The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1901-04-13

worked like other State Officers. they
would ~, he idle . day in the year,
sa We Suud W. III. Governor and the
Atiornty -General are also members OF
the hoard of coutrnl. nut they DO not
remsin i'd. after he meetings of the
board. hut put in their whole time at
something else. The mere meetings
of the board OF control, and Of the rail
road commissioners, should be the
smallest part of The work OF the three
railroad commissioners who are also
members of the board of control.
Railroad commissioners are paid two
thousand dollars a year. This Is the
same amount that is paid the Secretary
of State, aud the Stste Superintendent
OF Public Education. Both Col. Power
and STATE Superintendent Whitfield do
more work 10 one year than the rail-
road commissioners do 10 four.
The SENTINEL agrees fully with the
Clarion-Ledger, the Kosciusko Herald
and the Biloxi Herald, and a score or
more Of papers in the State, that I'M
less the railroad commissioners do
more work, the legislature should
either abolish the Office, or cut the pay
commensurate with the work perform
ed.
The way things are going, h chief
thing to be done really by the three
railroad commissioners, is to look after
the convict farms and the %convicts.
Precious little is Iona as railroad COM
m~issioners. There is plenty to do as
members OF the prison board OF con-
trcl. In fact the whole time OF the
three railroad commissioners should be
given to the State. Why should three
railroad commissioners, when the
State is clearing lands, and caring Tor
over a thousand convicts, scattered in
half a dozen counties, be paid for full
time, when they are at home more than
half the time looking after their private
business? The Governor and the At
torney-General have done as much
work, according TO publications that
we have seen, in the way Uf selecting
convict farms and attending meetings
of prisou boards, as the three rail-
road commissioners, and besides, they
have been busy all the time attending
to their other duties. The Governor
and the Acknowledgement receive no
al m hers M Inc
board of control, as do the railroad
commissioners-that being the biggest
Dart of the commissioners labors, II
attended to-and besides, the Governor
and Acknowledgement are members OF
the State house commission, for which
they receive no salary. The three
railroad commissioners get, as stated,
50. 600 a year, and they ought to put in
full time.
Unless the railroad commissioners
devote their entire time to the public
service. the legislature, when it meets
next January, ought to abolish the Of
flee. 1t is rot IA constitutional office,
but "a statutory one, and may be abol'
ished at the legislatures will. This ii
said in the utmost kindness TO the com
mtssio1ers, all of whom are our friends
Bat the custom OF drawing a handsome
, salary from the treasury while not "a
work is repugnant to US, as a taxpayer
as it must he to all right thinking citi
2ens.
To emphasize the foregoing, L
u show the necessity of the members o
the board of control-other thar tn
: governor and Encouragement, VIII
u are busy with other official duties al
the time-putting in full time in look
ing after ~convicts, and the States In
u terests, where it is cropping on shares
only two or three years ago an eXper
accountant was paid hundreds OF do
lars to investigate the books and az
counts of the penltentiary, and the la'
legislature moi being satisfied, eviden
= ly with the way things had beer run
ming, named a joint committee 10 II
vestigate the affairs of the peniten nj
O.
airy. This committee and another e!
=. pert accountant will cost the Stale hui
drels, perhaps thousands Of dollar
All this could be avoided and saved II
taxpayers by the railroad commissio
ers, who are three active members
10 the board, as contemplated by law, b
II ing vigilant and in the matter OF pu
- ting in full time. This committee w
N in session 10 jackson last week, and
seems that some Of the members OF
~ have either been ~lessees, or are Gro
ping on shares with the State. II
a, question logically arises, "How d
T. they get there?" and is the investig
bt ton to be thorough or not?
' Night Was Her Terror.
III II would cough nearly all mig
long" writes Mrs. Chas. Apologize,
-, Alexandria, Ind. ''and could hard