Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1902-10-16
BIG SAVING ID TIE STATE
Present Method Of Dealing with
Railway Transportation.
GOV. SAVAGE STOPS A LEAK"
Fusion otficehoiders Travelled on
Passes and Then Charged the state
for Transportation-other Abuses
Corrected by Republicans.

Corrected by Republicans.
Lincoln, Oct. 6.-The present Re-
publican administration has made a
large saving to the taxpayers Of Ne
braska in the matter of railway trans
portation. The fusionists were elect
ed on an express promise to take NO
passes, but that promise, like all the
rest made by them, was recklessly
broken. Every fusion officeholder had
q pass, from the commander-in-chief
to the Office boy. But what was worse
still, in many instances, these re
formers" travelled on their passes
and then charged the state for trans,
portation Many dollar was Snug
gled out OF the state treasury In this
way.
Governor Savage was not slow In
putting stop to this practice when
he assumed the governorship. He in
terrogated the representatives of the
railroads and asked them whether
| transportation was given for personal
count of the office the individual held
| The railroad representatives were
unanimous In saying that the trans
portation was a donation to the state
| and was given on account of the Office.
Immediately on lea ming this, Gov
ernor Savage notified state officials
and employees that under no circum-
stances would any one riding on a
pass or free transportation be permit
ted to charge up transportation to the
state. This brought protest from
some of the employees. who further
claimed that they received their
passes as personal favors and the
state was not therefore entitled to
profit thereby. To one Of these, who
asked If he might not travel on his
pass and charge up transportation,
Governor Savage said: Il cannot pre-
vent you from charging up your trans
portation, but can from collecting II,
and If you do l can prevent you from
charging it the second time Tor
| will remove you from oftice as quick
as can take up my pen and write the
order. Furthermore, If you attempt
ANYTHING like that, or II any othef
state employee attempts II, VIII moi
be satisfied with dismissing the guilty
one from the public service, but VIII
institute criminal proceedings al once
While | am governor the money ol
the taxpayers will not be expended
in that way"
Nor has 1t been. Not dollar mas
been drawn from the state treasury
for transportation by any omcer Vi
employe using free transportation.
When it is considered that all the
state officers, the superintendent OF
thirteen state institutions, six oil In
spectors, several bank examiners and
many employees whose duties require
them to travel great deal are trans
ported by the railroads without ex
pense to the state, some idea may be
formed of the generosity of the rail
roads and Of the amount OF none,
saved the state by reason of it.
1t should be borne in mind by those
who contend that public Official,
should receive no free transportation
that the duties of very large major
ity of those holding Office require then
| g. 81 oh no TOO
public institutions and property of tn,
state are managed by boards OF com
mittees, composed by law of state OH
GERS. If these officials were required
to pay their railroad fare it would taxi
more than their salary for that on
purpose, while If the state had to pa,
for all those required to travel in tn
performance Of their Official duties,
would require thousands OF dollars o
appropriation by the legislature.
But while the railroads were evel
more generous with the fusionist
than they have been with the Reput
licans and while nearly every fusiol
official and employee travelled on fire.
transportation 1t did not prevent tn
fusionists from milking the stat
treasury for expenses never incurred
More than one voucher reposes In tn
dies of the auditing department 70
money alleged to have been expende
for railroad tickets, when In fact tn
claimant travelled on free transports
ton. The fusionists seemed to thin
when they got in power that they ha
a goat to skin and they skinned 1t. an
even though the tail projected but q
atfectionate distance from the bod!
II too went with the hide.
lmpeached by the Records,
The fusionists presume a great des