The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1906-09-06


Infinite detail That the S&te Of
Maine has such loyal, able and assidu-
| Gus officials at salaries that would
make even a third-rare lawyer Smile is
q piece OF good fortune for the State,
and even a cursory analysis of the
! facts makes Candidate Davis aSser-
| tions seem ridiculous.
About as profitable reading as a
tax payer can peruse in this cor'nec-
| ton Is a com parison OF some figures
regarding a few State departments in
| which an increase of expenditures
may be noted In the past twenty years.
Take the Office of Insurance Com
missioner Here are the figures from
| that branch of the public service:
INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.
Tax on insurance compa-
Cash from insurance
commissioner ............ 312261 1$,8&J0
unAos 173n0@
COMMISSIONER salary =. L200oo 1Soo0o
Deputy Commissioned
Clerk hire and expenses.. 1900
1anp 4-1oGO
Amount reeeiyed 1890. n.osss 1f3.3io@
Salary and expenses -. $4,000 Loo 0
ASSOC us,sO@
A glance reveals the truth.
In 1882 one man did the work-the
commissioner. The total receipts were
S11. 0S4.o9. One man could do that
amount of business. There were few
companies to issue licenses to and to
keep track of. Consider how the de-
tall has multiplied by the accession OF
new companies. and all the manifold
duties required In their control. Last
year the receipts of the State from
that branch were 3lz3.71e.03-more
than ten times the volume OF business
done twenty years ago In that year Of
1882 to which Democratic orators are
pointing with so much pride And
yet the exepnses of the Office. salaries
and clerk hire, are but $4,000. against
$1,000 in 1882. II Mr.. Davis or Mr..
McGillicuddy can figure out OF that
showing anything except condition
of affairs advantageous to the State of
Maine, then their acumen as business
men grows dull as they turn from
their private business to consider pub
lie affairs
1t Is small wonder that with this
showing only one instance of the
damning verify of detail. Candidate
Davis avoids anything except general
tiles when declaiming against extra
cost of service in the Maine depart
ments.
Does a Maine voter want his States
business attended to as it increases or
mony in providing public servitors2
But II the showing In the insurance
department Is thus so emphatically
successful from business standpoint,
the Secretary of States office reveals
a condition that may we'll cause voters
to sit up and open their eyes.
SECRETARY OF STATE DEPARTMENT
Receipts.
Tax corporations 49,. so. S1U.O
New corporations ......... IS. SIS "
Increase capital stock OF
corporations .....-..-..... 9qD 70
Fees OF office ...-......---.. l.l54OO 4fHb
1154oo 1ea wits
Salaries of clerks ......-... 10000 1000
Total receipts OF office -. LISA 00s 19, ~ .
Total expenses of office =. 10000 4mN
.In 1SSe the expenses of office exceeded re-
ceipts by $500
What does this show? 1t shows
that in 1882. when there were two
clerks. the receipts were $646 less
than the expenses.
Last year, with only two clerks ad-
ditional to do all the immense detail
OF this busy office, the whole expense
of clerks being only $4,000, the re-
ceipts of the department were $16s,-
407.56.
And in the face of that showing the
Democratic orators have had the au-
dacity to complain about extra clerks
in the Secretary of States othce'
There was, moreover, none of the
complicated machinery of the Aus
tralian ballot In 1882. This work Is
now all accomplished through the
Secretary of States office.
These facts the voters are entitled
to know, be the voters Republicans or
Democrats.
The charge has been openly made
that your public servants are present
in the State House in extravagant
numbers and are eX,ravagantly paid
But here are facts about them that
Candidate Davis cannot eYade nor
misconstrue. AS to his allegation
that no more State officers are needed
In these days of prosperity and added
responsibilities. 1t insults Republican
intelligence to discuss such seriously.
In asserting that the department for
the protection of fish and game costs
more than it did years ago. Mr.. Davis
does not tell his listeners that this cN-
ira cost Is practically paid by guide
and sportsmen license fees. He does
not tell the truth and say that the
possession of Names vastly increased
game reserves under the enforced
protective law means hundreds OF
thousands of dollars annually left in
the hands of worthy and hardwork-
ing guides and camp-owners.