition that
the Governors salary should be increased.
but is not In favor of hurrying such legis-
lation through. 81 know very little about
what may be done by the coming Legisla-
ture aside from what 1 read in the news
papers," Mr.. Littleton said yesterday in
response to a query as 10 what he knew
of prospective legislation. There is a
possibility" he continued. "of the Legisla-
ture doing too much rather than too little.
This time there are not SO many questions
and matters Of general Importance to en-
gage the attention and time OF the Legisla-
ture as there were two and four years ago.
Four years ago a legislative apportion-
ment bill was passed and a United States
senator elected. Two years ago the county
and township reform bills wereS passed and
a United States senator elected. All of
these matters required and received care
full attention and engaged the attention of
the Legislature for quite a portion of each
session.
PRIMARY ELECTION LAW.
Eat the coming session perhaps the most
important question presented will be the
passage OF a primary election law. That
question will be a difficult one to solve. and
ii will require much labor to draft a law
that will nina enough votes to pass 1t
and at the same time be satisfactory TO a
majority of the people. The question bris-
ties with difficulties all along the line. as
one can readily see by giving but little
study TO the matter. Another matter OF
very general Importance will be the fee
and salary bills presented. On these mat
tiers the action of the Legislature should
be very guarded. The tendency TO make a
wholesale increase OF salaries should be
avoided. Should there be a general In
crease of salaries that will be about the
only thing that will be heard during the
next campaign. 1t is true that there should
be an equalization of the salaries OF our
state officials, but no bills should be passed
without careful consideration and no rail-
roading OF any Dill should be INDUCED in
no matter i'm whose favor 1t is. The salary
of the Governor should. of course, be In
creased. 1t should be fixed at from %.0U
10 $4,000 per year. As 1t is at present the
Governor, who has the highest sort of re-
sponsibilities and whose work never ends,
receives but 5000 per annum, while In the
adjoining office of the secretary of state
the salary is $1,000 per annum. In that
office the work. aside from sixty days serv-
ice on the State Board OF Tax Commission-
ers, is almost wholly routine and can be
and is performed largely by the deputy and
assistants. That salary would be mere
properly fixed at 5000 If it is desired to
make ii correspond with the Governor ;
."The superintendent of public instruction
receives but $500, which is clearly out OF
proportion TO the services and ability re-
ouired in that office. That salary would
not be out OF proportion II hxed at S4,OW per
SALARY INEQUALITY.
cat present the clerk Of the Supreme
and Appellate courts receives 5000 per an
mum, while in the office of the reporter of
the Supreme Court. where the services re-
quire not only much time but a high order
of ability, the salary is but $4,000 per an
mum. The salaries of these two offices
should be turned around. Indeed. the af-
fairs OF the office of the clerk OF the
Supreme and Appellate courts can be
transacted with but little personal atten-
ton from the clerk himself. Th salaries
of the Supreme judges should be increased
If it Is decided that the amendment allow
ing the Legislature to increase the number
of Supreme judges has passed. the ideal
way would be TO increase the Supreme
Court to seven judges with salaries of
So, OC0 per annum. This court could be d.
vided into two divisions and the two
divisions could work independent of each
other except in case of disagreement within
the division when the case could be de-
CtueQ Dy me tIllTt III III WAY IA
one court could transact as much business
as the two courts and the expense so
far as salaries is concerned would be but
$l2, 900 per annum at $1,000 each. II the
salary of the Supreme judges is made
$1,000 per annum and that of the Appellate
Judges is made 5000 per annum the two
courts would cost $4,000 per annum /
very much doubt the wisdom of making
these increases until it is determined
whether the number of Supreme Court
Judges is to be increased.
There ought to be q Encouragement of
the judicial circuits in the State so that
the judges could be continuously employed
during ten months of the year. A wise way
would be to make circuits large enough
for three judges and allow the Judges to
travel through the entire circuit. The
salary should be increased. BY the re-
arrangement of the circuits fewer judges
would be employed and by putting three
judges in a circuit the expense OF changes
of venue and special judges could be
avoided.
"If a fee and salary bill for the county
officers is passed one provision should be
included in II and that Is to require all
ounty Offices TO be continuously open from
5 a. m. TO 5 p. m. on each day when the
office is required 10 be open. Thai pro-
vision applies to the State offices and
should also be made tn aDDly fO all co1snfv