Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-02-17
Washln9taa STANDARD
OLYMPIA. WASH.
FRIDAY NlGliiG, FEbEl AGI II. 1905.
Tn Pace Set Is Followed

tii' present. hN-tilibiN uit ulliSthtiN
planning to avoid responsibility for
payment OF party debts by employing
horde Of clerks and underings, as
their first legislative act, at two or
three times the wage-rate per di.iq OF
the 80 called laboring man, which
course, when added to the lavish appro-
rriations OF the former session, had i'm.
PEELED Gov. Mcbride 10 veto many
meritorious a well as Ubiquitous ap-
preparations, many OF which have been
allowed by the present Legislature,
over ii1 veto two years ago, with an
equally proiligate current expense rec
ord now, it may be proper at this time
to refer to the figures of 1903, and con-
slider facts that are specially pertinent
when an attempt is made to saddle
past appropriations upon a similar
extravaganza for current necessities is
apparent, to say nothing of the
gratis" which occasionally slip in,
even when conditions are not as favor
able for them as now.
In 1903, the most ample provision
was made for an effective service in
both houses, by the employment of a
regiment of clerks, jani,ors, postmas-
tiers, messengers, sergeants-at-arms
down to pages, for each. They were
certainly more than enough to have
kept the work, in all its branches,
fully up with business, without pay.
ment of dollar in exorbitant salaries,
or for extra time, even though they
may have adopted the most liberal (to
themselves) "union" hours OF service.
But the principle OF expansion WAS
then in its palmy days, and we have
the list Of 50 employees in the Senate,
given in the Journal of that body.
page GIL, extended to &C in the Audi
tors roll, from which payment was
made, (See Auditors report, pages Al
and 49,, and in the House, page 745 OF
House Journal, of IS employees, ex-
tended to y when the per diem came
to be paid by warrants. on the State
Treasury. (See Auditors Report.
pages so and SD
1t is quite certain that the excessive
amounts paid the principal clerks,
with the ten days extra allowance for
service in bringing up the records to
the limit of the term, will, on careful
figuring, 60 very far to make up an
average of 81 per day for the entire
list the full so days of the Senate, at
the minimum allowance per day for
clerks. with doorkeepers, messengers,
sergeants at arms and postmssters in.
cluded for enumeration - some OF
whom were employees only in name,
the greater part OF the session. Two of
the Senate clerks drew Sc per day, six
s., one $3.50, and the remaining EN-.
ployes, exclusive Of pages, thirty.eight
at 81. There were three pages who
drew only 50 each per day, but they
were boys and not voters. The sixteen
supernumeraries at 81 per day would
amount to an excess OF $3.50.
The House record foots up about
the same. The official list shows there
were 56 employees, and the payroll 70.
There were, excluding the seven pages
at 81 per day (boys and non-voters)
4S clerks and supernumeraries draw.
ing large wage-rates. One clerk drew
S. per day. four clerks and sergeant.
at-arms IS, fourteen clerks, two post.
masters and two assistant sergeants.at.
arms 81, fourteen committee clerks
$3.50, and eleven doorkeepers, watch.
men and other employees $3.50 per
diem each. The payroll, auditors
Report, PIP. so and Sly show that Y
were paid, but the over-pay and over
time allowed would make the excess
several thousand dollars over the al.
lowances of che whole army" at the
minimum rate the full term.
The existence of such an authorized
payroll was q most glazing exhibition
of profigacy, had there been no
extension Of time to one.sixth OF q
term and no augmentation OF pay to
from two to four times the uncertain
wage-rate doled out to the man of toll
who "pays the bills"-for long
hours OF labor, sometimes in Indictment
weather and amid the many hardships
he has TO encounter at all times.
The legislative graft was one of the
extravagances which led to q sway of
the executive Ak in cutting ont appro.
priations in 1903, and is one of the
conditions that will demand careful
scrutiny by the executive now, if we
would not drift amid the shoals that
are so plainly in view. Those who are
too blind to see, have heard the rumble
Unpopular discomfort, however, and now
many of them have their ears to the
ground to enable them to form some
plan for placating an outraged people.
WOMEN TO PAY PoLL-TAx.-As q
result of hasty and inconsiderate legis-
lation. the Senate passed q bill the
other day which makes women sub
ject to poll-tax. Doubtless the omis.
sion Of the word male" was unin.
territorial, but intent does not count
when plain, unequivocal language is
to be construed by the courts. The
act reads "every inhabitant over the
age OF 81 years" in cities shall be sub
ject at the will of the City Councils of
the Third class. to a poll.tax not ar.