The Saint Paul globe., 1903-01-11
PROPOSED SALARY
RAISE BREWS A
STORM
Legislators Fail to See Good
Reason for Increasing
Supt. Olsen's Pay While
Other Departments Are
Conducted for Proportion
ately Far Less Money.

A storm is brewing over the govern
ors recommendation to give the su-
perintendent of public instruction an
increase of $1,000 per annum in sal
ary.
The obvious partiality shown in the
recommendation has set the political
heads working and political tongues
Wagg1ng. The question on every side
is: Why should the superintendent Of
public instruction, who now receives
$2,5OO per annum, get a $1,000 in
crease ard the public examiner be
boosted for more money, while the
dairy and food commissioner, who
really renders the state some serv-
ice, and the labor commissioner, be
obliged to work for smaller salaries
and run their departments on short
funds, entirely out of proportion with
the money expended on the favored
departments?
The treasurer's books show the fol-
lowing provisions for the superintend-
ent of public instruction by regular
appropriations:
Superintendent's salary, $4,000; dep
uty's salary $1,S00; clerks, $1,600; eX-
ira clerks, $500; contingent fund, ST.
600, and mysterious educational pro-
ceedings fund of $780,
Deliver the Goods.
Dairy and Food Commissioner Nc
Connen receives by special appropria-
tion a salary of $4,000 per year. I'm
less the present legislature takes the
action of its predecessor, after July
Mr.. McConnell's salary will be $1,S00
per year. The whole appropriation
for the department is $4,000 per year.
From sixteen to eighteen persons are
employed, ten or twelve of them on
the road, and their salaries and trav-
cling expenses must be met out of that
appropriation, besides maintaining
the laboratory and the dairy inspec-
tions.
The whole appropriation for the la
Dor department is $12,200. The sal
ary list amounts to $4,000, leaving just
$4,000 to pay for a stenographer, trav
cling expenses of the inspectors on
the road and all other expenses of the
department. Both the dairy and food
and labor departments have for four
years done an important and exhaust
i've work, but the necessity for assist
ing them has not forced itself upon
the governor.
There may or may not be anything
in the political situation surrounding
the dairy and food department to ex-
plain why it was overlooked. McCon-
nell was appointed q deputy under
Gov. Clough's administration. Maj.
Bowler, Lind's commissioner and ad-
mitted by both Republicans and DEM
ocrats to be the first real commissioner
9ecessor's staff worth while. McCcn-
nell was one of the four retained. He
secured his appointment and has re-
fained his position, but does not. ,ac-
cording to his friends, enjoy the high
est favor in the governors office.
Want Results for Money.
Prominent legislators insist that if
there is to be a movement toward in
creased appropriations for state de-
partments, the departments doing real
work must be first served. At the ex-
ira session the public examiner Sc
cured an appropriation of $1,000,
which he claimed was necessary to
keep the Office open. An argument
which, under the present administra-
tion, or lack of administration, has lit
tie real bearing. Now he wants more
or threatens to deprive the state of
the boon of his services. To date the
only argument in favor of increasing
Supt. Olsen's salary is that he thought
prior to taking office that he was to
have $4,000 job, and that he has not
been able to patch it out to quite that
figure.