Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-13
QUEER BEGINNING
Oeneen's Administration Starts
as That of No Other Gov
ernor Has.
CAPITAL is A DEAD TOWN
Three Thousand Jobs TO Select Men
For Awaiting Executives
Return.

Coy Deneen's Inauguration as gov
lernor OF Illinois was unlike any other
, inauguration in recent years. says the
Springfield News. The DAYS following
have been unlike those following the
Induction into Office of his pTedeces-
sors.
His enforced absence from the cliy
lhas sent home all the Office seekers
land the general assembly quit work as
soon as both branches could get to-
lgethcr and pass 4 joint Adjournment
resolution. The city has been dead
land the executive offices in the state
house have been literally deserted
Nessrs. Whitaker and Faxon. who
lhave been installed as private and ex-
lecutive clerks. respectively. have little
lor nothing to DO. and the stenoG-
Iraphers are iadle.
The first days Of Il new governor are
given over To receptions and haIid-
shakings He gets little time 10 think
about the duties of his Office. He re-
ceives applications of those who want
Ito fill positions He has TO Esten TO
eulogies from those who support the
laDpIicants. and learns how this. that or
the other fellow can carry his county
like feather on his shoulder.
/ Has 5000 Places to Fill
1 Mr.. Deneen has nearly 1000 places TO
fill Many of these are subordinates
and are filled indirectly through boards
of trustees.
| OF real good positions he has not
many al his disposal. There VIII be
an average of five for every positio;
! in the state service. Gov. Tanner. FOL
/ lowing the democratic Altgeld regime.
4 had something like $1,000 applicants To
Ideal with. Gov. Yates, coming on al
ter republican governor. had not
quite so many but his woes were great
enough. He devised very systematic
! method of classifying and enrolling
/ the names of all applicants. together
| with their Endorsements and records
| In all he had about 10000 patriots at
/ his beck and call So long as the jobs
were unoccupicd.
! MIR. Dcneen comes into Office under
different circumstances. as has been
explained He made no campaign Ill
line country counties. ana consequently
there are few country politicians who
J have any hold on him by virtue OF
/
modcstv of the country politician will
! not. however. prevent him from asking
/ for a place and making up fair case
! in his own behalf.
Insurance Commission.
] OF the positions To be filled by the
me-, governor. the most desirable IS
THAT OF insurance commissioner.
\ II pays a good salary and the pow
I ers are large There is mystery
/ about the Office and it is generally re-
I garded as a little gold mine. This
arises from the fact That the general
4 public is not ~ on insurance details
and the worl, az tie department is not
understood. Next l., The attorney for
this Office. II pays $1,000 Il year and
is highly regarded There have been
! rumors OF Mr. Dcncon's choice for
these positions. but in the fact of de
mails and his own positive statement,
he has promised no one any Office. the
rumors must be dismissed as ground
less.
The board of railroad and warehouse
commissioners is next in value There
are three OF them. James s. Neville
and A. l.. French are believed To be
slated To stay. Isaac Elwood will give
way to someone else. also unknown at
/ this time. This board is seeking new
and enlarged powers over interurbans
and even street car lines in the cities.
II has "A number of positions to fill, such
as secretary. assistant secretary. CON
suIting engineers. chief 81 the grain
department in Chicago. inspectors OF
grain. weighmen. and the like. Proba-
bly, 100 places are under this board.
\ The board of labor statistics control
much patronage and cooperates with
the state mining board. The secre-
\ tary ship pays $500 year.
4. ldfutant Good Place.
The adjutant generalship is a fine
position. II carries with il several as
sistants. The direction of a national
guard of 10000 and the expenditure of
quarter million dollars or more a
year requires some talent and honesty.
II The board OF health has become a
| big institution. II has q secretary and
+, a number OF assistants and a large
amount OF small patronage.
| The board of arbitration has a secre-
| tary who draws a good salary. The
state board OF charities has control
over 10 big hospitals. Its secretaI.
ship is a place much sought after. Each
institution has its own board OF trus-
ltees and the aggregate patronage is
som ethins immense.
Then there is the state pardon board
very desirable places for any man. The
chief factory inspector has become 2
lbig fellow. There are a score OF depu-
lilies The food commission is another
growing institution, whose first places
are desirable. The state game com
missioner receives $4,000 and has the
appointing OF a hundred deputies and
handles probably 100000 year. all
contributed by those who want TO hunt
Other Positions Open.