Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-02-01
Citizens of Spanish Fork Want
State Affairs More Economic
ally Administered
SAY SALARIES ARE TOO HIGH,
Believe the Method Of Collecting State
Revenues Should be
Revised,
specIal Correspondenee.

Special Correspondence.
Spanish Fork. Utah, Jan. Sl.-Last
Monday meeting was held at the
city hall for the purpose Of consider
ing q memorial to be presented 70 the
Legislature. Mayor James NJ, Greer
was appointed chairman and David T.
Lewis. secretary After some discuss
sion, the following memorial prepared
by the committee was adopted and the
committee requested to furnish copy
for publication and also copy to each
member Of the Legislature;
To the Senate and House Of Represent
tatives OF the State OF Utah.
The undersigned, your memorialists,
respectfully represents
That at meeting OF the citizens and
taxpayers Of the state Of Utah. held
at Spanish Fork, Utah county, state
OF Utah, your memorlalists were APP
pointed a committee to present 10 your
honorable body certain matters OF pup
lie concern, herein stated, and set
forth.
We believe the time has arrived
when the administration Of the pubic
affairs Of the state should be conduct.
ed with striCter regard to economical
management and republican simplicity.
We do not recommend an 'eXtraVugant
parsimony" for we recognize that par
simony is not true economy, but the
public expenditures should be restricted
to the actual necessities OF the govern
ment, economically administered.
President Roosevelt, IN his recent
message to Congress, recognizing the
"a "a STATED.
constant care should be taken 20
guard against unnecessary increase of
the ordinary expenses Of government
The cost of doing government business
should be regulated with the same
rigid scrutiny as the cost OF doing q
private business" sentiment which
we hope may be kept IN view by the
present Legislature.
We invite your attention TO the mat
ter Of salaries provided for state Of
ficials. BY the state Constitution sal
aries were PLACID abnormally high, but,
Notwithstanding this fact subsequent
Legislatures with productivity that
was astonishing, and without any rea-
son, that may be perceived, increased
the salaries, The judiciary, as an illus
tratlon take that part OF the state ly-
ing south OF Salt Lake county. This
territory Is divided into four judicial
| districts, and with the exception or
| three or four COUNTIES, the settlements
| are small with long distances inter-
yening, the business of the courts be-
| ing cOrrespondenty light, we would
| suggest the proprlety OF grading the
! salaries to correspond with the popu-
| latlon.
We believe that the civil list has been
| extended beyond the actual necessities
- . L.. .N H.. Il. Ia, INta AL -.
| form Of government is that It's officers
! that has been built up, and the man
| agement OF affairs both state and
county, since statehood, the result has
| been the creation of numerous
boards" and the appointment Of n
| host OF deputies and clerks, which calls
| for large appropriations from the pub
| lie treasury. In addition to the salar-
| les of the principal officer,
| The method of collecting the revenues
| Of the state should be revised, We be-
| lleve that the machinery is too compli-
| Gated, and too expensive. We suggest
| that the rule to be observed In making
| leyies on the people for the support OF
the government, should be, the least
amount possible To carry on the neces-
stiles Of the state, economically admin
| lSteredi tndt llS COleCtlon snoulu pc
with the least possible cost and incon-
venience TO the people, but with GER
talnty and expedition.
We believe that the laws Of the state
with respect to railroads are very i'm
perfect, especially is this true with re"
gard TO the killing OF stock, and setting
fires by moving trains. The question
Of negligence, which the courts put on
the plaintiff, should be with the de.
PENDANT railroad, for the reason that all
these matters pertaining to that ques-
ton, ia peculiarly within the knowledge
of the railroad, and OF which the plain-
tin can know hut little,
We ask that this, our petition, may
be spread on the journals Of your re-
spectivo houses and the several sub
ieots referred to the appropriate COM
mlttee for investigation and affirmative
action. And as In duty bound your
memorlalists will ever uray,
A. SAXEY, Chairman,
THOMAS d. EVANS,
CHARLES MONK,
WILLIAM THOMAS,
BENZ, ARGYLE,
Committee.