The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-06-10

! little contribution he made to the state
campaign fund last year. Now T came
up here tonight to offer you my help.
for of course it is my business to head
off hold-ups and I'll keep you posted.
+ Do you know that some Of the big ones
are laying plans to boom boilers this
session? / came down on the tSain
with one Of them. According to him
every boiler in the state institutions IS
worn out and must be replaced. That
means a big item in the appropriation
BILL
] cooked up my ears at this, for I
knew he was a veritabIe ferret in run
ming down graft bills and Doodle,
schemes. He continued.
There are three big boiler makers ii
the city who are in politics. One of them
is on tie state committee"
I knew him." broke in. Who are
the other two?,'
He gave me their names, the names Of
a couple o. prominent manufacturers
in the metropolis of the state.
''They stand in with the gentlemen
who wanted to save you the trouble and
worry of framing up the house commit
tees, said my caller .sThey have
been at work on the proposition for
some months. YOU will find, when the
heads of the state institutions send ID
their estimates for appropriations that
eyeFy one will set down a big estimate
for heating plant, steam plant and boil
er repairs. Individually they don't
amount to much, but collectively they
will aggregate handsome total. These
items will not be punched in any one
case. The estimate for each item will
just come within the amount Which
calls for bids. It has been arranged
that the three boiler makers will gel
all the jobs, and that without adver-
Using for bids. and there will be
enough extras to make it worth while
for them to cut little melon down
here
This then was one of the reasons why
the leaders of my party wanted to name
the committees. They could put on the
committee to which all appropriation
bills are sent men who with their eyes
shut would fayorably report the appra-
priation bill for the state institutions
and in this bill would be the boiler
graft.
/ have cited this case to show how
carefully such schemes are laid. The
disclosure made by MY friend indicated
that the boiler makers and political
leaders had spent mu1ll time seeing
the heads and boards of the several state
Institutions. It would seem that there
would not be enough money in the job
to give a profit to eSeryone involved.
but the superintendent, trustees and
commissioners of the institutions would
be satisfied with pledges ia continue
them in their jobs; the graft seTluld be
divided between the boiler makes and
such members of the legislature who
would force them to pay for voter The
political leaders, I felt satisfied, were
but carrying out the golden ruie of
reciprocity. The manufacturers pTab-
ably had been liberal contributors to
the campaign fund and the party lessl-
ers We're but making good" on their
end of the bargain.
When my caller left me went oyss
to the executive mansion and laid thu
whole scheme before the governor. He
seoWled as he listened
Il told them, he said, that want.
ed all appropriations cut to the bone
this year. I'll stop that graft .
The next day letters went to the
heads of all state institutions. inyit-
ing them to meet the governor III
conference. l attended the meeting.
The governor talked economy, hard
times, the need of keeping expenses
down to minimum and when he
spoke of steam plants and boilers he
put an accent on boilers" wnieh
caused many in the room to color. It
was remarked when the appropriation
bill was printed that there never had
been such a paucity Of items repairs
for boilers,
Which goes to show that one cannot
always make the tax payers pay ona's
expenses.
Transvaal Census.
The rooent ee71e4re of the natives IL